Does anyone else leave all their important work until it gets urgent?

[Synny]

I'm not great at my job because I don't prioritise my work well.

I pick out all the easy stuff and leave the more important work until it becomes urgent, then frantically try and complete in a short period of time.

I think procrastination plays a big part in it and probably an element of self doubt.

Is everyone out there merrily getting on with their work in the most efficient order, or can any relate to the awful way I work?

I leave the difficult stuff that will take time and thinking to a Friday afternoon. It’s quiet then and I can think. As long as the work is seen to get done my boss doesn’t care

with the uni stuff to last second, maybe its fear of getting bad marks. But if we have left it until last minute, then OF COURSE thats the reason for bad marks.

Whereas if we started it much earlier, we'd have no one to blame but ourselves for bad marks.

(i hate that bit when you have decided on a good topic, got lots of research done and a plan for writing - and then you need to COMMIT to writing it - and at that point, what if its rubbish.

I have sort of got over that by making sure i get the x,000 words written a few weeks before deadline. they are not great words but they are words. then i have to edit it alot to make it better. Am envious of people who can write x,000 words day before and think it makes no difference to marks if edited or not).

Yes and no. I think it's pretty common to procrastinate on 'hard' tasks. Personally I need the adrenaline rush of near-panic to knuckle down!

But sometimes tasks that don't seem hard to other people, suddenly become hard to do.

Some examples from this week:
Sending a parcel back
Phoning someone about a thing
Organising childcare for next weekend
Picking up those shorts from where dc 2 left them
Washing the car
Sorting dc 1s birthday present out

I have not done any of the above.

Yep, this is me.

I know it'll get done, so I rarely stress about my world-beating procrastination these days. As long as you get work completed by the deadline, to a decent standard, and you don't inconvenience anyone else, there's no problem surely?

Although I do sometimes have to tell myself 'That thing you've put off for days/weeks, will take 5 mins if you actually bloody do it, you know...'

Ooooooooh, interesting. I’ve resigned myself to an all nighter where I will work at crazy levels to get it done.

Ive always joked I do my best work last minute under pressure with extreme stress, but maybe there is something to it.

Part of Tim Urban's stuff on procrastination is the dark playground, which really resonates. Basically when you procrastinate you spend time doing things that seem relaxing but they aren't really enjoyable. If you find doing things at the last minute works, have you found a way to enjoy the time before you start working on whatever you need to do?

I am a bit like that. I love the pressure of a deadline and never miss one, but if the deadline isn't close I do find myself wasting time on MN (just like now!). The main thing is I always get everything done and the quality of my work is good. I just have bursts of extreme productivity every now and then when I get things done. Annoyingly, I always find I've gotten into my stride late in the afternoon just before I'm due to finish for the day!
I do like a to do list, I find if I write a nice fresh one every few days it really helps me focus as I just work my way down it.

No, no, no! Even reading this thread is making me panicky!

I prioritise in order of importance and then do easier quick stuff in between the big tasks that need a lot of thought to give myself a bit of head space.

I need to be organised and will always be well prepared a day in advance for any client meeting etc.

I'm the same at home and keep list after list to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible.

I don’t think (as someone with ADHD) that I do procrastinate by doing things that are more enjoyable. Often in just kind of stuck and can’t get started. So I waste lots of time on things that aren’t even enjoyable or productive.

And it isn’t just big projects that require panic focus to complete. It is all sorts of basic everyday things. Which often just don’t get done because, despite the consequences, I couldn’t get started on them. It’s never picking up that package from the post office. Failing to organise childcare so I have to miss out on going somewhere. Ordering takeaway because I didn’t do an online shop and there’s no food to make an actual meal with. It’s explaining to my boss that I just didn’t do X with no good excuse (beyond ADHD). And so on.

I think there are lots of people who find the thrive under pressure (and to an extent I can and have - I do very well in exams). But the toll of living like that in everyday life is heavy. To some extent, it ok to survive a degree by pulling things out of the bag at the last minute. But in real life, where you have lots of smaller, less spectacular demands to meet (both at work and at home), it’s a bloody nightmare.

Yes, but I have ADHD (inattentive type).

Procrastinate, forgetful, easily distracted, unable to start things, makes silly mistakes........

....but find something I'm interested in, a deadline or emergency then I am incredible.

It is like my brain needs to make it's own high- from enjoyment or stress.

Ha ha. You sound like me! This made me laugh as I was getting a little twitchy reading this too.

I find working backwards from deadlines and allowing downtime in between to do routine tasks etc works for me.

I have a project sheet with the final deadlines, then break it down to a monthly schedule for all projects. Then a weekly one with priorities and then a daily one. As long as I can do a to do list /plan I can relax and enjoy my downtime as well as meet all deadlines.

I do however build in long chunks of intense work time as I get nearer the deadline as I know that this allows me to focus. And I work Better this way.

Though I am very guilty of watching extra Murder She Wrote episodes when I have an urgent task to do.

My DH does and I hate hate hate it so much. He's then stressed and mardy and it impacts our plans and i have to work around his last minute shit and help him.

I'm the total opposite.

I'm insomniac, and procrastination makes it worse.
So these days I allocate a medium amount of time to do things, do them in timed bursts, and try and operate with self-compassion.

I must try and take a leaf out of your book. I'm also an insomniac and procrastinating definitely doesn't help matters.

I also have ADHD, so I'm terrible for this. For example, if I have 3 things to do before work and I think they will take 10 minutes each, then I wait until 30 minutes before I need to leave for work to get started and of course it ends up taking longer than I think.

One thing that helps a lot is lists and check sheets. These help me focus. I try to pick a few things a day to focus on.

This is me. But I also need an absolute deadline to do things, the pressure makes my brain work better.

But it's stressful!

I used to be like this when I was young, but it would lead to so much stress. Now I try to get everything done as soon as I get it, or plan time into my diary. My big boss has asked me to do some things so he goes to the front of the queue.
Do the big horrible things first. Eat that Frog by Brian Tracy is helpful, there are summaries on YouTube.