Comments on: Procrastination: friend or foe?

By: David Whitley

David Whitley — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:36:15 +0000

I know the feeling. I’m having a shocker today – I got in late last night and I don’t seem to be able to string two sentences together. Time for admin jobs and planning rather than writing, methinks…

Days like this are perfectly natural though. I couldn’t write 2,000 words flat out every day, and it’s days like these that make those super-productive days possible.

By: Juno

Juno — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 12:49:28 +0000

It’s like my story Andy! haha
What I like to do is, get numerous things doing at once. I don’t meat literally, write some, edit some photo, make some tea, check inbox, think about what should I write next, and repeat.
And somehow all these things done at last.
So,, why not? I like it this way. Hehe

By: Ivo Stoichev

Ivo Stoichev — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 10:05:19 +0000

I can certainly agree to almost everything you said ! Even though you meant it for yourself it’s mostly conclusions that are valid for pretty much everyone. It’s not procrastination that’s the problem, it’s our own attitude towards it, I think. If you find it a bad thing you’ll naturally try to avoid it, but then again that would make you a workaholic.
Very good post, made me think

By: Andy Jarosz

Andy Jarosz — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:16:15 +0000

Thanks Mark and Bebhinn for your wise words. You’ve both offered words of comfort that I’ll turn to when I’m next looking for inspiration (my inner genius merely control the chaos of my mind)

By: Bebhinn O'Loingsigh

Bebhinn O'Loingsigh — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 11:34:20 +0000

Sounds like an average day in my life! Great post. There’s a lot to be said for letting the mind wander – it gives your subconscious the chance to sort out all the stuff that needs figuring out. I say let the subconscious do some work for a change.

By: Mark Pawlak

Mark Pawlak — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:30:59 +0000

I think procrastination and indecision are sometimes confused.

Sat in a farmhouse in France I was reassured by a writer/ publisher friend of mine. He said, “Some people are busy people. Don’t worry if you think you are lazy, you’re not, you are busy enough in your mind.”

More recently I heard a quote – forgive the inaccuracy- that noted, “to be organised is small-minded, to control chaos takes genius”.

I think the point I’m making is that we need to have time for reflection, to loose the order of things; procrastination can be indecision or just as easily be the mind delving deeper into memories and ideas, the ones we took the time to collect.

Best wishes, Mp

By: Andy Jarosz

Andy Jarosz — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:23:48 +0000

Thank you Farnoosh and Sam, it’s comforting to hear I’m not alone. As you suggest Farnoosh, the key thing is to keep your procrastination in check. And yes Sam, Twitter is the ultimate procrastinator’s tool!

By: Farnoosh

Farnoosh — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:39:06 +0000

Goodness! I thought for a moment someone was observing me while procrastinating in my daily chores on a usual day working from home (aside from checking any sports events )! but alas, I wonder about the same. I lived a life of deadlines, stress, and extremely hectic work hours and now sometimes when I procrastinate, when I hang out in the kitchen talking to my husband and go the length of my living room 3 times doing nothing in particular, I allow it to be absorbed as time NOT wasted and as life lived as fully as when I am writing or doing yoga or anything else from the list of millions we all have! So no – not a foe – although I keep procrastination in check and it does not occur when it comes to TRAVELING the world because I plan to do it while in my earlier years in life! THANK YOU for this post!

By: Sam

Sam — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 09:36:14 +0000

Tell me about it. I am so easily distracted unless every part of my mind is in gear, which is why Twitter is evil. If I go for periods of time without having much to do (as sometimes happens in my job) I feel even less inclined to do it as it requires immense motivation. At university my personal procrastination favourite was staring our of the window. Damn interesting when you should be writing a dissertation.