FP - Any procrastinators out there?

[TheodoreK]

I voted "infrequently".

I rarely procrastinate and when I do I try to make up for any lost time with extra work. I think the trick against procrastination is to have many things to do, some of them not urgent. That way you can work on the less urgent stuff instead of procrastinating.

[succor]

@TheodoreK

You're doing better than the average person then; at least those participating in this poll.

I read an article a while back that suggested that procrastinating sometimes was a good thing. Apparently it added a little bit of stress to the situation which makes it easier to concentrate and heightens your senses.

[TheodoreK]

I read an article a while back that suggested that procrastinating sometimes was a good thing. Apparently it added a little bit of stress to the situation which makes it easier to concentrate and heightens your senses.

Sounds like the author of this article was making excuses, no?

People procrastinating will dish out all sorts of excuses like analysis paralysis and haste makes waste.

[monty]

I've read a couple of good books recently which deal with the subject of procrastination, based on scientific research.
One of them is Willpower , with a good summary of it by one of the co-authors in this NYT article.

[Kay]

I voted too - I frequently procrastinate. But it very much depends on what's needing to be done. If it's something interesting, then I can't wait to get stuck in, if it's routine or boring then I'll try to put it off for as long as possible.

One of my old school teachers used to say, "Procrastination is the thief of time". I guess that's true.

[succor]

Sounds like the author of this article was making excuses, no? ....

Okay, you got me; but isn't that what we procrastinators do? Make excuses.

I've read a couple of good books recently which deal with the subject of procrastination, based on scientific research....

Thanks for the link to the book; it looks like it is about self control. I'm not sure if self control and procrastinating are related though; I am sure that a case could be made either way though. I'm going to try and borrow it from the library before I buy it. Anyhow, it reminded me of the following quote.
The greatest victory a man can win is victory over himself. -- Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi

I voted too - I frequently procrastinate....One of my old school teachers used to say, "Procrastination is the thief of time". I guess that's true.

Thanks for voting.
Thanks for the quote too; your teachers were quoting Edward Young, a British poet, I found out. I like quotes and I, ah, hmm, collect them for lack of a better word; this one has been added to my collection.

[monty]

Thanks for the link to the book; it looks like it is about self control. I'm not sure if self control and procrastinating are related though

According to the authors they are , with one link being that procrastinators are more likely to have the trait of impulsiveness, and are more likely to change to doing things to improve their current mood when bored or when tackling difficult tasks.

They have some good recommendations on strategies to get around this problem - which I have naturally been putting off implementing :-)

[crabfoot]

VERY old joke:

Thomas - "Hey, John, what was you thinkin' when you told me that "procrastinate" means to "put something off"?"

John -"Well, it does, Tom".

Thomas - "Then how come the bus conductor larfed his head off when I asked him to procrastinate me in Charing Cross Road?"

[David S]

I guess I procrastinated long enough before finally responding to this poll. No doubt about it, I frequently procrastinate (as I am doing at this very minute since this is not the reason I am sitting in front of my computer).