Welcome to Gaia! ::

Reply 21+
There was supposed to be a thread here, but...

Quick Reply

Enter both words below, separated by a space:

Can't read the text? Click here

Submit

Headhunter
Crew

PostPosted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 6:45 am


...frak it, I'll do it tomorrow.

Right! So let's talk procrastination!

Day 1 of my Spring Break began just like any other day, 21+. I started with coming online and checking out my daily websites, one of which is Cracked. One of today's articles on the sight happens to be 5 Ways 'Common Sense' Lies To You Everyday and it was number 4, "The Nirvana Fallacy" that caught my attention in particular.

From the article:
Quote:
The Nirvana Fallacy is when you dismiss anything in the real world because you compare it to an unrealistic, perfect alternative, by which it pales in comparison. It wouldn't be a problem, except it keeps us from getting anything done.

For instance, procrastination can happen for a lot of reasons--you drank too much the night before, or you're feeling uninspired, or it's your first time doing gay porn and you're having second thoughts--but one of the most common reasons we procrastinate is fear that the end result won't live up to the "perfect" idea in our heads. Think about the writer friend of yours who has never actually written anything, because they're "waiting for the right idea" for a book to come along.

This is why people wind up living in their parents' basement, waiting for the perfect job, the perfect girl, the perfect friendship before committing to anything.


Now I don't know about the rest of you, but Headhunter procrastinates ALOT. In fact, the reason I'm up now is because I should be:

a.) Looking for a new job (because I want to quit mine for lack of hours)
b.) Putting a dent in school assignments
c.) Putting a dent in one of the 5 story outlines I have in progress.

Instead, I'm surfing the net and leaving this for all you to read and I tell myself this because:

a.) Job hunting is mind numbing and hours of work can ultimately be for naught.
b.) I have a week of spring break
c.) No inspiration.

So instead, the minute this message is posted I'll probably do more web surfing before I go play a game or something until I get tired of it enough where I'll have no choice but to do at least one of these three things. Thing is, this happens often and I have no clue what to do about it sad

What about you good people?

Discuss, now or later:

1.) Procrastination and how you've done it before and will probably do it some time in the next 24 hours
2.) Why do you procrastinate?
3.) What do you do to try and combat it?
4.) Correlation vs Causation
5.) How Headhunter should be at the beach for Spring break, but isn't because of he fears Sharks and Atlanteans. But not pirates. Never pirates.
6.) Battlestar Galactica and how, after this week, Headhunter'll have to find something else to do on Fridays gonk
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 3:22 am


I'm a do-er. I can't help myself! For me, it's nothing to do with being a perfectionist - and I'm certainly not a control freak who has to do everything herself. I'm results driven - I like to finish things. Not for showing off, but because it gives me a sense of self-worth. "I did that", or "we did that" or "it's finished"... etc etc
In fact, my ex boyfriend used to make fun of me ALL the time. Most people talk about doing things; I don't just talk about them, I do them.

I'm a HUGE fan of fantasy and use it daily. I call it hope - or fun...depending on what I'm fantasising about. And I do - I dream of the perfect job/face/life/boyfriend etc etc, but that does NOT stop me from loving every moment of my life, or myself. I'm happy and grateful to be me and have my life. But fantasy doesn't 'get stuff done'.

My suggestions :
1) Start small, realistic and make a list. Cross each item off as you go. It's nice when the list is half the size it was (1/2 the size is GREAT! Don't be upset that there are still items on it!) Even if there are items on the list which you've almost done, put them on there so you can cross them off!

2) The 80% solution. (The saying is that it takes you 20% of the time to do 80% of the work, then the rest of the time (your extra 80%) only gets you the final 20%. Sometimes the 20% is needed to finish the job, mostly it's not. It's a nice-to-have.
80% result is good enough in 99% of situations. Why? Because most people can't tell the difference. It's like diamonds.
1 carat, VS1 will set you back about $10k.
1 carat, VVS1 will set you back about $30k.
Your average person can't tell the difference.... you need a handlens/magnification (unless you've been dooped and been given crappy rocks!).
Worth the extra $20k? HELL NO!

Watching Battlestar Galactia is a great way to spend Friday nights...so I've not any suggestions for you there.

Sablara
Vice Captain


Bakura Amane

Adorable Marshmallow

19,375 Points
  • Prayer Circle 200
  • Nerd 50
  • Invisibility 100
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 10:42 am


Fittingly enough, not even bothering to read the thread, I procrastinated about reading it! lol

Anyway, I procrastinate a lot myself and I think it has something to do with how I was brought up by my parents. Both wanted us, my brother and myself, to get started on homework as soon as we changed clothes from our school uniforms. I cannot do that! Besides which it seems that I was forced to start on things sooner rather than later, and I feel this is a rebelion of sorts to NOT do my homework or whatever has to be done. There's also, it seems anyway, something that always must be done first! Right now, I have procrastinated on homework because I was in the hospital since Wednesday of last week with my mom who was getting her right hip replaced. Now I could not bring homework because it was all on my computer or too big and bulky. Right now, I should really be looking for ways to improve my animation on my candle, but I'm not. Why? Frankly, it's because I don't feel like it. I'd rather be coaxing my mom and being with her as she recouperates just like she always does when I'm under the weather.

I too am on Spring Break and would love to get back to work on at least three of my stories, too. Once again, I'm not doing it not because of lack of ideas (I have oodles of them), but mostly due to the fact I have been putting everything else off for far too long now with Mom's surgery.

I also should be job hunting because I don't feel I'm repsected enough at my current job AND because there's nothing left to learn (one can only learn so many apples and other such things at a grocery store and I feel I've learned everything there is to know about the grocery industry).

I try to manage my procrastination by doing little things each day until the project is done. I also have made calendars and gnatt charts to help me montitor my progress aganist something. Looking down now at my carpet reminds me that I still have yet to clean my room this week, dust, and do some more laundry. sweatdrop

Anyway, as for Battlestar Galactica, I have no idea what to tell you since I never got into that show. xd

Now, if you will all excuse me I have mounds and mounds of homework and house work waiting for me. confused (Not that I'm probably even going to do it even after I quit typing this mind you. rolleyes )
PostPosted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:09 pm


I'll reply to the rest later xd , but as for Friday nights, Dollhouse is pretty good.

Sheboygan Milad


Dafthank

PostPosted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 1:43 am


Procrastination? Ha! I don't even know the meaning of the word! I tried to look it up once though, but meh...I'll figure it out later...

Seriously though, I don't really procrastinate that much, but when put up against the Nirvana Fallacy, I look like a total slacker. I don't know that it's a bad thing though. I mean, if you only do things that will end up the way you want them to, then it means you have a 100% success rate, right? Heck, every job I've ever had I took because I knew I would succeed at it and not get fired or fail.

Maybe I am scared to try new things and explore new possibilities, and for that, sure, I can be considered a procrastinator, but to know that the things I like to do I can do very well, I think that's a pretty fair trade off.
PostPosted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 9:07 am


i like to procrastinate to clean up my romm, but once a while i freak out and do it as if my life depends on it.i also start to clean up when i have to learn for exams.

looking for a job...well i sould start to look again, the probelm is i donßt know where i can look i feel as if i have as everywhere and i´´m still waiting for about 10 answeres.

after all if i start one thing once i will also finish it, i can´t stand open tasks.

Ameliechan

9,850 Points
  • Object of Affection 150
  • Unleash the Beast 100
  • Partygoer 500
Reply
21+

 
Manage Your Items
Other Stuff
Get GCash
Offers
Get Items
More Items
Where Everyone Hangs Out
Other Community Areas
Virtual Spaces
Fun Stuff
Gaia's Games
Mini-Games
Play with GCash
Play with Platinum