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Procrastinators unite!...tomorrow
sandy
Explorer
I see a few threads here and there that relate to procrastination and Buddhism, but what about procrastination in general? How do you manage it?
I should be retouching photos I shot yesterday and booking a model for next week's shoot but I keep finding other things to do that keep me from being productive. If it were an occasional occurrence I'd chalk it up to needing a break, but it seems every time I sit down to do something I get sidetracked. I am an eleventh hour kind of girl, meaning I usually find myself hurrying to finish something and not doing my best at it. I've tried organizing with lists and day planners, but I usually forget about their existence very quickly after their inception. What could anyone suggest about time management in general?
I should be retouching photos I shot yesterday and booking a model for next week's shoot but I keep finding other things to do that keep me from being productive. If it were an occasional occurrence I'd chalk it up to needing a break, but it seems every time I sit down to do something I get sidetracked. I am an eleventh hour kind of girl, meaning I usually find myself hurrying to finish something and not doing my best at it. I've tried organizing with lists and day planners, but I usually forget about their existence very quickly after their inception. What could anyone suggest about time management in general?
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Comments
I know what you mean, I think, when you talk about procrastination and putting things off until the last minute. When I have procrastinated, I have noticed a few things that I wonder if you might feel are helpful. As far as direct time management, I would say that it is less of an issue than the other, because when you procrastinate putting things in the planner, it becomes moot.
Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche talks about this pattern in a book called "Turning the Mind into an Ally" where he describes what you're dealing with as basic or fundamental laziness. Your mind might be saying something like "ah, one more other thing" or "in a few moments I'll feel more inspired to do it" or "I'm not in the mood, but I will be later." Do those sound like something you say to yourself?
The ignorance of those words, is that when we have something to do, the energy of its manifestation is in the manifesting... not in the waiting or doing other things first. Said differently, when we begin the doing, we find the inspiration of the thing that needs to be done. Have you noticed that when you have the time to do something, when you start doing it, it becomes more easy? more connected or present? In my experience, getting over the hump of "putting it off" is really the only hump... once I am in the midst of the project, it is rewarding, joyous and relaxed. Depending on the project of course.
What you might benefit from looking at is the lack of enjoyment that you experience while you are putting off that activity. While you are procrastinating, the action you're putting off is with you the whole time. Its like a big weight that prevents you from joy while you are doing other things. You will not feel more inspired later, you will not be more in the mood at some other point. So, the solution to the ignorance that needs to be confronted is just that simple... "now is the best time to do it, because doing it right now is what will actually make me the happiest"
When you let go of the distraction and just do what you need to do, I have no doubt the elation is more potent than the funny youtube video or the TV show or the facebook update or the million other distractions that can get in the way of our truest happiness.
With warmth,
Matt
found out that i was feeling guilt, and i didn't work because i wanted to work, i worked only to calm the guilt feeling.
guilt feeling like "I would have been done already if i did not procrastinate"
every single days.
Sometimes i would get in the mood or find the zone and work harder, but every other minutes i would only work to reduce the guilt feeling when it got too strong.
same about my hobbies, learning language, meditating etc...
when i figured that my problem was not the procrastination but this feeling of guilt, I looked at the feeling of guilt inside with equanimity, and it dissipated.
It changed my life. now it come back much weaker now, and i think if i keep dissipating this feeling it will never come back.
Regardless of weather your problem is the same as me, I figured the problem is never the action/inaction (procrastinating, punching someone, drinking, insulting peoples...), the problem is always a feeling that is driving this action/inaction.
best of luck to you
Thank you for your replies. aMatt, the lack of inspiration feeling is pretty common for me with certain tasks. I am guilty of that.
I thought about this topic some from the time I posted til now. It seems that some of my procrastination actually comes from fear. Fear of not being good enough/not doing a good enough job. A common demon in my life. I have discovered this quarter that I should not look at a class as a whole, but break it down into little managable parts.
Micsunderland3, I do what I can
I think you've hit the nail on the head for my procrastination problems too. I like to write and (sometimes) paint. I've noticed that whenever I've written something that I'm particularly pleased with, the more chance there is of me procrastinating before continueing with it later. And the reason is fear - I don't want to ruin it!
I've only ever tried this with creative things, but I don't see why it wouldn't work for other things too. If I'm putting myself of off doing something with thoughts like: "I'm not inspired enough to do it now, maybe it would be better to wait until later" I tell myself that I'm going to spend half hour on it RIGHT NOW. If I can't get into it after half hour, then fair enough, I'll stop and try again later. Even if at first it seems like I'm wasteing my time, it's suprising how much easier it's got by the time the half hour is up.