All procrastinators put off things they have to do. . . . Structured procrastination means shaping the structure of the tasks one has to do in a way that exploits this fact. The list of tasks one has in mind will be ordered by importance. Tasks that seem most urgent and important are on top. But there are also worthwhile tasks to perform lower down on the list. Doing these tasks becomes a way of not doing the things higher up on the list. With this sort of appropriate task structure, the procrastinator becomes a useful citizen. Indeed, the procrastinator can even acquire, as I have, a reputation for getting a lot done.There's an old saying, "if you need something done quickly, give it to a busy man." The above would fit with that (and with my experience). In fact, Perry argues that clearing your decks of all but the important tasks is the surest route to couch-potato-hood. too great.
(via Frogs and Ravens)
2 comments:
I wonder whether anyone will draw a connection between the number of posts for 10/21 and the topic of this particular one . . .
%^)
Oh, there are so many defenses of procrastination. Any veteran procrastinator knows that if you ignore the so-called top-of-the-list tasks (generally the most distateful ones) long enough, you discover how many of them did not need to be done in the first place. Or you learn how it might actually have been a disadvantage not put off until tomorrow that which did not absolutely, positively need to be done today. Which leads one to the conclusion that the "why put off til tomorrow?" adage is really just a way to get people to do things without giving them an opportunity to find out whether they really want to.
--Serena
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