Procrastinators Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from chronic procrastination.
Thinking about a different approach to juggling
At any one time I'm juggling a lot of different projects. Generally I've tried to organize them so that I might be doing tasks for several different projects on any given day. Inevitably certain things get postponed, sometimes for days (see my earlier thread about two kinds of procrastination for more on this).
Lately I've been thinking about a different approach.
By default, not planning, any given day tends to be devoted primarily to one project. So what if I plan that from the beginning? Say, Project X comes in as an assignment, it's due in 30 days, I want to spend the equivalent of 20 hours on it. So instead of planning to do it in bits and pieces over the course of 30 days, I find the soonest possible 20 hour block in which to do it. (which translates probably into 4 6-hour days).
All those work days might or might not be consecutive. But by trying to schedule them as soon as possible, I think I may do better with deadlines.
I also know that this won't work perfectly--any given day will be interrupted by some other things that need to be done right now. But I'm thinking it may work better with my tendency to stay focused on one thing anyway, and also my difficulty to transition from one project to another during the work day.
A final thought: I also know I need to be careful about "time bingeing" but on the other hand, I think for me it can be beneficial to keep my focus on one thing until it's finished, or as finished as it can be at any particular time.
So I'm going to try this (it will take some transition because I have a number of projects due soon that won't allow me to focus only on one thing a day) and see if it's a good idea. If you have thoughts from your experience I'd be interested in hearing them.
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on binging
i found this thread after writing my own post http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/379#comment-30090
you can see from that post that i'm not particularly in favor of binging. For all i know, tho, i'm missing out on its advantages.
"the positive white heat of inspiration" seems like a very good thing indeed.
But i dont think i've ever experienced it w/o a frantic and out of control feeling.
The other thing is that when i binge, i avoid other things that are important. There's always a sacrifice when i binge. Somethings i avoid important things that i regret later.
I dont feel like i can make clear decisions among tradeoffs when i binge. I'm sure that there are times when in the middle of a binge, i should stop and do something else. I am very unlikely to make that decision correctly.
I guess in the end, i feel like i give up my control when i bing. Like the task is controlling me, not me controlling the task. And i dont want anyone/thing controlling me except HP, because there's nothing better than that. Everything else feels like a compromise.
So is it possible to get "the positive white heat of inspiration" without a binge? I am not sure. I have to ponder that.
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the touch of the master's hand: http://procrastinators-anonymous.org/node/1898#comment-27748
"fall down seven times, get up eight" - japanese proverb
You guys always have really
You guys always have really insightful comments, and it is comforting to hear what I feel expressed by other people. It's uncanny the way we work the same.
Another thought on bingeing is that I think it adds to the inordinate sense of satisfaction I feel when I accomplishment something minor. Like when I finally get up and clean the house or complete some work that should've been done a week ago, I feel like I've just done something really amazing when in truth I did a basic task, late. I think I read on here something about that- it seems like such an obstacle to me that I feel I've accomplished something when I time binge and finally get it done.
Like you all, I'd like to learn to tap into that energy and creativity more often and not when time bingeing.
I was just thinking the
I was just thinking the exact same thing. I'm spreading myself between projects. It takes me a long time to motivate to start, but then once I'm going, I do well. Then I lose it in the transitions. So I was thinking of doing a MWF sort of thing like classes were organized back in college. MWF on Project One, T Th on Project Two. Project Three needs a little work every day but it is the easiest and the one I enjoy most, so I can do that one M-F.
But, alas, I'm so far behind right now that I need to work on each one every day just to keep up! If I do what I'm supposed to do today and tomorrow, I can try this new approach next week starting Mon.
Why is time bingeing so bad? I feel like I'm at my most creative and productive and satisfied during a time binge. The problem is the rest of the time. I seem to have no middle ground. Either nothing or time bingeing. Oh maybe that's the problem with time bingeing. Duh! I see what you mean.
Time Binge. To me = ok when positive energy
Hi!
This is an interesting thread. Thanks everyone for your comments.
A time binge can be ok with me, too. I do best when I go with the energy I have. Not everyone is a morning person, but I am, so I try to use the first bits of the morning to "get a head start" on project(s), and keep going as long as I can. I can "naturally" get done what otherwise would have been a struggle. jmho. I get a lot of ideas from the threads on PA, so thanks, everyone, for sharing your thoughts.
Recycler
Recycler
Thank you, gals & guys, for being here! :)
Binge = Satisfaction
"I feel like I'm at my most creative and productive and satisfied during a time binge"
I TOTALLY agree with you. Definitely. Even when I time binge for reading or video games it just gives me such a sense of peace, it stimulates my creativity... But the best is when I get housework done, or a project done... seeing physical results just sort of magically take shape is fabulous! :D
You describe it perfectly
The MWF/TuTh thing, and that, yes, certain projects require something every day.
And I'm not so sure that time bingeing is universally bad. Part of it depends, probably, on how one time-binges--that is, what one is doing at that time. And along with that, being able to discern when an act of long, focused time is appropriate and when it really is a form of "bingeing".
The Hero's Code:
Show up. Pay Attention. Speak the Truth. Let Go of the Outcome.
binging pros and cons
I can't imagine doing my kind of work without some binges; I think even non ps binge in my field.
Where binging becomes a problem for me is: when I leave the binge too late, run on adrenalin, ignore other activities that need some attention for my well-being or for others. Or where I lie to myself and say X can only be done by binge, instead of patched together from scraps of time.
When I binge, there is an adrenaiin high and a positive white heat of inspiration that can bring good results. But there is also stress and fear and a need for enablers; perhaps sometimes results that could have been even better with a long steady tortoise approach than a hare's leap.
I don't imagine that my recovery will mean no more binges, but I hope I will...binge more... moderately. I learn from the Mark Forster book that work done with fear and adrenalin, done impulsively, actually engages the brain and body in different ways, ways that may be less good than work approached more calmly, by plan and routine. And I learn from the other things that matter in life, that nurturing plants, relationships, garden, house, by 'little and often' counts for a lot.