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Thoughtful Procrastination


I'm running late today, more so than usual, but I have to say if customer service helps to ensure future sales of a product and word-of-mouth praise to help sell more, Lenovo has my mark of approval. I procrastinated about calling them, mainly because my daughter had the information on the purchase of the computer and we kept disconnecting before I finally got the information from her. But procrastination is not usually a good thing.

When I procrastinate, other things pile up and before you know it, the mountain of work I'm facing could have been whittled away if I'd just not procrastinated. And, you know how it goes. If you procrastinate about one thing, putting it off until tomorrow, here comes ten other things and wham! You can't do anything about the thing you procrastinated about if your life depended on it.

But sometimes I have thoughtful procrastination. And this is a good thing. It's when I'm trying to come up with a bear idea, usually an order for something unusual and I don't just jump on it. I've got to take the time to really mull it over. Writing can be the same way. I'll be mulling and mulling, trying to come up with the proper motivation for something and then, finally, it dawns on me and I can write to my heart's content. If I'd just written anything to write, I wouldn't be as far ahead as when I can come up with more of a plan.

Yesterday, I figured the box for the Thinkpad would arrive while I was at work and so I had a dilemma. Package the laptop and take it to UPS which is only open from 4-7. I get home at 6:30, so that means I'd kill myself to get it ready and drive all the way into town before they close. OR, take it already packaged up with me to work and when I got off, take it over there since I'd already be in town. But that would be the next day. Then the thoughtful procrastination part of me took over. What if I had UPS pick it up at work? Then when I got off, I could just come home!

Yep, sometimes not rushing into things can work out better. :) I can stay at work, not have to drive way across town, and let UPS handle it. And that way I'm not sending it out later than I need to either. :) *Sigh* Now if I'd only done this a week ago when my laptop first went out!!!

And trying to do edits and view emails at work without my computer at lunch is a nightmare. So no more procrastination for me...unless it's the thoughtful kind!


What about you? Do you procrastinate, ever? Come on, you can tell us!!!


Terry

Comments

  1. Terry, I'm so bad about procrastination. Well for most things. I work best under pressure, always have. I mean I haven't even packed for D.C. and I still have shopping that I have to do. And right now I should be at work but I'm procrastinating, good thing I sleep with the boss. He's my husband of almost 17 years, so don't go all gasping on me. ;)

    I also don't have much of my pitching down for next week, but I'm not even sure if I'll keep my appointments at this time. Other than practice, a ST shouldn't really pitch to a Category editor, right? But that was all that was left open.

    See I'm still procrastinating. :)

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  2. In recent weeks I haven't had any room for procrastination, but sometimes, when there's something I'm putting off doing, I putz around the internet--but generally I'm reading book blogs/websites... so that's the thoughtful kind of procrastination, right?

    Have a great weekend, Terry!

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  3. Procrastinate? Not often, actually. It's more a matter of one thing driving another out of my mind to the point that I forget about it.
    Besides, there are enough procrastinators around my house already. They don't need me doing it too.

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  4. Omigosh, sleeping with the boss, that's a good one, Renee!!! :) Good luck with your pitch!!! And have fun for DC. Why pack too early? The weather might change! :)

    LOL, Danielle, definitely the thoughtful kind of procrastination! You definitely can't be a procrastinator in your work! We'd be in a world of hurt!

    Hmm, Cheryl, I think I'll use that as a different kind of procrastination. Out of sight-out-of-mind kind! :)

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  5. This might sound strange, but I'm not always sure whether I'm procrastinating or not--especially when writing. I mean, sometimes you just have to get up and go look at a book you've read before or look out the window, even though you know you ought to be writing. And then, when you do,when you put your mind in neutral, suddenly, ideas come pouring in and you can outline two chapters in a matter of minutes.

    And then there's the honest-to-god procrastination born of the fact that I just don't want to do something and I spend more time trying to think of how to get out of it than it would take to do it. I've mostly learned better--but not completely. :-)

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  6. LOL, Mary Margret, I procrastinated on weedeating. Now it's too hot. One of these days... Maybe when it's fall???

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  7. I am a world-class procrastinator, everywhere in my life except my day job, which is dictated by hellacious deadlines that I live in fear of missing!

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  8. I'd procrastinate if I had time, but I have kids instead.

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  9. LOL, Sheila, been there, done that. :)

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