Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Why do I do this?

Why do I need to procrastinate myself into a corner in order to get work done? Not all work, but some very important work.

I still haven't submitted that close approximation of the final draft of the report for the project I was doing at my (now old) job. When I left the job, I was sure I would have it wrapped up in a week. Before I left, I thought I would have it done before I left. Of course my double whammy-- bacterial and viral illness-- did not help, but there was also a fair bit of procrastination involved.

My parents are going back home tomorrow. Monkey has asked to go with them for another visit before school starts. Unfortunately, if I let her go by herself, they wouldn't be able to get her back here almost until the end of the month. But she and they really want her to go. So I am suddenly leaving town in the morning-- driving with them and Monkey, so that the two of us can fly back early Tuesday morning.

Which means I am not sleeping (much or at all) tonight-- I have to take that nearly complete draft to the office in the morning, and I have to finally pack up my desk there. All before we leave, which has to happen not too late in the morning-- it's at least a 9 hr drive to the parents' house.

I know I shouldn't have procrastinated myself into this corner, but I did. Hopefully at least this will mean me finally being rid of this report in the morning.

8 comments:

niobe said...

Good luck. I find that sometimes the only way to force yourself to finish an important project is to run up against a really nonnegotiable deadline. It's not much fun, but, with any luck, the report will be gone soon.

thrice said...

I procrastinate all the time and then kick myself for doing it. I think part of my problem is that I get it done anyway (after killing myself to do so) and then there isn't enough of a consequence to learn from.

Beruriah said...

Yikes. I'm becoming good friends with procrastination as well these days.

Hopefully by now you've finished the thing, and are getting your other tasks done. And I hope you didn't lose too much sleep because that's not what you need right now when you've been sick!

S. said...

I'm the same way. I know I work best in bursts of energy, so I procrastinate in part to position myself for that burst. But then I misjudge the time I'll need!

So I am empathizing like crazy.

Lori said...

I am a big believer in the silly saying, "If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done." That is me!

Hope you have wrapped things up now!

meg said...

Procrastination is my middle name--really I have a hard time completing things now, when I use to just "go, go, go" until it was done.

Hope the report is out of your hair, very soon!

Bon said...

let me add to the chorus of i do it too, and i hate it, and sometimes i just can't get things done any other way.

may it soon be behind you, so you and Monkey can party with the grandparents in these end of summer days.

S said...

I hope that by now it's just a memory (albeit a bad one) and that you're on your way.