It’s tempting to imagine that procrastination is a fairly recent phenomenon. Without the Internet at their desks, without smartphones in their pockets, how could previous generations possibly have killed an hour, a day, or more avoiding work that needed to be done?
Somehow, they managed.
In 1608, Captain John Smith founded the first British settlement in the Americas in what became Jamestown, Virginia. His account of life in the New World includes a lament that too many of the settlers “procrastinated the time” away. Needing dramatic action to gain the attention of his chronic time-wasters, Smith decreed that “He that will not work shall not eat.”
Thanks - yes, an issue I sometimes suffer from. More information that could be helpful:
When I woke up this morning, I had one goal: Finish this article by 11 a.m.
So, predictably, by the time it was 10 a.m., I had made and consumed two cups of coffee, taken out the trash, cleaned my room while taking a deliberately slow approach to folding my shirts, gone on a walk outside to clear my head, had a thing of yogurt and fruit to reward the physical exertion, sent an email to my aunt and sister, read about 100 Tweets (favorited three; written and deleted one), despaired at my lack of progress, comforted myself by eating a second breakfast, opened several tabs from ESPN.com on my browser … and written absolutely nothing.
What’s the matter with me?* Nothing, according to research that conveniently justifies this sort of behavior to my editors. Or, at least, nothing out of the ordinary for writers, as Megan McArdle has explained on this site. I’m just a terrible procrastinator.
Perhaps adding step 5 - Positive Feedback: Take the time to admire or pat yourself on the back for what you do accomplish instead of rushing on to the next item. Even if it’s something like making the bed or tidying the kitchen. Take the time to see and notice how good you feel for accomplishing that task and how good the bed or kitchen looks thanks to your time and energy.
Anyone else have any ideas or steps that they want to add?
Procrastination has always been around!
You actually did a lot-just not the thing you didnt feel like doing. Hope Im not off track here.
Usually, when there is something i have to do that is out of my routine, or something that may cause me to be late work, or a task Im anxious about-I try to get that done first thing. That way, I can relax and have it off my mind...otherwise, I am thinking about it all day. Its a burden on the heart.
Hope this helps…
