I think that there are two kinds of people in the world. Those who get things done and those who procrastinate. I, on the other hand, am an outlier in this. I fit snuggly between the two categories. I used to be a procrastinator, mainly because I was lazy. However, as I’ve been trying to cope with my memory issues, I have been trying to prioritize getting tasks finished when I think of them. If I don’t do something when I think about it, I forget it. It feels the same as “out of sight, out of mind.” Only this is “out of mind… out of mind?” I don’t know.
Since I’m having to make a conscious effort to do this, it’s heightened my awareness of others and their priorities in getting tasks done. There are definitely two kinds of people in the world. Those who like to get things done right away and then relax afterward, and those who like to relax and worry about the tasks later in the crunch time.
“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”
Vince Lombardi
I’ve been shifting from one to another, or at least that’s my intention. It’s interesting to see who is what type of person while observing them. I think it makes it more interesting from the perspective I’m in right now, where I am shifting from a procrastinator to a go-getter. I think being in the middle-ground, you get a better understanding of things. I think that can be said about a lot of things. The more perspectives that you have an understanding of, the better your understanding of the whole situation is. Obviously, nobody can be fully cognizant of every perspective completely.
This morning, I find myself contemplating my situation and the things that I need to do and I realize that it’s a Sunday morning, so the things that I can actually do are more limited than perhaps a weekday morning. So, I’m trying to do the next most productive thing that I can and focus on working. While taking a break from work, I decided to blog.
The reason I decided to blog is because I was talking to a friend about another friend “waffling.” I used to be the type that would waffle as well, quite a bit. But then I realized that if I just get up and do what needs to be done, then I can sit and relax until the next pressing matter needs attention. I feel much more relaxed with my new route of action than my previous one. However, there is a lot to be said about procrastination too.
“There’s never enough time to do all the nothing you want.”
Bill Watterson
I often think about the choices I made in life that led me down the path that I’m not, and not just the recent path, but my whole path. A big part of me wanted to “procrastinate” in life if such a thing is possible. I always used to joke around about how retirement is wasted on the elderly. We should retire when we’re young and can actually do fun things! Then, we should work until we’re old and ready to die. Obviously, as a mature adult of 36 years, I can see that it was nothing but mental aerobics to come up with an excuse. It damn sure felt like it made a lot of sense at the time. (How many things can that be said about?)
As I write this, I wonder if such a transition as the one I’m in is commonplace among other people or is this an uncommon or unique situation I find myself in? It’s not an easy one, that’s certain. I’m having to reprogram my brain and how it reacts to expectations. When something is expected to get done, it should get done. Obviously, not everything can be so structured, but the intention is a good start. Maybe more people should try the transition phase out.
This reminded me of something else, and I may have already written this here but it’s important so it won’t be the last. Instead of being proactive, humans are reactive. If we were proactive, we would tackle the issue head-on before it becomes an issue. We would use planning and foresight to foresee the outcomes and we would try to eliminate the undesirable outcomes before ever having to experience them. Imagine if we were like that with climate change, or political upheaval, war, famine, etc. Instead of being proactive, humans are reactive. I think a lot of it comes back to procrastination and why I originally got swept up in that. Laziness.
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
Walt Disney
I think that it’s built into our wiring to be lazy. We want the most benefit with the least effort. Honestly, I’m sure it comes down to the conservation of calories. Doesn’t quite a bit of evolution defer to that? I mean, I heard that our brains take shortcuts just to reduce the calorie burn for the day. Of course, this could translate into actions and behaviors. So, I don’t think there should be any shame surrounding laziness. It’s human nature. But, I think there can be pride in being a doer.
With that, I bid you all adieu until our next foray.
Take care.
I really like this piece, Justin.
Some of my early training was this.
Do what you need to do when you need to do it. Do it when it’s foremost on your thoughts; this frees up energy & mental space for whatever else might be needed.
“we want the most benefit with the least effort” you’ve definitely raise a good point there, Justin. It’s so hard sometimes to work hard over a long period of time and it’s easy to get fed up and want to procrastinate. Interesting that you find yourself in the middle of being a go-getter and a procrastinator. Maybe that’s the best way to do it? A balance of both?
Balance of both, I like your thought process. So, when do you think it’s okay to procrastinate? Or is that just a part of prioritization?
I think it’s ok to put things off that aren’t urgent. If we race around constantly busy, it’s not great for mental health so I think setting aside time to do NOTHING is vital. Is procrastinating rest? Lol. Who knows?