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I've Got Procrastination Down to An Art
June 07, 2005
I have a full week to work on my sites, starting with today (except for a few short summaries I've got due).
So here's a rundown of what I've done so far today:
- went grocery shopping
- played on the trampoline with my son
- tried to finish up a "serious" book because Wendy tagged me and I don't want to have to write that I've been reading fluff (and if you're wondering, no, I didn't finish the serious book but I was disciplined enough not to pick up another piece of fluffy reading)
- watched Thomas the Tank Engine (don't ask)
- roamed several forums until my eyes glazed over
- thought about my gameplan a whole lot
- FINALLY decided to get my affiliate links set up for Xsite Pro even though I've been working with it for a while and like it. *Ahem* did anyone notice how I managed to sneak that affiliate link into this post that's not even ABOUT Xsite Pro?
- checked my site stats lots (let's just say lots and be done with it, okay?)
- ditto for Adsense (didn't help that my login page seemed to be down a lot. Good thing, though - I probably would have wore out the login button otherwise)
I think what happens is that when I'm finished with an offline work deadline, I need time and space to just do nothing. Not even work on my sites. Even though working on my sites is fun and I enjoy it.
Or else I've got procrastination down to an art.
So much for Getting Things Done (but really, GTD does work. Just not for me today.)
I'm working on my gameplan for tomorrow right now, though. Stuff like putting up a couple of new sites that I've been thinking about for a while, figuring what I'm going to do with my new blog about blogging (I'll post the link tomorrow even though it's nowhere near ready), trying to get a handle on the whole datafeed thing (well, okay, that might be too much for one day), and posting an update to the $100 Challenge (but I'll save you the suspense - I'm nowhere close with my Challenge sites and in fact, the main Challenge site I created seems to have dropped deeeeeep into the sandbox and I'm feeling like it might never see the light of day again). I also have some articles I need to upload and new blogs to set up.
I'm hoping to be able to report back with a long list of what I managed to accomplish, same time tomorrow.
Since I said "I'm hoping", you don't need to hold me to that, okay?
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Posted by BJ at 12:21 AM in Web Publisher's Life | Permalink
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Comments
> So much for Getting Things Done (but really, GTD
> does work. Just not for me today.)
No, no, no, you're *right*. It *doesn't* work. It's a splendid system - best I've seen. But it fails the basic test of working for the very people who need it most - undisciplined, procrastinating, lazy lumps like me.
Go on - repeat after me, "David Allen's GTD system is broken!". You'll feel so much better, and get that cool, "I'm a rebel" feeling that comes when you attack what is rapidly becoming tantamount to a religious belief; see www.43folders.com :-)
Posted by: TC | Jun 7, 2005 6:11:39 PM
Okay, I have to admit that I haven't set aside the two days (more like two weeks) required to do the whole collect/process/do thing. I'm breaking the rules already by just doing a stack of stuff at a time. But don't say GTD doesn't work!
I NEED IT TO WORK :)
But you're tempting me. Because "I'm a rebel" sounds good, too.
"Undisciplined, procrastinating, lazy lump" doesn't quite have that same panache, though ...
Posted by: BJ | Jun 7, 2005 7:04:12 PM
Systems work for the people they are designed for. TC needs a blog.
Needing some affirmation are we Bj?
Posted this a while back http://www.roadtoforbes.com/index.php/weblog/compulsive-stat-checker-disorder/
We all need to be stroked. To know what we are doing works. The problem comes when it is working and we are sitting 2 months later going "damn if only I kept working it. I coulda been further ahead."
Then guilt sets in. Then eating or drinking or whatever. It is how needles hit the arm don't ya know. Really. This should lead to compassion.
You got the goods girl. Now hit it. Hard.
My way will be different (and hell you have no idea how horrid I was at stat checking. Compulsive. Bad. Years ago. Then my old grumpy mentor dude took all stats away. He told me he would update me weekly and I was to work. Asshole).
For real. HIT IT.
But, we still all want affirmation that what we are doing is good (oh, baby right there---YES stock climbed---Great hair...you get it).
I find that I can now just look and see my reports weekly that spiders have hit my site (on my online model) and from that I know what will happen later.
Did I say hit it?
Posted by: Jscott | Jun 8, 2005 12:36:23 AM
You see right through me, don't you, Jscott? Affirmation - you've got that right. I have those days where I'm really really needing it. I mean, do I really have the goods? Can I just Hit It?
I was thinking it might be easier to just work on Great Hair. Well, maybe not. I have bad hair days, too ...
I wake up filled with wonder at this whole online/website thing that the Universe has given me but every now and then I need a nudge ... and I DO look back and say "I could have been a lot further ahead by now".
Okay. Therapy over. You can climb out of my head now, Jscott :)
Posted by: BJ | Jun 8, 2005 11:48:36 AM
> Systems work for the people they are designed for.
OK, I can buy that. But then here's my IYNIIWHY (If You Need It, It Won't Help You = "eye-knee-why") Theory for such systems:
"Any time-management/self-improvement system will prove effective for only those people who didn't need it (and, as a result, probably never bought or read it) in the first place."
Consider: I bet you that none of Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Shakespeare, or Aristotle ever read Seven Habits, GTD, or How To Win Friends and Influence People.
I rest my case (while quietly hiding my copies of "Self Help For Dummies" and "How to Stop Commenting on Blogs and Start Living").
Posted by: TC | Jun 8, 2005 7:48:27 PM
TC - Jscott is right. I wish you'd get a blog! You crack me up. Seriously, get a blog and I'll add you to my blogroll on the spot. But you've got to do enough GTD to post regularly ...
I personally think your IYNIIWHY Theory would withstand the probing of several scientific studies. BUT are you SURE about this: "none of Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Shakespeare, or Aristotle ever read Seven Habits, GTD, or How To Win Friends and Influence People"? (See http://web.mit.edu/adorai/timetraveler/)
Posted by: BJ | Jun 8, 2005 8:47:29 PM
> But you've got to do enough GTD to post regularly...
Regularly? Do the words "lump", "procrastinating" and "me" not mean *anything* these days?
Don't get me wrong - I have *thought* about a blog. But I'm still at the, "What should I call it?" stage, and am looking forward to (one day) entering the, "So, should I use Blogger, or Livejournal, or Blosxom or what?" stage.
You should at least take credit for being sufficiently interesting that I've gotten this far.
See, now I've gone all "effective" and "productive" and stuff. It's unnerving. I'd better stop, quick.
Posted by: TC | Jun 8, 2005 11:47:05 PM
I am very good at being productive and efficient *about other people* (read "meddling").
So, should I mark my calendar for say, June 16: "TC's blog launches today"?
Posted by: BJ | Jun 9, 2005 12:12:07 AM
And the theme, of course, would be productivity. :)
Posted by: BJ | Jun 9, 2005 12:25:49 AM
> So, should I mark my calendar for say, June 16:
> "TC's blog launches today"?
Well, you did ask:
http://darklingwood.blogspot.com/
Posted by: TC | Jun 17, 2005 11:58:39 PM
Oh, that's great, TC. You weren't supposed to stop procrastinating and actually DO it! Now you've just added to my to-do list, because I've got to fix up this blog so I can put more stuff (namely, another blogroll, for interesting, non-marketing related blogs) on the sidebar. (My one lone sidebar is so stuffed, I'm going to have to rearrange things and go to a two-sidebar model ...)
Seriously, though - I just popped over and took a quick look, and your blog looks great. I'll definitely be following your posts.
Posted by: BJ | Jun 19, 2005 12:06:11 AM
Dinna fash yersel hen. It's more than likely I'll post for no more than about two weeks and then stop.
On the non-marketing thing though - I was considering making *anti*-affiliate marketing a sub-theme. You see, the bulk of what I have to say (about anything) usually takes the form of a contrarian rant against the norm. So, maybe I could list products that, were readers to heed my "advice", should *never* be bought.
However, a little voice, deep inside, warns me that such an approach might not be particularly lucrative.
Posted by: TC | Jun 20, 2005 7:52:35 PM
