Over on the Remote Access Computer site, I give tips and information about how I use remote access computer software to work from home. I especially like doing this because I can work extra when I feel like working but I can cut back when I really don’t want to work.

This is also very effective for household work. If you have an urge to clean your bathtubs, but your floors really need picking up, do the tub anyway.

This is actually just a way of using procrastination effectively. Stuff is getting done, and sometimes that’s just as important as getting any specific thing done. There are always going to be days where you’re not going to want to do something that probably needs to be done, but don’t take that as an excuse to go watch TV. At least if you do something else, you’ll have done something!

This tip isn’t for everyone of course, because you need to be the kind of person who actually wants to do something besides watch TV on a regular basis.

But if you can use it, this is a powerful method of beating the urge to procrastinate.

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One sneaky way to avoid procrastinating – work when you feel like working, not when you have to work

I’ve yet to find a better quote that addresses procrastination. All procrastination isn’t bad, and the reason I know this is because everyone procrastinates. We procrastinate on any number of tasks on any given day. Not everything can be started, worked on, or finished in any one hour, day, or moment.

We make choices.

Our choices define what type of procrastinators we are.

Mr. Graham believes that there are three types of procrastinators—those who do nothing, those who do something less important, and those who do something more important.

When studying my own habits, I find that much of my procrastinating ways fit into this mold. However, at different times, I’m a different type of procrastinator.

For instance, Friday I was a procrastinator who did something more important (depending on how I define more important—money won out that day). Saturday, I was a procrastinator who did something less important (turns out my digital music collection really needed to be organized). I can’t remember being a “do nothing” procrastinator on any particular day, but I do know that I’ve certainly been that kind of procrastinator on more than one occasion.

By defining my goals in terms of my passions, I’ve been able to let go of the idea that I’m procrastinating on any number of things. I’ve been setting goals for myself and meeting them, and frankly, ignoring the stuff that doesn’t fit into those passions. My goal every day is to be the procrastinator who did something more important.

By setting this goal for myself, I make sure I’m procrastinating well. Choosing to work on the more important tasks each day means I can look back at the day and feel good about what I’ve done—not look back and feel guilty about what I didn’t do.

You can choose to do this too. If you have to procrastinate on something, choose to work on something of more importance as a substitute. It doesn’t matter what the more important item is. If you can objectively state to an outsider that you worked on something more important than what you didn’t work on, you will eventually get the important things done.

What about you? What type of procrastinator do you see yourself as most of the time? Do you think you can make this method work for you? Let me know in the comments!

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Procrastinating well

NPR has an interesting piece of audio available for listening.

Why do today what you can do the day after tomorrow? Procrastination expert Timothy Pychyl and self-professed “structured procrastinator” John Perry discuss the latest research on this type of behavior and how to prioritize what’s really important.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91432804

Check out this page and listen to the 36 minutes of audio discussion. There are some useful links that will take you to reading that will give you a more thorough introduction to structured procrastination. I particularly like this method because it allows me to work with my procrastination habits instead of trying to change or cure me. Sure, there are some tips that can make procrastinating less of a problem, but overall it’s a very good method.

Structured Procrastination – http://www.structuredprocrastination.com/index.php

Procrastination and Perfectionism – http://www.structuredprocrastination.com/light/perfectionism.php

Discusses how the “fantasy of perfection” feeds procrastination and talks about a way to limit those fantasies’ impact. Here are a few of my favorite lines from the essay.

“How does the fantasy of perfection feed procrastination? Well, it’s not so easy to do things perfectly. At least I assume that it is not. Perhaps some day I’ll do something perfectly, and then I’ll know for sure.”

“Procrastinating was a way of giving myself permission to do a less than perfect job on a task that didn’t require a perfect job.”

Structured Procrastination: When all else fails – http://blogs.psychologytoday.com/blog/dont-delay/200804/structured-procrastination-when-all-else-fails

Mostly this one is just a succinct summary of the original Structured Procrastination essay (see above link), but if you prefer bullet points to essay, give it a read.

Tags: procrastination, articles, essays, reading, audio, listening

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Structured Procrastination Resources