Bloggers note: I worked from the library today and ran across the book discussed below. Her content is in blue. While for students, the book is a fun read for adults, too. Author Diane Peters teaches at Ryerson University
I don’t believe in minotaurs or unicorns, but I believe these myths about procrastination. Do you?
Everyone expects procrastination.
You’re half-right. If you procrastinate a lot, people may stop trusting you to get things done. They may also think you don’t respect their wishes and feelings when you miss deadlines.
My pastor, Mike Glenn [blog | twitter] has just released his new book, The Gospel of Yes. It’s an outstanding read in a unique voice. (More on his book in an upcoming post.) Mike obviously doesn’t believe in this myth. The publisher gave him a deadline. He met the deadline and turned in a complete manuscript on time. Two days later, his editor called him:
Editor: “What’s this?”
Mike: “It’s the manuscript. You told me it was due by July 1.”
Editor: “Oh (big pause) really. I can’t believe it. Nobody turns in their manuscripts on time.”
My esteem for the man went up a few notches when I heard this. Way to go Mike Glenn.
The important thing is that it gets done.
Rushing to do a project right before the deadline causes stress to you and those around you. Plus, you could be short-changing yourself by doing a poor job.
This may be the myth I believe the most, the flavor of procrastination kool-aid I like better.
So many of the successful projects I’ve accomplished were only accomplished on time because of the heroic efforts of others. My text was late on this project. But LS pulled an all-nighter to get the interior design done on time. My production was four hours late there, but someone whose name I don’t even know stayed late at the station to make sure the commercials got inserted into the log to run the next day.
And yet if you are near me when something is complete, you can probably hear me say, “The important thing is that it gets done.”
To everyone who has been stressed out and dragged through the mud of my procrastination, I am sorry. I hope to reach all of you personally to seek your forgiveness.
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| Perseus slays Medusa. |
I work better under pressure.
No one does their best work when they are under constant stress. Procrastinating keeps you from building the self-discipline it takes to do a good job all the time.
This myth is like Medusa. I slice off a tentacle of this myth often only to have it grow back with extra tentacles writing.
My friend John knows he does work better under pressure—real pressure, not the constant pressure of the procrastinator. John procrastinates. I am a procrastinator. John hits every deadline. I’ve never met a deadline I couldn’t push or stretch.
We must cut off the head of this myth.
All work and no play makes me a dull kid.
Most people fell guilty and stressed out when they procrastinate. Having those feelings probably makes play time a whole lot less fun.
This is the myth that others quote to me. They don’t know the real issues, struggles, and deadlines in my life. They see me with a stressed expression on my face or hear tension in my voice. They look at me and think, “He’s working too hard.” If they only thought, “He’s letting everyone down,” they wouldn’t want to distract me for a little while. When I do watch a movie on my laptop, a program off my DVR, or do something fun, I am thinking constantly about what I could be doing to move the project forward.
When I procrastinate, I’m only hurting myself.
Your stress and frantic schedule can be upsetting for the people around you. It’s hard on others when they feel like they can’t depend on you.
I don’t believe this myth. I never have. The pain in the lives of others is always so visible. I included Peters’ myth here because being a procrastinator, I do believe a different myth: “This isn’t hurting them too much.” I believe that myth. I hurt those around me. I am choosing to do so. That’s sad. Another myth to bust.
How about you? Which of these myths do you believe?
Comment below.
These myths quoted from Diane Peters’ book, Procrastination: Deal With it All in Good Time from Lorimer & Co., Ltd. Publishers.
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