Moaning and groaning and getting it done.
The original title of this post was 'Doesn't work Wednesdays: Structured Procrastination.' I'll start there with a rant about Structured Procrastination.
In his essay Structured procrastination John Perry suggests that if you are a chronic procrastinator you can leverage that in order to be productive. Put something at the top of your list, something you really don't want to do. In the psychological literature I believe this would be called a 'highly aversive' task. Trick yourself into believing it must be done right this second. Then do the things below it.
A popular planning tool is the Eisenhower Important/Urgent Matrix. You can find this all over the Internet with a variety of examples. So let's use it to scope this out what he is doing is using tasks that are urgent but not important to motivate himself. He uses the example of the book orders for a class he will be teaching.
There are lots of examples of tasks that belong in the important/not urgent category. Meetings, most emails, social activities, requests from others. And actually if properly categorised it is a great way to triage. It's a way to orient yourself towards your own long term goals and well-being. I think that's great. But as an empathic person who cares deeply about community one of my goals is to make the community I belong to stronger. The way to do that is supporting them in their goal pursuits. In turn they support me. My true colours of socialism showing throw. I love my community. After all, who am I writing to if there aren't others to read? But must of the articles I've read put the goals of other's in the not important/urgent category. Those students and secretaries are unable to meet their own goals, being prepared for the class and making sure the books get on the shelves, because he isn't including the well being of his community in his important category. That bothers me.
What work? Cleaning with a bad attitude.
I strongly dislike FlyLady.net. It's a great website for some people, but not for me. Too many emails and too many rules. This is my house. I make my own rules.
FlyLady is a No Whining Zone. That is pretty much the opposite of how our house works. When I can't manage to get up and do something, when the executive dysfunction gets really bad, I yell "I don't want to." This reminds me that it isn't about wanting to. It's about choosing to follow through on my commitments to myself and others. So I go clean the bathroom, I read my Greek, I wash the dishes. And I complain about it if I need to.
I don't want to read this. It hurts. I have no energy. I hate this. But I do it anyhow. And some days I just hate it. And that's fine.
Yes, I may cheer up once the task is done. Yes it might get me moving. But I don't need to cheer up. I do enjoy my work sometimes. And if I do it today, tomorrow maybe I will be happier. Maybe I won't. I do have chronic depression after all. But at least the dishes are done.
Tim Pychal called his podcast on this: "Structured Procrastination When all Else Fails. " I like the second part. When all else fails. I'm not going to do it, partly because self-deception is super unhealthy. But also because I can't do it. If John Perry can, then that's what he needs to do.
In his essay Structured procrastination John Perry suggests that if you are a chronic procrastinator you can leverage that in order to be productive. Put something at the top of your list, something you really don't want to do. In the psychological literature I believe this would be called a 'highly aversive' task. Trick yourself into believing it must be done right this second. Then do the things below it.
A popular planning tool is the Eisenhower Important/Urgent Matrix. You can find this all over the Internet with a variety of examples. So let's use it to scope this out what he is doing is using tasks that are urgent but not important to motivate himself. He uses the example of the book orders for a class he will be teaching.
"I get almost daily reminders from the department secretary, students sometimes ask me what we will be reading, and the unfilled order form sits right in the middle of my desk, right under the wrapping from the sandwich I ate last Wednesday. "
There are lots of examples of tasks that belong in the important/not urgent category. Meetings, most emails, social activities, requests from others. And actually if properly categorised it is a great way to triage. It's a way to orient yourself towards your own long term goals and well-being. I think that's great. But as an empathic person who cares deeply about community one of my goals is to make the community I belong to stronger. The way to do that is supporting them in their goal pursuits. In turn they support me. My true colours of socialism showing throw. I love my community. After all, who am I writing to if there aren't others to read? But must of the articles I've read put the goals of other's in the not important/urgent category. Those students and secretaries are unable to meet their own goals, being prepared for the class and making sure the books get on the shelves, because he isn't including the well being of his community in his important category. That bothers me.
Now let's talk about that does work for me.
What work? Cleaning with a bad attitude.
I strongly dislike FlyLady.net. It's a great website for some people, but not for me. Too many emails and too many rules. This is my house. I make my own rules.FlyLady is a No Whining Zone. That is pretty much the opposite of how our house works. When I can't manage to get up and do something, when the executive dysfunction gets really bad, I yell "I don't want to." This reminds me that it isn't about wanting to. It's about choosing to follow through on my commitments to myself and others. So I go clean the bathroom, I read my Greek, I wash the dishes. And I complain about it if I need to.
I don't want to read this. It hurts. I have no energy. I hate this. But I do it anyhow. And some days I just hate it. And that's fine.
Yes, I may cheer up once the task is done. Yes it might get me moving. But I don't need to cheer up. I do enjoy my work sometimes. And if I do it today, tomorrow maybe I will be happier. Maybe I won't. I do have chronic depression after all. But at least the dishes are done.
A final note on structured procrastination.
When all else fails, if this strategy works. Do it. I ranted to my wife about how much I disliked the idea of structured procrastination. She is in training to be a counsellor, and reminded me of an important term in contemporary counselling: Radical Acceptance.
I'll attempt to define that before I go on. But remember, I'm not a counsellor. Radical Acceptance means that if your client finds a way that works, they need to do it. Even if it isn't ideal. If they cope with their depression by going shopping and it gets them enough momentum to get back to their life, then they need to do that. If John Perry needs to procrastinate on one thing to do another, John Perry needs to do that.
Tim Pychal called his podcast on this: "Structured Procrastination When all Else Fails. " I like the second part. When all else fails. I'm not going to do it, partly because self-deception is super unhealthy. But also because I can't do it. If John Perry can, then that's what he needs to do.
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