Productive Procrastination
So, I have this portrait due on Friday, and I did work on it a little today, but not really enough. I was actually hoping to finish it early, and it would only take maybe two more hours of work; three, at most. Problem is, whenever I have some project I am supposed to do, sometimes I have a problem with procrastination. In order to avoid going online and playing games and stuff, I put my laptop upstairs and stayed downstairs, where I could get some work done.
Well...as I said, I did work on it for a while, but when I used the bathroom, I noticed that it could really use a cleaning. So I indulged in what I call "productive procrastination"-- stuff gets done, just not the stuff that's SUPPOSED to be getting done. I cleaned the heck out of that bathroom! I don't just mean scrubbing the toilet bowl and wiping the sink, I mean dusting the light fixture, wiping down the mirror, dusting and wiping down all the accessories, like the soap dispenser and the tissue holder, etc, getting down on the floor and dusting all the baseboards and cleaning the floor, and taking the rug outside and shaking it out.
By the time I was finished, I was sweaty and dusty and ready for a shower, but man, did I ever feel productive! Just not when I look at my portrait. At least my husband remarked how nice the bathroom looked!
Image Credit » http://pixabay.com/en/bucket-cleaning-supplies-housework-303265/ by Nemo
Comments
valmnz wrote on March 25, 2015, 3:55 PM
Ha, ha, I understand. My housework gets done when I have a writing deadline. Some of us are just wired to work this way.
MegL wrote on March 25, 2015, 4:03 PM
There was a man some years ago (I assume he is now dead because the website is long gone) who made his career on productive procrastination, except his procrastinating jobs were all academic articles. So while he was avoiding the big job he didn't want to do, he was getting all those smaller "real" articles written and published. Yes, the dirty dishes gain a real fascination when something difficult is looming!
AliCanary wrote on March 25, 2015, 5:29 PM
It's just silly, but I guess we can justify it to ourselves if SOMETHING is getting done. I love the concept of making a website about it, though!
AliCanary wrote on March 25, 2015, 5:34 PM
One look at my kitchen lets me know I really need to take another writing assignment soon.
Alexandoy wrote on March 25, 2015, 6:06 PM
To avoid procrastinating, I have a whiteboard where I write the tasks that I need to accomplish.
bestwriter wrote on March 25, 2015, 8:01 PM
It happens with those jobs that have no deadlines.
GemOfAGirl wrote on March 25, 2015, 9:49 PM
LOL, I do that all the time, too - my home always looks its best when I have tons of OTHER stuff that needs to get done!
wolfgirl569 wrote on March 25, 2015, 10:53 PM
Could you bring your painting over to my house to work on tomorrow. I will provide cleaning supplies.
princesskaurvaki wrote on March 26, 2015, 1:06 AM
I procrastinate many times, but my husband knows how to solve it. My husband help me many things in housewife more than I do :)
AliCanary wrote on March 26, 2015, 12:29 PM
I like to make lists of what I need to do, because it seems like I'm working, but actually I' just making lists!