no color, no pictures
no, nothing interesting to see here right now, keep moving, folks.
there’s a definite method to my madness when it comes to the all-too-familiar major procrastination before a final paper is due. (how major? 16 pages minimum due in 18 hours. zero done so far. ah. let’s let that sink in for a moment. .. yup.)
so. first, i determine i need an empty canvas to create so i clean, both myself and my environment.
next, thinking i need to feel relaxed and not stressed, i read silly books and leaf through magazines (in this case, searching for the best prettiest greatest pattern of all time for my next starteritis-crushing project).
then, i decide a ‘power nap’ is a good idea to get really ready for the surge of creativity on which i will soon embark. i toss and turn and feel guilty the whole time.
finally, i just sit on my couch or sprawl on my bed staring into nothing, moodily nodding now and then and feeling like i’m being lectured to even though my mother and other authority figures are far away.
of course, while this whole pattern plays itself out, i am short-tempered with my cats, neurotic with my friends, and a giant shirker of job responsibilities.
although after all this, i usually do write the papers, every once in a while i just can’t get it together and i simply do not turn anything in. thus, i got my first D in 5th grade science, i almost failed ceramics in 12th grade and as a consequence almost didn’t graduate, and, most dramatically, i didn’t know for sure i was going to graduate from college until three days before graduation day, with my parents and family friends already en route to see me on my big day.
i’ve been laying on my couch for an hour now, with both cats huddled on me wondering what’s wrong—any moment now, i’ll shake off this procrastination thing and i’ll open a new text document and my fingers will start flying… any moment now…
update: i caved. not only did i get the nature cotton, i also ordered three phildar mags i’ve been eyeing for weeks. also, for purely practical reasons (free shipping!) i ordered rowan’s vintage style. my credit card is wilting. ah well. at least i put my stereo up for sale a few days ago—that should pay for the phildar ..
another update to make myself feel better: i have 14 (albeit not-very-cohesive) pages, it’s 7 am and i have four more hours to get this thing done. ack ack ack.
{ posted 17 March 05, under school & knitting }
comments
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andrea—
from one procrastinator to another, here’s a helpful tip: even if the thoughts aren’t flowing, keep the fingers moving.
maybe you can begin drawing up the “works cited” section, which can get pretty wieldy and tedious (if done at the last minute).
good luck!
-L~ lalitha
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Good tips from Lalitha… I am so bad at procrastinating too… I am nervous as hell about this HUGE paper due in a few weeks… I am completely blocked on it.
Good luck, and just try to get something down.
Take care!~ Lolly
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Oy. How I don’t miss those days. I used to clean the oven as a procrastination technique. And when I was in highschool, I wrote papers the night before they were do while in my closet (my dad came home from work at 1 am & I didn’t want him to see my light on).
By now, you’re finished and can function normally again. Hope everything went well!~ Liz
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Those are good hints from Lalitha. Me, I got no hints, just empathy. I remember writing my b.a. paper all through the night and finally finishing it on noon of the day it was due. Hadn’t even checked out any sources until 2 days before. Yikes. Of course now I just do that with expense statements!
~ Collette
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Hopefully you’re well past the procrastination blues, Andrea. I know exactly what you mean with the cleaning—I do the same. And knitting, and crafting, and reading, and baking, and…! There are just too many other interesting things to be doing than writing papers!! Mind you, once I get writing, I usually fall right into it and start enjoying it. Hopefully that happened to you too :)
~ amanda
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I have total faith in you, Andrea. I haven’t been sweating your procrastination ‘cause I knew you’d get everything done, in stellar fashion.
I know the next post you put up will prove me right! :)
PS – Caved is such a negative word! You…relented to pure logic. Yeah, that’s what happened! (The Rowan book looks so cool!)~ Miri