Procrasinating
One of the things I live by is" Don't put off to tomorrow what you can do today". I don't however mean get everything done today for fear of tomorrow, but if you can get something done today, then do it. For you never know what tomorrow will bring. For example, I once worked at a State Prison, and I would always complete my paperwork before I went home. One time we had a 2 day lockdown, which meant we would not be able to access our office's to complete certain tasks. I over heard many people that day complaining that they had not completed certain task's the day before.
This has been a life long method of operation for me. When I have unlimited time to complete a task I manage to put it off until the deadline is around the corner and I am forced to concentrate on that single task.
Rena, Every day is an opportunity to improve. You don't need to change all at once. Starting small can be a great approach.
Dr. Melissa Read
i AM A PROCRASTINATOR AS WELL.
bUT i AM TRYING TO WORK BETTER NOT UNDER THE PRESSURE.
Susanne,
You make a good point. When teaching multiple classes, I have fallen under the procrastination umbrella a time or two and it was extremely stressful. When I am teaching more than two classes, I make a "to-do" list with my top three important tasks that are non-negotiable. I have a separate "to-do" list with everything I can think of that I have to get done. The list with the top three remains in my constant view on my desk. By doing this, I know that if I can get at least these three things done, I am in great shape. If I can start on the other list and get a few things done, then that is just a bonus. This helps me keep my sanity. Good post.
Robert Inman
Adjunct Instructor
I don't do well under pressure...I always feel I'm forgetting something or not doing my best...procrastinator at heart
i agree, I think i perform well under pressure, however, it does stress me out.
Richard and Fellow Faculty Members,
I found your responses interesting and thought provoking. Procrastination can be an overwhelming barrier to success when teaching multiple classes. I found that completing a task immediately is the easiest for me to handle multiple classes. For example, assignments in my class are due Sunday night at 11:59pm. I make it a point to grade these assignments on Monday morning. If not, the week will get away from you. Thoughts?
Susanne Marshall
I find people who continually procrastinate annoying also. There may be a time where something would come up and you would need to put something off, but there constant procrastinating is what bothers me. There excuses tend to be very lame and they have formed a habit that they cannot break.
I find it better to do things and prioritize which is the most important task to complete. I can not stand procrastinating nor people who wait to the last minute and don't get stuff done and then make excuses. You don't know what will happen from day to day that may be urgent, so don't put off what you can do today.
Sometimes I wait to something gets close to being due, not late just within the same week. I find that I work better under pressure on some items not all.
I have always put off projects to the 13th hour.
I f it is something that I need to complete by a certain time it gets done. Repetitive do get done first, but if i have the opportunity to wait I usually will . I recognize that I need to better at managing my time.
Adrienne, We are important role models for our students and children so I understand why you'd want to make a change. Sometimes the best way of teaching is doing, and it sounds like you are experiencing that first hand.
Dr. Melissa Read
I am a chronic procrastinator, but I tend to work better under the pressure. Teaching though, I've had to tweak some of my habits. I do have To-Do lists, but I try to maximize my down time to chip away at things (like lesson plans), so that I'm not waiting until the last minute to complete. Usually my To-Do lists are getting put on the back burner to assist with student tutoring or issues in general. So, I admittedly will still put off to tomorrow, but I am more selective as to what exactly I'm putting off. :)
I am a procrastinator myself and now that I see my kids doing the same for science projects, I want to improve my time management.
Diona, Nice. This goes to show that anyone can change. Even people who are quite set in their ways can evolve toward more optimal and efficient approaches.
Dr. Melissa Read
I am a procrastinator, but I have recently become better with time management and doing things before they "have" to be done. It makes life less stressful!
