Quiddities and quandries from my quintessential quest

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“I Don’t Have Time”

Recently, I’ve been noticing myself thinking that “I don’t have time” for this, that, or the other thing that I want to do. And this is despite knowing that it’s usually unhelpful to think such a thing, because “you’ve gotta make time“, blah blah blah. At the same time, I know there is also some [...]

Resolving to Overcome My Stuckness

A new year is beginning.  It’s a time that inspires people (myself included) to change some things about their lives.  In the past, I had always gotten stuck on coming up with something specific enough to be measurable, and so it was never actually attainable; in fact, the exact phrasing of my usual choice of [...]

Self-reinforcing Success

A great weakness has been festering in me for too long now: I am very bad at completing things.  I have great intentions, great directions, great plans, great ideas, but almost none of them get implemented.  What’s worse is that each failure (perceived or actual) reinforces the mindset that causes it. Cause and Effect I’ve tried to [...]

Thesis Struggles: Analyzing the Cause

If you’re filled with strong negative emotions – particularly when they don’t make sense to you, you’ll do what it takes to avoid those feelings. Hence, procrastination and paralysis when it comes to scholarly writing. So says Gina Hiatt of AcademicLadder.com. I’ve been subscribed to the free newsletter from this site for a few months [...]

Minimize Commitments, but Still Fail

Procrastinators often follow exactly the wrong tack. They try to minimize their commitments, assuming that if they have only a few things to do, they will quit procrastinating and get them done. But this goes contrary to the basic nature of the procrastinator… I’m suspecting that this is part of my problem:  I have minimized [...]

Analyzing my procrastination

I’ve been doing it again: procrastinating madly. The way it seems to happen without my awareness is completely unnerving, and I’m really starting to feel the urge to make it stop. But how? I seem to be addicted to being happy-go-lucky, paying no attention to what I’m doing, just existing and not thinking about it. [...]

5 Ways to Handle Chronic Procrastination

Link: 5 Ways to Handle Chronic Procrastination Step #1: Take Action.  (Don’t just acknowledge and ignore the problem!) Step #2: Find the Root.  (Search your feelings.) Step #3: Set Goals. (Determination can conquer procrastination!) Step #4: Be Realistic. (Plan, but plan for breaks too.) Step #5: Review. (Reward yourself, and prevent regression.)

Making a Cup of Tea

Procrastination is making a cup of tea…  making a cup of tea.. making a cup of tea.  Nooooo!! Or so I say, as I’m making a cup of tea.  I think the real procrastination here is re-posting this video, but it had to be done. ;)

Begin Anywhere

“It’s like when people say ‘I don’t know where to begin’ – the answer is ‘Begin anywhere – wherever you begin is the beginning’.” — Suw Charman from her article Procrastination, thief of… ooh! wanna watch a movie? at Strange Attractor: Picking out patterns in the chaos

What “Not To Do” Today

The “Not To Do” List reminds me of my vices so I stay on track. I woke up this morning with this haiku in my head. Or rather, I half-awoke and tried to awaken the rest of my mind by pondering the haiku that I was going to twitter when I started work for the [...]