Celebrating Blessedw2 PWYC

[Lady Maverick]

Happy Birthday Blessed!

You have so much going on in your life, I hope you have some moments to take care of yourself too.

[Kittykatt]

Happy birthday, Blessed!

[Harriet]

Twins' Mom's thought-provoking topic this morning, just a few minutes after LadyM:

Anti-Procrastination Wednesday

The secret of my incredible energy and efficiency in getting work done is a simple one. The psychological principle is this: anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn’t the work he is supposed to be doing at that moment.
-Robert Benchley

The quote highlights the concept of productive procrastination, where individuals avoid their most important or overwhelming tasks by busying themselves with other, less demanding, but still productive, activities. Benchley's humorously illustrates the tendency to tackle other tasks as a way to avoid a daunting main project, suggesting that a to-do list with multiple projects can lead to getting more done overall.

Structured procrastination is a productive paradox where you do useful tasks to avoid doing more important or urgent tasks. It involves ordering your to-do list by urgency, then completing less critical but still valuable tasks to gain a sense of accomplishment, all while postponing the major, high-priority items. This strategy uses your inherent tendency to procrastinate as a force for good, transforming a potential flaw into a tool for effectiveness. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
How It Works

1. Create a prioritized list: Identify all your tasks and arrange them from most to least important.
2. Identify tasks to postpone: Recognize the large, critical tasks that you're tempted to avoid.
3. Engage in productive avoidance: Channel your procrastination energy into lower-priority, but still valuable, tasks that are on your list.
4. The "productive pressure" cycle: Completing these smaller tasks provides a sense of progress and satisfaction, which can sometimes even create enough momentum to tackle the larger, more daunting tasks.

Key Characteristics
It's not doing nothing: Unlike typical procrastination, structured procrastinators are actively engaged and productive; they are simply delaying different tasks.
Leverages self-deception: The strategy relies on a certain amount of self-deception, as you convince yourself the tasks you're doing are important, even when you're really just putting off something else.
Can foster creativity: Sometimes, delaying a large problem can allow your subconscious to work on it, potentially leading to more creative solutions when you do address it.
It's a recognized strategy: The concept was notably popularized by philosophy professor John Perry in his 1995 essay on the topic, and later a book, "The Art Of Procrastination".

(From AI response to structured procrastination)

[Nancy]

Happy Birthday Blessed!
Yesterday I implemented time blocking!
Yesterday's Wins/
Did some outside stuff instead of indoor tasks but was still productive yea for the win!

[MysteryWoman]

Happy birthday, blessed! I hope things ease up for you.

Looking forward to the merge! I have a big item I’ve been procrastinating on — too long to explain — religious and regarding my late parents. I think my procrastination is because, while I want the result, I don’t want to go through the process — but you could say that about most of my procrastination. I want clean clothes, but I don’t want to go to the basement to put them in or take them out of the wash. I want good food, but I don’t want the rigmarole of making a shopping list, etc., etc.

I need to take DC to class, and I need to pick up a prescription for DD. Apparently, it was not ready when I went yesterday (though I didn’t know about it anyway), so it’s not like I’m making an unnecessary trip. I got a cupcake for DC to take to their GF, and I don’t know if they will see her at school today. If not, I will wait for the pharmacy errand till after school — GF lives right near the pharmacy, so we can drop off the cupcake and pick up the meds in the same run.

Speaking of such, it’s time to take DC!

[Harriet]

Hi everyone! Good morning and

Happy Birthday, blessedw2! Hoping your family members get back to good health soon, hospital in the rear view mirror!

I spent about 10 minutes trying to merge these two topics and they were resistant, so, hey, life is too short. Cut and paste (reminds me of the "Scissors and Glue" topic in Fun and Games a few days back). Perhaps it just serves to highlight Twins' start on Productive Procrastination, or Structured Procrastination as a Force for Good even more.

lucylee, the project is a half-dozen mini (4-inch) quilts, with the ultimate destination of tree ornaments. But first, they will serve as package decorations on presents we'll take to our family gathering. If all 6 come out well, they may be for my 6 grands, but if I'm not so sure of all, they may be for the households including ours. Just on the chance I might really yearn for them to be identical, I might not want to choose fabrics of which I only have small amounts.

Mystery, again I just have to say, "Wow." How memorable for you. The concert must have been so much fun and I'm glad your hip is over all the walking, etc. Few entertainers have caused more smiles for me (and HRH) than Weird Al. I consider his masterpiece, "Tacky", to be one of the most repeat-watchable music videos ever, suitable for almost all audiences. He has a merry heart.

Good job on time blocking, Nancy - your patio looks so neat.

Awww, Twins', so sorry to hear about the little birds.

I'm off to Productively Procrastinate all kinds of things, 'cause HRH has invited me out.

[blessedw2]

wow - what a nice surprise - thank you for the birthday wishes!!! That touches my heart-thank you!

hello d lady - hope you have a lovely day! thank you!

hello d kitty thank you as well!

hello d twins! thank you! I can't seem to see your post. I will look again - have a wonderful day

hello d harriet - love the quote!!! thank you!

I like the cut and paste! (scissors and glue - I will have to look that up on fun and games - I like that!) enjoy your time with your dh.

The quote highlights the concept of productive procrastination, where individuals avoid their most important or overwhelming tasks by busying themselves with other, less demanding, but still productive, activities. Benchley's humorously illustrates the tendency to tackle other tasks as a way to avoid a daunting main project, suggesting that a to-do list with multiple projects can lead to getting more done overall

. true! thank you for sharing the 1-4 and key characteristics. I am printing it out for a 3 x 5 card.

d Nancy - thank you. yay on time blocking
yay on outside work

d mystery thank you!
your insight on your process reminds me of mine - I don't know why I make a job in a procrastination job.
you sound like you had a busy house! nice of you to drop her off

hi d Lucy - have a great day too

[blessedw2]

mom my brother came into town and is at the hospital with mom- mom is having problem with maybe her stent. it's been a problem from day one.
I will know more as the day goes on.

I asked him if I could come at 4 until 8 bc he has a dinner.
my home is horrible and I just haven't had a moment to focus on one area with being needed -I will admit it has been very difficult.
the care taker is sitting with mom as well.
brother has been stopping by for short sprints but it is mostly girl friend time so I don't feel bad asking him.
this is the first time to focus in a week.
watering is off bc I haven't been able to get outside - and things are dying. I will put a water system in front next year and other areas.

things that are better - dd younger only needs help a couple times in the night now. Her pain is slowly getting better but she can't lay down on her own without extreme pain. lucky I have had so much practice (with learning techniques) with dh, d mom, dd older and dd younger.
She does need help in the day time - yesterday I had to leave with mom from noon until 10 pm and she was sitting or standing all day. She couldn't lay down bc she gets stuck.

I had such a nice surprise yesterday - my niece and her fiancee (we love him) brought us dinner and homemade butter and bread. They came to see dd younger. so sweet.

brother is taking care of things. Home health has been set up - which is a positive sign - they are not considering hospice yet. Mom's heart is slowly failing.

dd older called me in a panic and wanted to come home bc she doesn't trust the system or my brother. now that she knows that home health is being set up she is better. I don't want her loosing her job bc she is taking off so much time.

plumber cancelled for today - time to find another plumber - they sound like they have only one plumber for our area.

looking to take this all and find a positive each hour - I feel the weight of everything and it stalls me. Time for changing my attitude - don't look at the mountain - one step at a time - enjoy the view- imagining crossing a stream- dishes, birds singing -dogs barking and being alive.

[Twins' Mom]

Ugh, bw2, you have your hands full. I'm so sorry and I'm wishing we could be there next door pitching in to help out.

Exhibit A structured procrastination: Going through fall accessories from the boxes in the garage and "decorating" i.e. moving things around instead of cleaning.

Dh has been to the dentist - on antibiotics again for another root canal to come. I suspect he let some things go when he was working so much. And he perhaps didn't have fluoridated water growing up so he has many fillings already, some going bad too. I was able to send him on an errand to the safe deposit box to put the executed wills there. I need to find our old wills - they weren't in the safe deposit box - and destroy them. Same for the digital copies in Evernote.

Supper tonight is grilled steak - it's been in freezer way too long and we took to HHI but didn't use. (V wanted to use the burgers and lamb chops they brought.) Perhaps corn on the cob again since Instacart shopper substituted four packaged ears for the one I wanted. Also we have broccoli or green beans or salad.

Just now eating my brunch...next up will be spot cleaning the cushions on the screened porch couch.

[lucylee]

Happy birthday, blessed!!!

I am in major procrastination mode myself.