A talented procrastinator

Daily prompt: How do you waste the most time every day?

I waste time by learning better and more efficient ways to do the work I’m supposed to be doing. People call it procrasti-planning or procrasti-learning or something else starting with procrasti- but it’s really just another form of falling into the trap of consuming instead of creating.

I’m trying to be more mindful of when this happens (honestly, there are some things I really, really want to learn) so I can make a better decision. What I’m trying now is:

  1. acknowledging that I’m postponing what I should (or want) to be doing
  2. give myself permission to procrastinate five minutes longer (with a timer)
  3. stand up and stretch after those five minutes – this makes a purposeful transition that works best with my brain
  4. after that intermission, I can choose to do THE THING, whatever it is

The trick, I hope, is to disrupt the mindlessness of consumption (even if it seems active, like playing a video game, or learning something) and force myself to think about how I’m spending that particular block of time.

I’ll report back on whether this works. 🙂 Good luck!

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