Why is it so hard to get around to writing an article on procrastination?
Is there some fear that one could appear to be foolish, inexperienced, and off-the-beam?
Does the mere word, “procrastination,” cause “writer’s block?”
Is the concept of writing, (a task, which requires deliberate effort,) about procrastination, (the state in which deliberation and effort are at the same time debilitated and ineffective,) the fodder of comedians, who thrive on irony?
Seriously, why do humans procrastinate (or “put-off doing a necessary task, until some future moment”?)
Arguably the reason that humans procrastinate has a direct correlation to innate personality and/or parental/societal over-emphasis on “perfect looks and perfect abilities,” over the past century in general, and the past fifty years in specific.
Melancholies (aka High-Cs in the DISK reference guide) are perfectionists by default.
(This fact is being brought to you by a writer, who has a lifetime of personal experience.)
Melancholies tend to be so thorough in research that we forget our original point-of-entry, consistently discovering a cure for the common cold, while in the process of finding background material for the PTA fund-raiser’s theme, Ocean, being used to depict, “The Flood of Funds to Fill to Overflowing Currents of Learning.”
This often means that the librarian is reminding the researcher that it is time to close the library, after which the researcher responds with the words, “…But I just got here!”
How many times did Dad enjoin this youth, “Son, let’s get a move on!”
In the words of ageless wisdom, “Don’t just stand there! Do something!”
“I want to do something, but I’m afraid.”
“I want to do something, but I might not do it perfectly.”
“I want to do something, but I might not win,…I might not get a pat-on-the-back,…I might not be liked,…I might look foolish.
Please forgive the initial appearance of irreverence toward the subject, currently under discussion, but it may be submitted that the title is “Exhibit A” as to the dual-state of procrastination as both a cause for depression in current sufferers of this condition, and a constant source of hilarity to those, who have gained some victory over it, (and who wish to help others to do the same.)
“Why we procrastinate, and how to stop…” Huh?
(Take a moment. Twalk amognst yerselves. This is funny, and smooth,…like buttah.)
Procrastinate means that “nothing initially is being done.” If nothing initially is being done, then how can we stop “doing nothing.”
Would it not be more linguistically correct to express this concept in the following way? “Why do we procrastinate, and how may we begin to do something?”
How MAY we begin to do something?
We may begin to do something by giving ourselves permission to FAIL.
FAILURE loses its power to cause procrastination, when it is reinterpreted, as the wonderful educational tool that it is intended to be.
There is very little wrong with failure that provokes the fallen to practice, until the experience causes greater proficiency, and more-often-than-not future success in the very same area in which failure has been initially experienced.
There is a great deal wrong with failure that results in the fallen embracing FAILURE as a personal definition, a comfortable state of mind, and a lazy individual’s permission to remain lazy.
“Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” (United States President Theodore Roosevelt)
http://quotations.about.com/od/stillmorefamouspeople/a/TheodoreRoosev1.htm
Randy Alcorn is arguably one of the most prolific writers in contemporary history. He is prolific in large part, due to the fact that he has not waited until fame and recognition were his before beginning to write effusively.
Randy Alcorn writes because he breathes.
Procrastinators of every stripe, not just writers, could gain a great deal of victory over procrastination by learning from the pattern of Randy Alcorn.
“I learned long ago that I should never wait for inspiration or a good beginning. I just jump right in. I’ll either cut it out or clean it up later. Years ago I heard someone say ‘Never edit at the point of conception.’ The best writing comes in revision, not creation—but you must have something to revise. I think a lot of writer’s block happens when people wait for the right words. I just write. Later, I labor over the right words, and there’s no block because I’m already looking at something on the screen.” (Randy Alcorn)
http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-start-writing-fiction-a115161
