Calm within the storm
Aug. 2nd, 2006 01:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
morslaCompetitive procrastination: the process of running several tasks simultaneously, where progress on any of them is a positive thing. I have a very long base attention span, and I'm quite capable of sitting perfectly still for unhealthy amounts of time while I work on something. I also have a very short superficial attention span, so I constantly jump between tasks while working towards any distant goal. There's a risk that I'll spend too much time mentally channel-surfing, hamstringing any attempt to get "real" work done...
Instead, I deliberately set up as many tasks as I can manage, crowding out any unproductive habits. Procrastinating one task leads me to do something constructive on another, so I can always get something done.
I've also noticed that it helps to pick varied tasks to work on. Formal writing tends to spur creative ideas, painting and sculpting often interrupt (or are interrupted by) anything that forces me to present information to other people in some logical fashion, such as planning a meeting. Rather than fighting the impulse to be analytical when I'm meant to be creative, or vice versa, I ride out the ideas in whatever direction they take me. It seems to aid productive work: whatever I'm doing, I'll be playing to my strengths at the time.
There are lots of contradictions, of course. I adapt to most changes very quickly, but I'm not an impulsive person. Generally, I've considered something similar previously, so by "changing" I'm just moving to another area that already has established boundaries. If I step into something completely unknown, I've probably spent a long time thinking my way through it before starting. It's a strange form of time travel, reaching forward through different possibilities. Move far enough ahead and it becomes too difficult for conscious thought. I've often noticed that I dream one day in advance, when I'm doing something stressful - I don't remember all the ground that I've covered, but I can recognise important decisions when I reach them.
Instead, I deliberately set up as many tasks as I can manage, crowding out any unproductive habits. Procrastinating one task leads me to do something constructive on another, so I can always get something done.
I've also noticed that it helps to pick varied tasks to work on. Formal writing tends to spur creative ideas, painting and sculpting often interrupt (or are interrupted by) anything that forces me to present information to other people in some logical fashion, such as planning a meeting. Rather than fighting the impulse to be analytical when I'm meant to be creative, or vice versa, I ride out the ideas in whatever direction they take me. It seems to aid productive work: whatever I'm doing, I'll be playing to my strengths at the time.
There are lots of contradictions, of course. I adapt to most changes very quickly, but I'm not an impulsive person. Generally, I've considered something similar previously, so by "changing" I'm just moving to another area that already has established boundaries. If I step into something completely unknown, I've probably spent a long time thinking my way through it before starting. It's a strange form of time travel, reaching forward through different possibilities. Move far enough ahead and it becomes too difficult for conscious thought. I've often noticed that I dream one day in advance, when I'm doing something stressful - I don't remember all the ground that I've covered, but I can recognise important decisions when I reach them.
