Do you know your procrastination?!

"Plan less, keep an open mind, be more motivated, less procrastinated, up until your last breath, :D"

Sadly, we do, however, have to plan daily and our "open mind" sometimes cannot get us very far. I wrote that we should organize things we have to do at work, put them point by point, to help us remember to do them. And I just realized today this is not as straightforward as it seems. I am an organized person. I have two books that I cannot live without. One is a diary/planner. It lists down week on week every two pages, what's my appointment and work schedules. Another is, well, I think I would call it a scrap book, where I just list down anything needed attentions and not quite having times to address them immediately.

Sure, you put them down, you don't forget them and you do it every time, point by point. But, the problem is, if you procrastinate, those points will always be there. My scrap book therefore is interesting in that, it often has got lists of things that move from one date to another. It is good because it reminded me and ensure that I complete the tasks. The bad thing is that, it kind of not stopping you to be procrastinating, though it does not make it worst either.

Today, I read from my scrap book that I have to send two emails, one to visit a student on placement, there seems some "problems" on this one and the company demanded a second visit. Then I was thinking about planning my holidays and wanted to confirm on date of travel, etc, but could not get a good deal and also sorting out on the inconvenient train journey between Loughborough and Birmingham international airport. This at least I got it sorted now and an email was sent to my boss to ask about the paper work for leave application, which I was not quite familiar given my relatively new status in my institution. I also in the end drafted out an email to the company that I want to visit. It seems all fine now, but it just took me HUGE effort to do them. I am not sure is this the Monday effect or a sign of my potential procrastination

However, by the end of the day I was feeling great. finished photocopied all my 230 lecture slides to students and also receive an email from JL, the final draft of our paper before sending out to the Journal. I would have to take a final look at it. Perhaps I finished doing the easier tasks first before going to do the hard one, that way, you are more motivated and less procrastinated Still, I also rely on the "point by point" strategy in my scrap book. An organized way to help remind me of unfinished tasks so that as I move them from one date to another, I will remember and then finish them eventually.