As someone who needs a fire under his ass to get things done, I know all about procrastination. We don't always procrastinate over things we dislike, (anyone searching for a Netflix movie to stream knows what I'm saying), but when it's a chore, we tend to exhibit the behavior more. It's not a healthy one, despite its common use. What I've noticed as I get older is, there's an odd offshoot to procrastination that is almost worse: Not finishing!
One of the odd things about myself is, I will wait until the 11th hour, once staying up for 107 hours straight to write a Kinesiology paper, I had six weeks to complete. Oddly, when it comes to work, in any field I've been in, I tend to finish my work within minutes, when hours are expected. This isn't always a good thing, as I'm often accused of loafing about, when work is to be done, or even worse, being sent home early, without pay, because there is nothing left to do. It sucks, but it's how I'm wired.
Again, this isn't what I'm talking about. It's the act of putting something off, finally getting around to it, then leaving just enough of it unfinished. Why would anyone do this? I recently worked with someone who did this at work and in other areas of their life and according to them, it was how they did things, but their excuse was "constantly moving on to the next thing." I believe the person was fairly successful and a world traveler, so I chalked it up to them simply being eager to see as much and do as much as they could; completed or not.
I do wonder at times if it's simply about acknowledgment. As someone who, in their adult life, has faced times of poverty, ridicule, and nearly depression due to the lack of simple acknowledging sacrifice, I do understand the importance of being noticed, not for achievement, but for effort. It's something, working with children, I understand completely. We may have grown from children, but understanding human needs are important and what one individual covets, another may brush aside. The one thing we all need unless we're a psychopath is love. Acknowledgment, at least in our brains, may very well trigger the same feelings of love, so there is some sense to it.
Why then would someone do this with things that are unimportant? Is it because they need another to see them doing the chore? Is it because they want another to finish it for them, some odd sense of camaraderie? Is it because they want to be viewed upon completion, expecting praise that might never come? It's one of the more baffling things I have encountered in my life and something that I've probably overlooked in others, as I know my own shortcomings need work too. I do wonder, however, how much stress this must put on relationships if one person is aware of the other's lack of ability to finish, but doesn't comprehend why it's done. And if the procrastinator knows they are even doing it for acknowledgment, if that is indeed the reason. I would think, over time, this would tear relationships and friendships apart, but then again, it may simply be viewed as a quirk, and God knows, we all have them.
One of the odd things about myself is, I will wait until the 11th hour, once staying up for 107 hours straight to write a Kinesiology paper, I had six weeks to complete. Oddly, when it comes to work, in any field I've been in, I tend to finish my work within minutes, when hours are expected. This isn't always a good thing, as I'm often accused of loafing about, when work is to be done, or even worse, being sent home early, without pay, because there is nothing left to do. It sucks, but it's how I'm wired.
Again, this isn't what I'm talking about. It's the act of putting something off, finally getting around to it, then leaving just enough of it unfinished. Why would anyone do this? I recently worked with someone who did this at work and in other areas of their life and according to them, it was how they did things, but their excuse was "constantly moving on to the next thing." I believe the person was fairly successful and a world traveler, so I chalked it up to them simply being eager to see as much and do as much as they could; completed or not.
I do wonder at times if it's simply about acknowledgment. As someone who, in their adult life, has faced times of poverty, ridicule, and nearly depression due to the lack of simple acknowledging sacrifice, I do understand the importance of being noticed, not for achievement, but for effort. It's something, working with children, I understand completely. We may have grown from children, but understanding human needs are important and what one individual covets, another may brush aside. The one thing we all need unless we're a psychopath is love. Acknowledgment, at least in our brains, may very well trigger the same feelings of love, so there is some sense to it.
Why then would someone do this with things that are unimportant? Is it because they need another to see them doing the chore? Is it because they want another to finish it for them, some odd sense of camaraderie? Is it because they want to be viewed upon completion, expecting praise that might never come? It's one of the more baffling things I have encountered in my life and something that I've probably overlooked in others, as I know my own shortcomings need work too. I do wonder, however, how much stress this must put on relationships if one person is aware of the other's lack of ability to finish, but doesn't comprehend why it's done. And if the procrastinator knows they are even doing it for acknowledgment, if that is indeed the reason. I would think, over time, this would tear relationships and friendships apart, but then again, it may simply be viewed as a quirk, and God knows, we all have them.
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