The other evening I found myself meticulously repairing the kids' jigsaw and games' boxes.  The kind of job that has needed doing for ages, and is an ongoing one (little toddler feet aren't adept at stepping NEXT to the lid, instead of ON the lid). 

The poor boxes have been in a state where most of the games and puzzle pieces fall out when the box is held on any sort of gradient.

I had the sticky-tape out and was deep in concentration doing a very good job indeed when it hit me that I was procrastinating, and procrastinating big time.

I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING SOMETHING ELSE.

The plan for that evening was once the kids were in bed and all was quiet, to get a cup of tea and sit down at the computer and do some SERIOUS work on articles that had been sitting there needing editing, selecting pictures, links found and inserted etc etc.

Well, only the previous day I had read this excellent article by James Surowiecki from The New Yorker about procrastination (it's a longish article, read it later) hence I immediately recognised what I was doing.

I'd like to be able to say that I put down the tape and hopped straight onto the computer, but that would be lying :) 

What I did do, was painstakingly finish up on the lid I was working on, put all the boxes away in a neat pile, stash the tape in the third drawer, wipe down the benches, boil the kettle, deliberate over Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Peppermint or Green tea, pour a cup of tea and then, only then, did I plonk on my comfy chair at my desk and get to work.

What's been your ultimate procrastination when you're supposed to be doing something else? 

HOME