Procrastination Motivation

For many things in life, I lack the motivation to do them right away.

It's not that I don't know they need to get done.

They just don't feel like a priority.

Until they do.

I procrastinate.

I've developed a habit of putting things off until the last minute to force myself to do them, and for most of my life it's worked.

You could say I'm sort of a professional.

Growing up, there was always something that seemed more interesting than schoolwork, so I'd put it off until it was almost too late.

I'd push it to the breaking point, and if I ran out of time I'd come up with an excuse and ask for an extension, which I usually got because I knew what to say.

And even if I didn't, I'd take the loss.

I used to leave my house at 7:25 for a 24-minute drive so I could clock in by 7:59 for my shift at 8:00.

If I didn't have food, I'd either pick something up or fast for the day.

I even tried changing the clocks.

The alarm clock beside my bed was 15 minutes fast.

The clock in my car was 7 minutes fast.

I thought if I believed it was later than it really was, I'd get moving sooner.

It worked for a while.

Then I started remembering what time it really was.

I'd look at the clock, know exactly how much time I actually had, and go right back to sleep.

Work projects were no different.

Even if I had a team, the only deadline that really mattered was the one where we had to work together.

Procrastination Became My Motivation

Procrastination became my motivation.

I relied on the stress of a deadline to give the task meaning.

It seemed so simple, but it was also self-destructive.

The task would be sitting there waiting for me.

I'd order a pizza, watch TV, or find absolutely anything else to do before I finally started.

Then I'd spend a few hours trying to make up for days or even weeks of putting it off.

Then Came My Kids

Then came my kids.

All of a sudden, procrastination didn't just affect me anymore.

It affected two people who depended on me.

I had to make a choice.

Hit snooze or get up and make breakfast because I wasn't going to send my kids to school hungry.

Field trip forms and permission slips had to be signed as soon as they came through the door.

No one enjoys coming home to the face of their disappointed child who had to stay back at school while the rest of the class went to the water park.

Paying bills was another thing I used to procrastinate.

I'd wait until the last day to pay them, and sometimes I'd forget altogether and get hit with late fees.

Money lost for an oversight meant taking food out of my kids' mouths.

So I changed that habit.

As soon as a bill comes in, I schedule the payment and move on.

I set it and forget it.

It wasn't an easy shift into adulthood, and as I've said before in other blogs, I'm still a work in progress.

I still procrastinate.

Just not as much.

I've Actually Turned to AI for Help

I've actually turned to AI for help.

Not to do the work for me.

To help me procrastinate less.

I've found a handful of tools that have made a real difference for me.

That's why I created the Resources section. It's simply a collection of the tools I use.