I've been a notorious procrastinator. Well, notorious in my own mind at least.
Last summer my folks were goodly enough to give me a large pile of dirt.
Hey, did you say that's more than I deserved? You cheeky devil!
It was to fill some holes and ruts around my place. Anyway, it was very good of them, and I was very grateful, and I wanted to fill those holes in - but the pile of dirt sat there for weeks, untouched.
When I confessed my procrastination on the work, my mother gave me some advice (always welcome, the advice of the mother!).
“Do two shovels full. That's it.” she said. To just do something, the thinking goes, is enough. Anyway, after a day or two I got started. A couple times, I only did a few shovels full - ALWAYS more than two. And usually, it was much more. I quickly came to enjoy the work I'd been putting off and not wanting to do, and to get excited about finishing it. It was done before too long.
That experience was called to mind the other day with an article on procrastination, and the advice to work on the task for 5 minutes. I haven't even read the whole article (I'll do it later!) but the wisdom of it, that I think was established in some psychological study, was obvious to me right away, from experience and that solid parental advice.
Thanks, Ma!
Well, now that we've cured jealousy and procrastination, what should we tackle next? World peace?
See you next time!
Banes
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The Cure For Procrastination
Banes at 12:00AM, Jan. 26, 2023
5 likes!
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Banes at 10:40PM, Jan. 26, 2023
@PaulEberhardt - I love it! Ha, I'm glad it wasn't the dreaded procrastination that did the place in xD
Banes at 10:38PM, Jan. 26, 2023
@Ironscarf - I can dig that!
Banes at 10:38PM, Jan. 26, 2023
@Andreas_Helixfinger - Very nice! I have listened to a handful o' Watts in recent times!
Banes at 10:37PM, Jan. 26, 2023
@plymayer - my Ma deserves it as well; I've realized it more as the years go by!
PaulEberhardt at 8:55AM, Jan. 26, 2023
I had to grin, because my grandma gave me this very same piece of advice long ago, when she was still around, and every time I remember and follow it, it works like a charm. The one difficult bit is just getting started instead of just wanting to. And it wasn't dirt but about a hundredweight of potatoes to be peeled for a large wedding dinner. ;) (She grew up in a village pub, owned by her side of my family for about a century, which unfortunately had to close down for good a couple of years ago. Procrastination was emphatically not the reason, btw..)
Ironscarf at 5:13AM, Jan. 26, 2023
The first push is always the hardest, but you were reluctant to dish the dirt and there's no shame in that.
Andreas_Helixfinger at 4:52AM, Jan. 26, 2023
As philosophical entertainer Alan Watts once adviced "Take each and every step as if it was the only step to take."
plymayer at 12:19AM, Jan. 26, 2023
Love and respect your mom always. Moms are great.