I am the worst procrastinator I know. I moved into this apartment almost three years ago and I am not unpacked, it's July and I haven't started my taxes yet, stuff like that. Do you procrastinate?

-- Kymm (hedgehog@hedgehog.net), July 07, 2000

Answers

Every year since I've been out of high school I tell myself I'm going to apply at the university next August, well, OK next January, next August, next January. I've done that for 12 years now. I also have boxes still packed in our spare room from when we moved in....6 years ago. We had a 3 day power outage because of a storm so I finally made time to clean it out.

-- Amy T. (als918@aol.com), July 07, 2000.

Me? Procrastinate?

-- Ron Collings (dragon@crescentschool.org), July 07, 2000.

I'm guilty of it from time to time, I admit.

My mottos are:

"If it wasn't for the last minute, nothing would ever get done."

"Why put off until tomorrow what can wait until the day after that?"

-- Ron Collings (dragon@crescentschool.org), July 07, 2000.

On my recent trip back to Australia, having lived in the USA since 1998, I finally got around to lodging my 1992-1997 income tax returns... The imperative was that I give the money to my Mum to cover my airfare back, so finally they were lodged. According to my calculations, they did owe me every year, so that's alright, and it's kind of like a savings program... OK, so there's a really good reason for the saying in my family that my middle name is not Jane but Procrastination.

-- Amanda Page (amanda@amandasprecipice.com), July 07, 2000.

I am the Master Procrastinator (people call me that in the street. They say, "Look out, here come's the Master Procrastinator").

I only brought my online journal back from its hiatus to avoid writing a history essay.

I've been up until the early hours all this week finishing things that I could have done two weeks ago.

My room is the most disgusting place on earth. I'll tidy it later!

Man, I need help...

-- Tim (tim@newmail.net), July 07, 2000.

I'll answer this later.

-- Shmuel (shmuel@nycmail.com), July 07, 2000.

See, I came online to upload an entry.

But I went and looked at the New York Times online.
Then, I opened up my bookmarks, and clicked through them one by one.
I realized I missed many entries of some good journallers, and had to dig through the archives.
I went back through my bookmarks to see if anyone had updated while I was looking at some one else's site.
Then I looked at my bookmarks and thought "Oh. These bookmarks are frightfully unorganized. Let me organize them."
I alphabetized them.
I arranged them by type of site.
I rearranged them by fondness for, enjoyment in reading of.
I once again rearranged them by frequency of checking.
Then I went back through my bookmarks, and started checking out forums.
I began to read postings I missed.
I began to post.
I haven't uploaded my entry.
And the whole point in coming online to upload an entry to begin with was to avoid doing housework.

I'm knee deep in dirty clothes. I'm in bad shape.

-- Jen (maharishe@yahoo.com), July 08, 2000.

This entry is procrastination. Why? Because I have seven tapes sitting here waiting to be transcribed (waiting for several days, I might add), there are dishes in the sink, the dog hair convers the carpet, the bed is unmade (ok...so the husband is still in it. big deal), etc., etc., etc. I'm sorry, Tim, but I'll fight you for the title of "master procrastinator."

But let's do it later.

-- Bev Sykes (basykes@dcn.davis.ca.us), July 08, 2000.

Hi. My name is Lee and I am a procrastinator. I sincerely believe that I hold the title of World Champion Procrastinator, having developed it into a Completely Late Lifestyle. I am not proud.

When I was in college (14 years of college -- beat THAT!) I would start papers about three hours before they were due. Sometimes I would realize that I waited too long and simply couldn't finish in time, and I'd have to go to a professor and make up creative reasons to be late. When I'd win the reprieve I wouldn't go home and start working on it right away -- no, I'd wait until the day that I had extended the deadline to, THEN start.

Hence the 14 years of college. Not straight through, mind you -- nope, I'd procrastinate signing up for courses, or applying for readmittance, whatever.

Now I teach college. And I had a procrastinator in my class last semester. Was I nice and understanding and easy? NO! I marked her down a half letter grade! Nice, huh? So not only am I a procrastinator, I am a self-loathing procrastinator. AND mean.

(Oh yeah -- my class NEVER gets their corrected work back quickly, either...)

My other areas of procrastination are pretty typical, too: dishes, laundry, email, thank-you letters, changing the cat box, vacuuming (nothing like having guests due in 20 minutes and only then starting to clean), projects, unpacking (I too have about eight boxes that have never been unpacked -- it's been something like 11 apartments now).

The only things I do in a timely fashion involve money. I used to pay bills late as part of my Completely Late Lifestyle -- but ultimately that had too many negative consequences (late fees, bad credit). Now I pay everything early. I also used to wait for my Mom to file my taxes. Now, since I know I always get money back, I file them the DAY I get my final W2. I'm also pretty good with setting up my VCR to tape stuff that I want to see -- but I procrastinate actually watching the tapes, so I have probably 50 tapes littering my livingroom waiting for my attention. *sigh*

I can't take it anymore. I have to go -- I have email I need to avoid.

-- Lee (thensheappeared@yahoo.com), July 08, 2000.

OK, Lee. You win. You're *slightly* worse than I am. The one thing I'm good about is answering e-mail. (Which is a tool I use to procrastinate doing all the rest of the stuff!)

-- Bev Sykes (basykes@dcn.davis.ca.us), July 08, 2000.

A few months ago I spent four hours alphabetising CDs in a bid to avoid starting an assignment.

-- Jackie (jackiec@diaryland.com), July 10, 2000.

My little apartment (I've discovered that the tinier the space, the more obvious the signs of procrastination) is currently exhibiting the effects of a variety of never-finished "projects."

Among them are the popular "I-still-need-to-unpack-these-boxes-from-2- apartments-ago" as well as the "the-trim-near-the-ceiling-is-still- that-god-awful-blue-the-former-tenants-got-from-Martha-Stewart-Living- and-my-walls-have-been-a-lovely-sage-since-April-of-1998." Then there's the incredible way I can stay up 'til 3 AM alphabetizing my CDs and re-reading old comics when the middle of the living room floor is covered with a PILE of papers I've been "filing" since March. The cat likes that, though, so that's justified.

And I have been meaning to invite some friends over so I will finally do that dinner I planned out around Christmas (except for the entree, oh, and the guest list. I'm not finished).

Sounds like you're actually one of BEST procrastinators, Kymm, not the worst! One of my exes was just crazy about being organized; she had a Planner before they were trendy (Oklahoma in the 70's). She also actually managed to clean an entire room without once leaving it to go do something else. Can you imagine? She also said I wouldn't have so much trouble remembering people's names if I wasn't so damned friendly. Well, that would explain why I'm exes with whatever her name was...

The Procrastination Queen (still finishing up the crown...just give me a minute).

-- julie nicolay (julienicolay@hotmal.com), July 17, 2000.

I believe i am in the running for best procrastinator/sloppiest person ever. currently i'm paying back the irs for the last three year's returns -- i put off doing my 1040s. four years in a row now i've gotten tickets for not renewing my license plates until august (my bday is in may). i do eight loads of laundry at once and buy new clothes instead of doing wash weekly. i buy groceries online but delay picking them up from the store. my car stero has been broken since last august.....and worst of all i have four books on how not to procrastinate that i've put off reading for two years now! argh! help me.

-- christine sanborn (christine@coolfire.com), July 17, 2000.

It took me five years to finish what should have been a two-year Master's degree. I was such a legend in my hometown that a local radio show host called me up and asked me to be a guest on his program. Imagine my chagrin when I found out the subject was not my beloved thesis topic but, in fact, procrastination. Sigh. To top it all off, I was late for the taping because I just couldn't get around to getting out of the apartment. Sigh. People still come up to me on the street and talk about it when I go home for a visit, and that was eight years ago.

The good news is that once the deadline became real to me, I finished the thesis after all. I estimate that the total work I put in only amounted to about six months' worth...

-- Freyjah (freyjah@hotmail.com), July 20, 2000.

hi every one! i need to know for debate why it is good to put it off until tomorrow! the topic is - that there is no time like the present - im the negative so i'm saying do it tomorrow thatnks for you help in advance sarah

-- sarah (nataliealford@hotmail.com), September 04, 2001.

I luv you guys!! It is such a relief to find others may procrastinate as badly as I do!! It is killing me - the more urgent and stressed I am about something the more I try to ignore it. I have boxes of things I mean to organise later and I am supposed to be doing an assignment (well actually 3) that was due up to a couple of months ago - the semester is almost finished and I have no idea what excuse to give to my lecturer cos Ive handed in all my assignments for this subject late!!!!!!!!!ARRGGHHHHHH!!!!! I am my own worst enemy! If anyone has overcome this problem (or is trying to and wants someone to talk to for support) please email me!

-- Aioni (anan3226@mail.usyd.edu.au), November 10, 2002.