Tuesday Tips For Living Alone - Overcoming Partial Procrastination.

One thing that seemed to happen to me when I started living alone was that I began to procrastinate. Not so much put things off as start them and then realize there was something else to do, partial procrastination.
The conversation with myself went something like this.
“Wow, I really need to, fill meaningless task in here.”. I'd start it and then inevitably, “ You know what, I think I'll pay my bills and do it tomorrow.”.
The next day would come and I'd be like,”You know, I could, fill meaningless task in here or I could read that new book I got. 'War and Peace' here I come.”.
This progressed until day five, when it became, “I could fill meaningless task in here, or I could continue to read 'War and Peace' or I could finish paying my bills or I could watch 'Two and a Half Men'.  That Charlie Sheen sure is funny.”

I'm not saying that I didn't procrastinate before, just that the level of alone procrastination has the ability to neutralize time itself, “Hey I need to take down those Halloween decorations, it's the day after Halloween. Wow, is it Christmas Eve already, why are my Halloween decorations still out?” It's almost Halloween, great, I don't have as much to decorate this year.”.

There are several ways to deal with this problem.
1. Write down tasks that you need to do in a dated list. This usually fails epically as you wipe your cheek off with a napkin that has, “Buy a notebook!”, scribbled on it.
2. Use your phone or computers calendar function to keep the items that need to get done in it. This also fails in a big way. Substitute, in the above sentences, fill meaningless task in here with look at phone or computer calendar.
3. Begin to do things as you think of them. This is the winner. As you think of doing the bills, sit down and do them. Need to go shopping? Get up and do it. Light needs replacing?, run out to Home Depot and buy a new one.
You'll be amazed at how much gets completely accomplished and how much free time you'll have left over. This will not guarantee that larger tasks will get done in one sitting, just that they will get done. Well, it's almost Wednesday, I think I'll write my Tuesday Tips For Living Alone blog and post it.