Tuesday, April 3, 2012

7 Habits of Highly Effective Slackers

As with a few of my other writers on the blog, I'm under deadline. During this particular deadline, I'm noticing that I am getting VERY good at avoiding actually writing. I am being productive, just at the wrong things.
And as with any true problem, admitting and defining the behaviors will only help you get better.
Here are my 7 Habits of Highly Effective Slackers:
1. Having my e-mail open to respond to any emergencies that might possibly happen. No emergencies have arisen so far, but they could.
2. Cleaning- When I'm on deadline, my base boards are lemon-fresh, the entire house is dust-free (including ceiling fans), and my fridge is spotless.
3. Taking pictures of your food-plants-animals. Kerrelyn had this problem too last month and I fully commiserate. My baby girl wanted to be famous on a blog, so here she is as a puppy. My phone is now full of my babies being cute.
4. Over commitment to organizing. Now, some organizing is necessary, but we are talking above
and beyond ORGANIZING. Renaming photo files on my computer, rearranging the
pictures on my Pinterest page. Plotting out the novel until
there is no detail left un-plotted. As a die heard pantser, you know somethings wrong when I get
to this point.

5. Replaying Angry Birds levels to get perfect scores.


6. Needing to know every single detail of your BFF-significant other-dog's day. Asking deep and probing questions about what kind of sandwich they had for lunch and calling it "research."
7. Baking. Lots and Lots of baking. Good for my co-workers, but probably not for the book. So far I've perfected strawberry buttercream and this peanut butter goodie.
These are only seven. I'm sure that we all have our procrastination techniques. If you share, I'll pick one
commentor to get a copy of Diaries of an Urban Panther so you can procrastinate something too!
____________________________________________
Amanda Arista
Diaries of an Urban Panther
Claws and Effect

16 comments:

Roni said...

Reruns of Grey's Anatomy is on Lifetime from 1:00 to 4:00 every afternoon Monday through Friday. My fear is there might be an episode on I've never seen. That's really not possible though.
roni42 at roadrunner dot com

Terri Garey said...

I'm guilty of at least six of these, and that's only because I don't bake! :)

SandyG265 said...

Reading a book.

Chelsea B. said...

Mine is thinking. Thinking, thinking, thinkg about what I need to do until oops! It's ten at night and time to sleep! Haha ;-)

justforswag(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

Bonnie said...

Hi Amanda,
Mine is catching up on all the shows I have on my DVR and sometimes I have to convince myself that I don't have to watch a Spartacus episode for the 5th time. There is also facebook, twitter, and email that are time suckers too.
I'm currently reading Diaries of an Urban Panther and LOVE IT.
Bonnie

Barbara E. said...

Mine is organizing my books, that can take forever 'cause there's a lot to go through. :D

bn100 said...

Watching the Food Network.

bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

Jess said...

I thought this would be on the list for sure: FACEBOOK!

I'm currently trying to finish two assignments which are due on Monday (they're mostly finished, so I think I've done okay...) but I'll write a bit and then think to myself "that was quite good" and take a mini break and check Facebook. Ten minutes later, I'll go back to my assignment and write another sentence. It's a bad bad habit.
Even if nothing new has been posted by friends since I checked it last, I refresh it just to make sure I haven't missed anything.

If I'm lucky enough to win the copy of Diaries I will have to lock it away until my assignments are finished! :)

selwyn_jp at hotmail dot com

P.S. Your puppy is sooooo CUTE!!

Teril said...

oh yes I am a slacker. Now I need a shirt for it and then since I am in OR better slap a bird on that slacker shirt too ;)

Helen Lowe said...

Amanda--laughed out loud when I read this one! I think my yard is always twig and leaf free whenever I have anything as vital as a deadline looming!

Amy Valentini said...

LOL! I am a consummate proscratinator! My house suddenly gets clean, too.
But to really avoid writing, I search absurd things that have been nagging me in the back of my brain on the web. I play Bubble Saga until all of my lives are gone. I take the dog for yet another walk. I talk to anyone on the phone, and worst of all, I clean the bathrooms whether they need it or not. : )
Btw, your baby is adorable and she deserves to be a star!

amyvalentini at aol dot com

Jessica Mobbs said...

Your dog is too cute! And that peanut butter treat... *licks lips* DELISH! Something I do to procrastinate which also soothes my OCD is reorganize my DVD/BOOK collection so that they are alphabetized and categorized.

Jacqui R said...

Right now I am online instead of out in the garden and getting the house ready for sale. Reading would be my number one thing with my "just one more chapter!"

ticklebear2 at yahoo dot com

alainala said...

okay im guilty of 5... i add FACEBOOK (hell on earth) .. i check it like 20 times in like 5 min, because SOMETHING might have changed.. lol and we have cats.. they must be played with!!

Amanda Arista said...

Thanks guys! Now that i know the sins of slacking, i will try to be strong and over come them.


Congrats Jess on winning the copy of Diaires!!

Llehn said...

Checking email obsessively!

lesly7ch(at)yahoo(dot)com