Yes. I have a problem. I am serial procrastinator. I am working on it, but it does affect me both positively and negatively. I basically had a goal that I was going to write a blog a day for 30 days. It tool me 3 days to fail. So I am changing my goal to from a blog a day to 30 blogs this month. Its Semantics, but I it’s important to me achieve the goal regardless of the details. I don’t quit, no matter what I think my short-comings are.
Don’t Try this at home
I am by no means advocating Procrastinating to be a more creative. Please don’t risk failing a test, or not meeting a deadline, because you were waiting for inspiration to hit. You will fail. If not now, at some point when it will matter. Procrastination is not a good thing but I deal with it, and I am not happy about it but again I deal with it.
I am a really good PR Agent for myself.
I used to get in a lot of trouble. You learn to handle your mistakes with empathy to yourself and others that you are accountable too. I learned to get out of a lot of trouble with a bit of wit, and a bit of character. It is never my intention to hurt anyone, and I am accountable for my mistakes.
People know this, and understand. In school, I was late in turning in my assignments and I got bad grades ( academic probation twice), but I never missed a class, I never disrupted class, and I always was engaged to some degree. I always tried to help and be there for my professors and classmates. I try best not mess up to begin with, but it happens.
I also am a bit witty. I like to make people laugh, and don’t like to see someone negatively affected because of me. I have really smoothed over many situations just by not making excuses, apologizing, and making people laugh. Its gets me places. Believe it or not its not intentional. I impulsively try to make people feel better with a good story or jokes.
My Creative Spin
I didn’t stick to my word and write a blog a day. It sucks, and it doesn’t really matter because no one is reading these anyways, but I will be mad at myself more than anyone can be mad at me. Being who I am and telling you how I deal with mistakes I made, I decided to spin off a personal fault into a lesson, and what it has taught me about my own creativity.
Unorganized Mess Till The Last Minute
Usually I start any project or assignment with good intentions. I start get 5 percent done. My interest starts to waiver. I read this interesting article, and it takes me down the rabbit hole, and another tangent, and all of a sudden what started as me trying to review contracts turns into me becoming a semi-expert in how Snickers are made. Please find video as a reference:
But then. Something magical happens. With my back against the wall, and imminent failure on the horizon, I get to work, and I have to say it is something magical. The ideas come to me, it’s easy. I start Ideating and creating. All of a sudden a week worth of work done in 4 hour. I get into my “Avatar State”
Why I think it works for me
How I still functioning is a great question. I really don’t know. I don’t recommend anyone procrastinate to the last minute, but why have I gotten by, and unlocking create bouts of creativity waiting till the last minute? Goals.
Believe it or not, I like having goals and better yet, I like achieving those goals. Very rarely will I allow even procrastination keep me from achieving my goals. I have a lot that I want to do in my life, and labeling myself as this or that will not help me.
I have accepted flaws in my process, ability, and other areas, but I work on it, or work around it. Procrastination has gotten me in a lot of trouble. I had to get creative to solve those problems. Procrastination has caused me anxiety that I will not get anything done with a certain project or life in general. I use creativity to make sure I don’t fail and I get what I want, regardless of my flaws.
I am getting better at not Procrastinating, but I has been a journey. I am glad though, that I was able to build another layer of creativity to my life, and learn that with a little creativity, I can achieve what I want.