Sometimes, NOT having a long deadline can be a very good thing

[Patte Rosebank]

It’s weird, but I just discovered that not having a long time to do a project can sometimes be a good thing for me.

On Monday afternoon, a friend of mine asked if I could make him a costume and have it ready for Thursday night, when he had a wrestling match. I contemplated this for a moment, figured out that the construction would actually be fairly simple, even though I’d never made a leotard or leggings before. I knew exactly where to buy the specialty fabrics he wanted, and I have a serger (which is the ideal machine for sewing spandex fabrics). I also had some basic patterns that I could use to draft the new pattern pieces for the costume.

With the added “excitement” of having less than 3 days to pull this off, there was no time to procrastinate or second-guess myself. I plunged into it, stuck to the “RTFM” and “measure twice, cut once” rules, and did it! Even when he changed the specs a bit and asked me to spell out his character’s name across the bum of the leotard, I figured out how to make the letters myself (out of a scrap of contrasting metallic spandex, which I had to stabilize so it wouldn’t stretch) and how to applique them on (something else I’d never done before).

That costume was done, as of 9:30 this morning. (It would have been done last night, but I was feeling tired, so I left the appliqueing of the letters until I was more awake and less likely to screw up.) It looks amazing, and is built to last. I started taking photos of it, but discovered the batteries in BOTH of my cameras had died. Hopefully they’ll be sufficiently recharged that I can get a few photos before my friend comes to pick it up.

On the other hand, I’ve had 3 weeks, and no firm deadline, to make some basic headdresses. Two of them are nearly done, and the other 2 are about halfway done…

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[nellie]

I think the clue to the deadline issue is in the word you used :Excitement.” I’m going to guess the novelty of doing something you hadn’t done before & the creative thinking you needed to solve the problem gave you a shot of adrenaline and made the costume one heck of a lot more fun to do than the “basic” headdresses.

Also the deadline gives you an excuse to procrastinate on the other things your supposed to be doing and provides a temporary feeling of relief Been there!!!

Lately I’ve been following the GTD method ( Getting things done) which breaks things into steps and this really helps with those tasks that end up becoming albatrosses the longer we push them off. It’s amazing how productive one can be by breaking things down step-by-step. You then follow the steps one at a time so things don’t feel quite so overwhelming.

The more steps you check off as completed the more gratified you feel . You also feel more in control . I think it’s probably typical of ADDers to take an all or nothing approach. If I can’t do it all I won’t do any, which of course perpetuates a terrible cycle of procrastination.

Is there something about your headdresses that is causing you to procrastinate? Perhaps if you write each step down it might provide a clue.

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[Anonymous]

Wow, I so recognize myself in your post Larynxa !! I’m an admin assistant. I recently passed an interview and one of the questions was how do I react to stress, how well do I work under pressure. And my answer ? I work MUCH better under pressure !! No time to procrastinate ! If my boss gives me something to do and tells me it’s no rush, do it when you have a time for it … There’s a good chance he’ll never see it again ! I need deadlines, and relatively short ones, if I’m ever to get anything done. My housework never gets done so fast and so well as when I’m expecting someone the next day lol.

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[Anonymous]

I agree – I have a regular job and do hubbies books – had a time absorbed seasonal job this summer & fell WAY behind in his company books – GST is due tomorrow – had other appointments – got it all input & finished in 12 hours. Something about the pressure makes the monotony of bookkeeping tolerable (ya there were a few times I ended up wandering – but made it back to the ‘puter without much delay).

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[Patte Rosebank]

The danger is that, if you seriously underestimate the time needed, so you really have to fly through something to make a super-tight deadline, mistakes will happen. It’s true when I’m sewing, and it’s true for a bookkeeper.

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[Anonymous]

Yes – and I always underestimate time needed…

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