Deadlines? Who really cares? What I write is available when I say it is. Of course, it helps to be retired and healthy both physically and financially. I pity the writer who has to submit something before he is satisfied with it. It sucks the juice out of your self-esteem.
I look forward to the day when I can retire and have that luxury. On the other hand, I’ve found that self-esteem is bolstered by the realization that, even though we may not be 100% satisfied with the work, our editors and readers may yet be delighted by it. With time and experience, that helps to reset our expectations and drive home the point that “quality” is that which meets the customer’s reasonable expectations, on time, and within budget. It is not the Hope diamond, but a diamond, nonetheless.
I confess I have no patience to read SOPs, owner's manuals, or such, but I enforce the idea that my children should always read the instructions first.
My oldest son wanted a Gameboy Advance for his ninth birthday. I was so excited I had bought the right one, and a game he had not already beaten on his cousin's system, that I just wanted to see him start playing it. I thought something was wrong, because he opened it and tossed it aside. "What's wrong?" I asked. "Mom, this is a Gameboy ADVANCE; I have never played one before. I am reading the instructions!"
Therein lies the timeless value of “do as I say, not as I do.” Thank you for raising kids that will help to keep me employed in years to come!  I have to admit that I have no great love of reading documentation, myself. But it does come in handy, sometimes. To know how and when to use the manual is important. It might be vitally important the first time we use a toaster, but after running through five or six toasters, we have a pretty clear idea of how they work. If we know where to look for answers when we encounter something unexpected, we can usually choose not to study the manual ahead of time.
I am a card carrying member of the two-headed turtle society and I am glad to meet a fellow member. Deadlines are great for my creative juices, however, they seem to inspire my stomach acid as well. Oh well, guess you've got to take the good with the bad. Thanks for a great newsletter.
Nighala
That’s true - you have to watch your health and take care of yourself. Rest during the “down times” so that you can forge ahead when you’re under pressure.
I remember taking this poll! My answer was that I procrastinate. I am terrible about it!
I think the majority of us are. The root cause, as far as I can tell, is a high degree of perfectionism, coupled with the realistic understanding that our own expectations are so out of whack that if we don’t literally run ourselves out of time, we’ll dink around with the thing forever and never be satisfied with it. Perfectionism doesn’t mean we’ll ever achieve perfection; most of us know that all too well. It just means we could literally kill ourselves trying to attain that elusive, flawless state of grace. Deadlines force us to compromise and get the task done; perfectionism keeps an unusually high number of us from falling flat on our noses when we procrastinate.
Reading through this NL, I feel like you're writing about me! Yep, I'm one of those great procrastinators, which is why my portfolio still contains only 3 items since I signed up on WDC in March.
I, for one, prefer deadlines. And I work better under pressure too. But once I threw my back and couldn't move for a week. Luckily for me, there was only one assignment of 10 summaries to write for a client, and she was nice enough to delay the deadline another week! I learnt my lesson somewhat after that, and try to work a little bit earlier (ok, ok, I still work at the last minute, but not as bad as before! ).
What's your take on clients who don't give you a deadline though?
Oooh, that’s always problematic for me. I know I need the deadlines. I’ve got 23+ years’ experience at this, and I still cringe when asked, “How long will this take?” No matter how unreasonable or silly the deadline, I’d rather have the client propose it. If it’s really undoable, I can say so. If I think I can do it, I’ll burn the midnight oil, if need be, to make it happen. But I need a target to shoot for - the work’s enough, I don’t want to make my own targets.
Procrastination? It's just mixed feelings about something you'd like to either do or have done. It's not a lack of willpower; it is split willpower. You don't need much effort when all parts of the will unite.
Sure that's easier to say than do. But its worth it when you do.
Of course - but to make all parts of the will unite, you might have to admit that you didn’t really want to do the thing you’re putting off. You might have to say “no.” You might have to admit you don’t think you know how to do it. By waiting until the last minute, you decide that the pain of not doing it (of missing a deadline or disappointing someone) outweighs the desire to avoid doing it or the fear that you’re not good enough.
Ever notice how proctastination drives you up the wall, unless you're the one doing it?
Breezy-E
Wow, you’re right! Ironic, isn’t it?
Hi Jessiebelle,
I write my newsletters in my head, weeks before I start actually typing them. While I'm walking the dogs I consider my topic and angles. While I'm talking to friends, I slip in pertinent questions, to gauge their opinion. While I'm in the supermarket, I capture the zeitgeist. I still leave the typing to the last minute, but I feel I've not so much been procrastinating as perfecting. If you believe that you believe anything!
Great newsletter - You're a wonder at coming up with good topics.
Zeitgeist at the supermarket? My husband does most of the shopping. I see I am missing out…
Jessie, you could make a corpse laugh. I went back to the top of the page to see which newsletter I was reading. I know me well enough to know that if I don't pace myself and get newsletters done well in advance, as much as possible, I'd be in trouble. I can't pull something out of either ear at the last minute.
And in my next issue, Cemetery Stand-Up… for the Comedian Who Really Wants to Knock ‘Em Dead. Some days I envy those who can plan well ahead, pace themselves, and stick to a timetable. Other days, I appreciate the fact that my last-minute, deadline-driven proclivities serve me so well when I get projects thrown my way at the last minute and the deadline is “yesterday.”
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For Authors: June 28, 2006 Issue [#1103]
