Is there such a thing as productive procrastination, and if so is it really good for you?
FINISHING SCHOOL | Is there a form of procras- tination, which is defined as the obvious and intentional putting off of something that must or should be done, that is more acceptable than others? I think there is, and I now have a label for it: Productive Procrastination. I ran into this phrase recently on urbandictionary.com, a website I turn to for pop cultural understanding—or to avoid getting down to research and writing stories for this website.
According to the Urban Dictionary, productive procrastination is defined as “Doing stuff to keep busy while avoiding what really needs doing. When all is said and done, your room is clean, your laundry is folded—but you haven’t started your English paper.” The UD seems to imply that productive procrastination is ultimately undesirable, but I don’t see it that way. If the thing you do to avoid a task at hand is something that also really needs to get done—a necessary task that lingers on some long-standing back-of-brain To Do List—and you actually get to put a check-mark beside it, that can’t be bad thing, can it?
When is deadline is rock-solid and imminent, I will always perform. It’s when projects can wait—like the laundry, or rethinking the marketing strategy for my sideline, for example—that I typically find the energy for them when there’s something else I’m supposed to do. That’s how I roll (as they say on the UD), and I refuse to beat myself up about it because in the end everything always gets done.
That said, super long-term procrastination can be a huge problem. My happiness guru Gretchen Rubin writes a lot about this topic on her blog, The Happiness Project. Here are her top tips:
Gretchen Rubin’s Top 7 Ways To Avoid Procrastinating
1. Do It First Thing In The Morning.
2. Try Doing It Every Day.
3. Have Someone Keep You Company.
4. Make Preparations, Assemble The Proper Tools.
5. Commit.
6. First Things First.
7. Reflect On The Great Feeling You’ll Get When You’ve Finished.
For specifics on how to implement these ideas, visit Rubin’s blog, www.thehappinessproject.com, or check out her article on the huffingtonpost.com —Annabel Lee
Photo: iStock
The Perfect Eyeliner Pencil + how To Use It
/494 Comments/in BEAUTY, Beauty How-To, Makeup, Stealing Beauty, View All Beauty Stories /by EditorAllison Emery shares her secret to applying perfect eyeliner, plus picks the ideal product to pull it off.
STOP—trying to draw the perfect line.
START—applying the pencil in the centre of the upper lash line. Starting the line at the centre of the lash line as opposed to the outer or inner corner allows you complete control over how thick you want your line to be, and it’s much easier to ensure symmetry. Read more
Icebreaker TouchLab In Vancouver
/4 Comments/in CANADIAN CONTENT, Fashion & Beauty, Green Within Reason, Shops & Shopping /by Felicity StoneMade from nature’s perfect fibre, Icebreaker wool clothing is so versatile and long-wearing that you don’t need to buy a lot.
All of these apply toNew Zealand Icebreaker clothing, now available at the company’s first Vancouver TouchLab store, which opened last week. The garments are made of an ingenious merino wool fabric that is easy care, lightweight and quick drying like synthetics but also breathable, odour resistant and biodegradable. Unlike cotton, it does not hold moisture. Read more
There’s An Upside To Procrastination—Yess!
/0 Comments/in Fitness & Health, HEALTH, View All Health Stories, Well Being /by EditorIs there such a thing as productive procrastination, and if so is it really good for you?
FINISHING SCHOOL | Is there a form of procras- tination, which is defined as the obvious and intentional putting off of something that must or should be done, that is more acceptable than others? I think there is, and I now have a label for it: Productive Procrastination. I ran into this phrase recently on urbandictionary.com, a website I turn to for pop cultural understanding—or to avoid getting down to research and writing stories for this website.
According to the Urban Dictionary, productive procrastination is defined as “Doing stuff to keep busy while avoiding what really needs doing. When all is said and done, your room is clean, your laundry is folded—but you haven’t started your English paper.” The UD seems to imply that productive procrastination is ultimately undesirable, but I don’t see it that way. If the thing you do to avoid a task at hand is something that also really needs to get done—a necessary task that lingers on some long-standing back-of-brain To Do List—and you actually get to put a check-mark beside it, that can’t be bad thing, can it?
When is deadline is rock-solid and imminent, I will always perform. It’s when projects can wait—like the laundry, or rethinking the marketing strategy for my sideline, for example—that I typically find the energy for them when there’s something else I’m supposed to do. That’s how I roll (as they say on the UD), and I refuse to beat myself up about it because in the end everything always gets done.
That said, super long-term procrastination can be a huge problem. My happiness guru Gretchen Rubin writes a lot about this topic on her blog, The Happiness Project. Here are her top tips:
Gretchen Rubin’s Top 7 Ways To Avoid Procrastinating
1. Do It First Thing In The Morning.
2. Try Doing It Every Day.
3. Have Someone Keep You Company.
4. Make Preparations, Assemble The Proper Tools.
5. Commit.
6. First Things First.
7. Reflect On The Great Feeling You’ll Get When You’ve Finished.
For specifics on how to implement these ideas, visit Rubin’s blog, www.thehappinessproject.com, or check out her article on the huffingtonpost.com —Annabel Lee
Photo: iStock
Why Not Give Home Dry Cleaning A Shot
/0 Comments/in Cleaning & Maintenance, Goods & Services, HOME, View All Home Stories /by EditorIf you’ve never tried it before, why not give home dry cleaning a shot.
Never Buy A Cheap Garden Hose—Ever!
/1 Comment/in GARDEN, Home & Garden, View All Garden Stories /by EditorIn which our writer experiences the horror and torment of buying an inferior product.
It Could Happen To Us: Make A Disaster Kit
/1 Comment/in Goods & Services /by EditorMother Nature’s on a tear, and seismologists say it’s only a matter of time before we feel her vengeance here. Take the edge off any worry with an easy-make General Disaster Kit.
34 Dresses, 17 Stellar Designers, 49 Days
/2 Comments/in Diffusion Collections, Fashion & Beauty /by Editor34 dresses, 17 superstar labels, everything priced under $50—what’s not to love about Target’s marathon fashion event that kicks off this coming Sunday?
Since 2006, Target, through its GO International fashion program, has enlisted these and other haute couturiers to sprinkle their pixie dust over the ready-to-wear crowd. And this is precisely what they’ve done, with high-fashion low-end collections noted for their dramatic silhouettes, signature prints, details that surprise and price point, which they always rock because everything is (almost) cheaper than dirt.
Now, for 49 days in March and April, Target will re-release 34 of its most popular dresses from the labels listed above (view them with our link below). Read more
How To Always Get The Event Tickets You Want
/2 Comments/in Goods & Services, HOW-TO KNOW-HOW, View All How-To Stories /by EditorHow to ensure you won’t lose out on tickets to the concerts and events you most want to see.
What can you do to ensure this will never happen again? One thing would be to try to buy tickets before they go on sale to the general public. For that you will most likely need a presale password or code. Read more
3 Top Trends In Gardening Right Now
/0 Comments/in GARDEN, Home & Garden, View All Garden Stories /by EditorPeople are talking about perennial vegetables, backyard fowl and compost as rich as a Middle East despot.
GROW YOUR OWN | Though it may feel a bit premature given the weather recently, March is when all good backyard farmers gear up for the growing season, deciding what they’ll sow, starting seeds and enriching the soil for the nourishing work they’re going to need it to do.
Producing at least some of your own food is the fashionable thing to do right now, though the gardeners we know who toil in earnest care more about the environment, the provenance of their food and the fresh taste of fruits and vegetables than they do about being trendy. Still, it’s nice to know that of all the gardening stories we featured on Frugalbits this past year, the three highlighted below are trending topics when the subject of urban farming rolls around.
3 Gardening Trends That Sizzle Read more
Ina Garten Reinvents The Tuna Sandwich
/13 Comments/in Easy + Quick = Delicious, FOOD, Food & Drink, Recipes, View All Food Stories /by EditorBarefoot Contessa’s Ina Garten takes a humdrum tuna sandwich and transforms it into something exotic in a matter of minutes.