do you do things today or leave them for tomorrow?
@tigerlily1972 (502)
Germany
March 13, 2010 12:59pm CST
There are people who do tings today and there are also people who like to do things they can do today, tomorrow. Like for example when the curtains need to be changed, you can do it today but you'd rather do it tomorrow ( which sometimes tomorrow is yet another tomorrow until a week or two passed ). Or you bought a nice-looking wall clock. You intend to hang it ... soon. And soon months passed and your wall clock is still in its box.
another example is when it is time for you to do the laundry. You tell yourself, i'll do it tomorrow. When tomorrow came, hmm..i'll do it on weekend. Until you no longer have something to wear - that is the time you did the laundry.
It is called manana (maniana) habit. Maniana ( a spanish word?) means tomorrow.
This is so common among people i used to associate with. And i am just wondering if any of you, myLotters can relate to this habit?? What do yo say of it? Is it plain laziness or what?
7 people like this
41 responses
@JJ4Ever (4693)
• United States
23 Mar 10
Guilty! LOL! I'm so bad about this. I wish I were better at doing the things I can do today TODAY instead of making them wait until tomorrow, which means until who knows when. I'm so bad about putting things off. I'm trying to get into good habits of doing things ahead of time so I don't have to dread doing them tomorrow. I try to be more proactive rather than leave things for myself to do. When I run the dishwasher, why wait until tomorrow to unload the dishes? I'll probably have more dishes to load today! If I don't unload the dishwasher today and let it wait until tomorrow, the dirty dishes will pile up when all the dishes in the dishwasher are clean! I hate what I do to myself all the time - LOL! For me it's a combination of procrastination and laziness. Ugh! So yes, I'm definitely guilty of everything mentioned in this discussion, but I'm resolved to get better at not putting things off!
1 person likes this
@JJ4Ever (4693)
• United States
24 Mar 10
I don't like ironing either! I don't iron at all unless I absolutely have to. Of course, I don't want my hubby and me going out of the house a wrinkled mess - LOL! I'm glad you've learned a lot from this discussion. That always makes it a fun experience. I love making to-do lists too. Checking off the items makes me feel like I've accomplished something. I also agree with you that if the dishwasher runs right before you go to bed, there's no sense in unloading it until the dishes are dry and have a chance to cool off. Lots of times if I unload the dishwasher right after its cycle is done, I seriously have to unload it with my oven gloves because the dishes are too hot! Isn't that funny? I'm sure we all have our things around the house that we put off, but we always have our reasons! Thanks for your comment. It was fun to read, and I really enjoyed this discussion!
@tigerlily1972 (502)
• Germany
24 Mar 10
you are so honest! he he he ... i sometimes leave the cleaned dishes for tomorrow when i have turned the dishwasher on late & it is already time to head for bed. It is also better to keep the dishes dry - not putting them out as soon as the machine stops. So leaving the dishes for tomorrow is a good option.
With the many responses here, i am now learning! I learned to jot down things i need to do for the day. And sure enough, when i tick an accomplished one with red ink, it makes me feel better! So far, the only thing that keeps on re-appearing on my list for "to do today" is IRON! lol Ironing is not my thing but i am trying to do a little each day. Maybe i should allocate 1 hour on it tomorrow...
@tigerlily1972 (502)
• Germany
26 Mar 10
When something "hit" us, we really enjoy it. :-) And i do hope we will both be resolved on this laziness? and continue to do our checklist(s) and not let it be one of the things for tomorrow....again.
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
18 Mar 10
No I am not a procrastinator I prefer to get things done and out of the way.
1 person likes this
@ronaldinu (12422)
• Malta
14 Mar 10
I have a task list with items that I have to do. I put the things according to priority, items at the top needs to dealt with immediately and things at the end of the list which can be done later. Usually I like to do things immediately but I am not very good at doing manual jobs. Or lets admit it I am a bit lazy at doing manual jobs. Yes I am very likely to postpone things such as painting or fixing something at home.
1 person likes this
@Ritchelle (3790)
• Philippines
23 Mar 10
i think everybody had been taught to do things at once at that's what i do. however, some things are better left off for another day if: one is already physically tired (provided this is rationally tired that is) or if it would produce better results if a task is done another day.
1 person likes this
@faridmadeabillion (1127)
• Bangladesh
14 Apr 10
Hey tigerlily,
Everyday I usually have a list of of my tasks stored in my brain which are to be finished. Once I've targeted my works to be done in a day, I don't leave it for the nest day. Because who can say that you'll be able to do them tomorrow? So, it's the best policy to do what you can do today clearing your work-load. There's is a quote on this of Benjamin Franklin: "Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today."
Have a workful day.
@faridmadeabillion (1127)
• Bangladesh
2 Jul 10
Hey Lily,
Sounds like you're getting a bit romantic, aren't you? Yeah, in some special cases it's nice to leave something for tomorrow.
Have a nice day.
@tigerlily1972 (502)
• Germany
2 Jul 10
Romantic?? :-P does it show in my answer ... it must be because of the weather...
Have a warm summer day too!
1 person likes this
@tigerlily1972 (502)
• Germany
1 Jul 10
Exactly...never leave for tomorrow what you can do today....but then sometimes its nice to have something to do tomorrow ... so why not leave some what we can do 2day 2morrow?
1 person likes this
@bystander (2292)
• Philippines
18 Mar 10
it all depends, tigerlily. procrastination or leaving things you have to do today for tomorrow is a very bad habit. it leaves a lot of things unfinished and makes a lot of people quite frustrated, especially when they are waiting for the things you have to do for them. but sometimes, there are things that really get aside for tomorrow, even longer. when there are more urgent things that needed immediate attention, those lesser-priority work gets sidelined... of course...
@tcolwell (138)
•
15 Mar 10
To those of you call yourselves "procrastinators" or "lazy", do you also have problems with organization. Do you hate tedious tasks like writing a grocery list? Do you misplace your keys alot. If this sounds like you I urge you to get some information on adult ADHD. There's a great book on adult ADHD called "You Mean I'm Not Crazy, Lazy, or Stupid?" Remember, you don't have to be hyperactive to have ADHD. I'm not trying to diagnose anyone here, I'm just saying that these are typical symptoms of Adult ADHD. I currently take medication for my ADHD (I'm 34 years old) and it has made a big improvement. I feel like such a better mom now. Before I felt like I was drowning. ADHD affects, among other things, our Executive Functions (planning, carrying out a plan, etc...) since this is controlled by the frontal lobe, the area of the brain that ADHD affects.
@tigerlily1972 (502)
• Germany
16 Mar 10
oh when one really thinks that something is really wrong, this could be a good idea.
Have yourself checked. Make use of the health insurance.
@tigerlily1972 (502)
• Germany
18 Mar 10
so coffee give you more energy to accomplish more in the day - great!
happy myLotting!
@ank_47 (1959)
• India
15 Mar 10
daily i get bore to do the same household works. so sometimes i will neglect to do some household works. i enjoy more in seeing net daily and mostly this mylot. if i am before mylot,i will forget eating also. so lazy and forget to do household works also if i am before net.so postpone to do some works next day.as i am housewife only,i have time to do ,but will be lazy and thinks to do the works tomarrow.
i am lazy in folding clothes which will be on clothes stand and postpones them to tomarrow. i will be doing other works ,but i will start doing other household works lately in afternoon,than mornings.
i will be lazy for one day only ,not weeks and weeks u have told.
i will be lazy for one day only ,not weeks and weeks u have told.@tigerlily1972 (502)
• Germany
16 Mar 10
I have once skipped a meal, bec i was busy working. It is not good bec i got severe stomach ache afterwards. It is better we think of our body and health first, my friend, before myLot. :-)
and you mention folding clothes! that is also one of my weakness i am fighting to change. What i do to accomplish folding clothes is give myself a time limit. Maybe it will work out for you too. I turn the alarm clock on, say, in 1 hour, before it will alarm, i should be able to finish folding all clothes! It helps. :-)
@hagirl (1295)
• United States
14 Mar 10
It depends upon what it is.... I try to run my dishwasher everyday to keep my sinks in the kitchen cleaned out..... I think my husband procrastinates more than I do.... I bought a laundry shelf that I know set in the floor for 3 months..... I was going to put up myself but it needed holes to be drilled and things of that nature.
@tigerlily1972 (502)
• Germany
14 Mar 10
sounds so much like my husband :-) i asked him to install the clothes hanger for my daughter a little lower so she can hang her jacket alone, he did get a hammer from the basement and said he still has to look for some nails. It has been almost a year, the clothes hanger still sits in the cabinet. Its taking him such a long time to find nails my daughter can already reach the high ones.
@jskarthik1 (66)
• India
23 Mar 10
I try to do things as early and as quickly as possible but my laziness stops me.:-(
@climber7565 (2579)
• United States
14 Mar 10
ah procrastination is a common behavior for sure. I try and over come it always and there is a proud feeling on that choice, one for accomplishment. Getting things done and not leave them for tomorrow, but I must admit there is a ton of things I need to add to that list of to do today.
@tigerlily1972 (502)
• Germany
14 Mar 10
@ all
i love all all the responses on this page, they make me giggle. No pretentions just plain natural. Thank you all for the funny contributions. lol
@climber7565 (2579)
• United States
15 Mar 10
OH I know much turns to be amusing to the read, some topics are semi open ended to participate.
@cerebellum (3863)
• United States
15 Mar 10
I usually do things right away. If I wait I might forget. If it is something that needs put away, I will usually do it right away because my house is so small it gets cluttered easily. I usually have a list of things I want to do, and I love to check things off the list, so I will do it.
The only thing I will usually wait on is if I have clothes in the dryer, I don't always take them out until the next day. I hate to put clothes away! If it is towels or something that doesn't matter if it gets wrinkled, I'll wait.
@tigerlily1972 (502)
• Germany
16 Mar 10
good you have a dryer. I wanted to get one but it will cost extra electricity. So i stayed the old way - hanging clothes suspended by plastic clips or hang them on hangers if i dont want clip marks on them.
@inday_lorna1970 (1268)
• United States
30 Mar 10
I don't do such thing because it's more work in the next day or tomorrow..maybe for some people they have important things to do, that's why they said" I'll do it tomorrow. or there might be enough reason they have to do it tomorrow. Like in a laundry mat..if I go there and it's full, I say I will do it tomorrow. there's only one laundry center here. I am shy to ask my friend because it will cost her electricity. Yeah some people I know it's their habit, then at the end it's their mom doing the things they supposed to do. This is really a bad habit if you can't stop it, especially on kids.
@tigerlily1972 (502)
• Germany
1 Jul 10
heheheh ... this habit is something hard to get rid of :-) ...because there is always a tomorrow to do things ...
b.t.w. thnx for your message, you are one thoughtful person. *wink*
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
3 Sep 10
There are certain things for which I will say that I have this habit. However, I will also say that I am getting a lot better about it. There was a time that I would put things off time and time again until there is no way that I would be able to put it off any longer. But, things got to the point that I decided that I was sick of having nothing clean in our house and thus I've gotten to the point that I will try to do more in a day than can humanly be done.
@homeshoppers (6166)
• Philippines
14 Mar 10
i guess its case to case basis, like if im doing something then i need to finish what im doing first. or its also depends like what is more important to do then of course i will do the one that is more important but if im not really doing anything and if i can see that theres something that i need to do then i will do it right away than wait for the next day as i will never know if theres an important things to do the next day so what happened is i might going to forget it.
@tigerlily1972 (502)
• Germany
14 Mar 10
@ all responders :
it is very interesting to read all your replies. I notice many on this page (page 2) are "doers". That is brilliant. :-)
@sheetalnr (586)
• India
9 May 10
For me it's about prioritizing the tasks in hand. So if it is not all that important to do it right now, then i do put it off for another day.
@lindsiko (355)
• United States
14 Mar 10
I can definitely relate to this habit. I have an afghan that I knitted for my sister when she got married five years ago. I gave it to her on her wedding day and then took it back a few months later so I could add to it and give it a border. I've had it for the last five years and am just now making myself put the finishing touches on it. I just kept putting it off and putting it off and now I want to finish it and give it back so I don't think about it anymore.
@tigerlily1972 (502)
• Germany
14 Mar 10
:-) it seems like you are taking back your gift. I hope this discussion will motivate you to finish it - she will surely say : "at last!" :-)
@sushie93 (1355)
• France
13 Mar 10
It is procrastination (i find this word very ugly lol), i'm myself like that sometimes, it is because i'm lazy or i'm too tired or don't have the motivation to do things today, soi let them for tomorrow. ^^'
@freymind (1351)
• Philippines
10 Nov 10
its just laziness period. in my country most of the government employees are like these. i visited my aunt once in her office and she was busy typing in her computer. i asked her why there are few people in their department.
she said the others are outside taking their lunch break.. i said what lunch break? its already 3 in the afternoon and their supposed to be here since they leave at 4. she just smiled at me and said that this is how it goes here.
that's why nothings changed in the Philippines for the past how many God forsaken years... citizens pay for their salaries with their taxes but what they do??? nothing... they tend to say later, later, later instead of just doing it now and finish everything before doing other things that are not at all necessary.
