Procrastination

As Merriam-Webster would describe it:
Procrastinate
transitive senses : to put off intentionally and habitually
intransitive senses : to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done

Not completely satisfied, I consulted a different source, this time from the dashboard dictionary in my PowerBook
Procrastinate
verb [intrans]: delay or postpone action; put off doing something

The second definition sounds a little better.

I personally think that procrastinating is more a trend, a desease, an unavoidable nature... or a human character.
When procrastinating, you don't intentionally put off doing something. It's more like you are unconsciously distracted. It doesn't matter how hard you try, in a matter of miliseconds your mind is just completely elsewhere.

You see, I'm not talking BS here. I have been doing a research on this subject with the self-described queen of procrastination. The subject respondent is myself.

Executive Summary:
- methodology: ethnographic observation (30 months of ethno, 24/7)
- demography: a market researcher, 29 years of age, fluctuative and time-sensitive professional demands
- time: 2.5 years observation, Sept 2003 - March 2006
- location: predominantly target respondent's work area in Nishi-Azabu and domicile in Yoyogi (market Tokyo, region: Asia Pacific/Japan)

Key Findings:
- respondent distracts easily upon hearing the mention of "reports due in X days"
- in a top line report-writing range of 7 days, the trend is likely that the first three days are spent by the respondent on doing anything BUT touching her report
- when at work area, respondent is almost always distracted by office work
- when at home area, respondent is almost always distracted by domestic issue, although not as great as when at work area
- the fourth day will be when respondent finally goes through her notes and start a top-line template
- most of the time (90% incidence rate), respondent stayed up all night on the 4th night putting thoughts in her report
- on the fifth day, the respondent will finalize her report and give it a final touch
- on the sixth day, the report will be reviewed by her supervisor
- first thing in the morning of the seventh day, the report and analysis will be submitted to the client.

Implications:
- From the pattern, it is obvious that a 7 days-report writing could in theory be maximized into just 4 days. However, with the unavoidable procrastination period that cannot be eliminated, it is advised that the targetted audience be allowed a down time of maximum 3 days.

Note:
I am now on the 4th day, there are still bits of day 1-2-3 that remain, which resulted this short article.
In almost three years... I have not once missed a report deadline. I think I deserve the procrastination period.