Over the course of the year, I have four departmental tasks in a certain category. Each is fairly involved, several hours of work at best, with intermediate steps that must be done with a reasonably good process, and so on. And each, to some extent, depends on someone else doing part of their task first, or after, or with some coordination. And each has variable deadlines for different parts.
I've done two of my four tasks. One of those I finished over break because the person ahead of me on the wheel finished hir part well ahead of hir deadline.
And just yesterday, I found out that another person ahead of me on another wheel finished hir task ahead of the deadline. That means I could do my part today and tomorrow (I've already done a big chunk that could be done earlier). Or I could wait for the semester to actually begin.
If I do it today: then I don't work on my SAA paper, or read for pleasure as much, or whatever. (I'm totally prepped for classes, so that's done.)
If I don't do it today, then I'll work on something else, and have to fit this other task in during the semester, working closer to the deadline.
This is the sort of task that's weirdly easier for me to work on if I can do it without a looming deadline. Other things I work to deadlines pretty well, but this one, well, I just seem to like working without a looming deadline.
Now that I think about it, I also like doing a lot of other things without the looming deadline. My classes, for example, were mostly prepped pretty early, with me doing fine tuning last week and yesterday. I could, if I were showered, walk into my classes today and start.
Looming deadline, or no? I guess I like worrying less about time and doing it at whatever rate seems good? Like a bike ride? I don't ride fast, but usually I get where I'm going. (Of course, as Derrida would have it were I a letter, whereever I get must have been where I was going.)
I think I'm going to go do this task now.
(I get extra points for including a Derrida reference, right?)
I am a do it now sort of personality. I prefer to get things done early rather than working up to a deadline. I think it's because with my precarious health issues, I don't want to get caught at the last minute with an emergency that prevents me from meeting a deadline. Got in the habit years ago and still approach projects and tasks that way.
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