Improviser trait or personal issue???

improvstitute · Post by **improvstitute** » August 1st, 2007, 10:36 am

I am curious about something...

I seem to be unable to get anything done, work-wise, until I am really under pressure to get it done (either through rapidly approaching deadlines or angry boss or urgent request). When I am under the gun, I am able to make things happen beautifully but when there is no pressure, I am almost worthless. I will work on just about anything else (like taking the time to type this very post) rather than getting things done that are not yet urgent. This drives my boss insane!!!

I was wondering if there are lots of you that live in this same world with me (not saying it is good or bad - it just is) or if this is more just how I operate regardless ofthe fact that I am an improviser.

I guess I am not really looking to talk about me personally but this type of person that I seem to be.

Discuss if you are so inclined.

Aden · Post by **Aden** » August 1st, 2007, 10:38 am

I do the same thing.

vine311 · Post by **vine311** » August 1st, 2007, 10:44 am

Yup, same boat. I procrastinate until the last possible minute and still manage to meet my deadlines. My boss hates it too.

Lindsey · Post by **Lindsey** » August 1st, 2007, 10:56 am

Same here. Although just recently have I perfected the art of looking like I getting work done while simultaneously procrastinating. It's an art, not a science.

nadine · Post by **nadine** » August 1st, 2007, 11:07 am

me too. i don't think it's an improvisor trait, it's a generational trait.

andrea · Post by **andrea** » August 1st, 2007, 11:14 am

i never used to be like this...i was that kid in college who always had their papers done weeks in advance and never had to pull an all-nighter.

now, however, i totally procrastinate. or i try to work but really just waste time.

i had always blamed the stress of grad school for this. but i started doing improv at the same time i started grad school. so maybe it IS improv.

kaci_beeler · Post by **kaci_beeler** » August 1st, 2007, 11:15 am

It's all about personal motivation.

Guilt is one of my primary motives when it comes to "work", so it depends on the situation for me. If I know I need to be working, then I'll work, but I usually prefer to wait until right before the deadline to really get things going and then just hammer everything out. Long sessions of work are better to me than short, small sessions that are spread out.

improvstitute · Post by **improvstitute** » August 1st, 2007, 11:36 am

vine311 wrote:Yup, same boat. I procrastinate until the last possible minute and still manage to meet my deadlines. My boss hates it too.

my boss is a planner...she has a list for everything...a detailed work plan...a planner filled out until the end of time. I think I am killing her. I always get my stuff done (and done well I might add), but it is not on HER schedule. This is causing me many many problems right now.

I feel like this is just who/how I am and perhaps that is why I am drawn to improv. The pressure is always on (one of many ways to look at improv) when you are in front of an audience. I think this is also one reason why rehearsals seem to be less productive - no pressure.

This is also killing my wife (see description of boss, but to a lesser degree).

Perhaps adrenaline is to blame. NO ADRENALINE = NO WERKY

mpbrockman · Post by **mpbrockman** » August 1st, 2007, 11:38 am

andrea wrote:i never used to be like this...

Reverse for me. Used to be the under-the-gun type. Now I do a much better job of staying just ahead of my workload.

Post by **bradisntclever** » August 1st, 2007, 11:42 am

I am the same way and I kind of enjoy the pressure of being under-the-gun. It would be nice to start doing things ahead of time though.

Roy Janik · Post by **Roy Janik** » August 1st, 2007, 11:42 am

mpbrockman wrote:
andrea wrote:i never used to be like this...
Reverse for me. Used to be the under-the-gun type. Now I do a much better job of staying just ahead of my workload.

Anything in particular cause this change?

kbadr · Post by **kbadr** » August 1st, 2007, 11:48 am

I think I was trained not to get things done ahead of time. In school, it was good to do that. In the business world, all getting done early gets you is a another assignment...and it's usually something that's an emergency (or treated as one) so you quickly go from being ahead of schedule, to being behind schedule.

Maybe that's somewhat unique to software development. I've learned so much shit needs to be done yesterday, that it's not worth it for me to bust my ass when I don't absolutely have to.

vine311 · Post by **vine311** » August 1st, 2007, 11:53 am

kbadr wrote:I've learned so much shit needs to be done yesterday, that it's not worth it for me to bust my ass when I don't absolutely have to.

Same thing happens in the graphic design realm. It's always "hurry up and wait". I can't tell you how many times I've busted ass to get something done late at night or over the weekend only to have the client say "Thanks, but we're going to launch next month instead". Now I don't kill myself over that stuff.

Asaf · Post by **Asaf** » August 1st, 2007, 12:13 pm

I do the same thing. I also have trouble working on things that are not collaborative because of improv. Which makes it hard when I need to get writing done.

improvstitute · Post by **improvstitute** » August 1st, 2007, 12:33 pm

kbadr wrote:I think I was trained not to get things done ahead of time. In school, it was good to do that. In the business world, all getting done early gets you is a another assignment...and it's usually something that's an emergency (or treated as one) so you quickly go from being ahead of schedule, to being behind schedule.

Maybe that's somewhat unique to software development. I've learned so much shit needs to be done yesterday, that it's not worth it for me to bust my ass when I don't absolutely have to.

I have been thinking this very thing. I think I have been trained to "pay" myself first. I do what I want to do before I do the things I have to do. This is not bad as long you understand how this approach may affect others. I think the struggle that I am having is that I want my boss and others to see things my way. I often think that if they could just adopt this same approach then everything else would be just fine. This is bad. I need to learn to find the balance and not be greedy.

DAMN YOU, GREED!!!