At the moment, things are a disaster. My desk is a mess. Unsigned school permission slips and party invitations are piled high. Outlines of half-baked book ideas are strewn about. My desktop on my computer is a mess. My bedroom is a mess with a half finished task of sorting out the winter clothes. The bathroom is a mess because I have half-way pulled down the wall paper. The bathroom vanity is a petri dish of foulness. The e-mail inbox is full of smart messages that require thoughtful replies.

I need to pull myself together and tackle this mess, but first I shall procrastinate by reading James Surowieki's article on procrastination and then writing about procrastination. Priorities, people!

As someone who spent far too long in academia, I am well acquainted with procrastination. It's damn painful to cram for oral exams, write a dissertation and then later to write those stupid papers. And I am weak. There are stupid computer games to play and silly books to read. I often long for a job with a boss that tells me what to do and the job is simple, like stacking the shelves of Duane Reade with shampoo.

Yes, I know all the tricks to reaching the larger goals. Small steps. Time allowances for random events. Lists. Daily goals. Support groups. Those tricks do work, but procrastination still happens.

But, in my old age, I've decided to not get so caught up in productivity. The trick is to not procrastinate with useless things, like endless online word games, but to procrastinate with really fun stuff, like long chats with good friends. If we procrastinate more than we produce, then we shouldn't squander that time with guilt or with activities that are quickly forgotten. I'm also choosing to produce things that matter, rather than things that meet someone else's criteria of importance.

Well, off to tame the chaos beast that has overtaken my home.

Question of the Day: What should you be doing right now? How do you procrastinate?