I’m a huge, huge fan of Merlin Mann. The guy seems to be able to articulate everything that’s been brewing around in my mind at exactly the right time. If you haven’t read/seen/heard of his stuff, I strongly suggest you go check out merlinmann.com for a quick digest and links to follow him wherever you consume your internet-goodness.
His latest video, Makebelieve Help, Old Butchers, and Figuring Out Who You Are (For Now), seems to go on forever but it’s worth it. Go on, hit play:
Anyone who knows me in person knows that I’m a huggeee procrastinator and as such I really enjoyed Merlin’s explanation, or perhaps even his defense of procrastination: it helps me think! When I was in school my friends were constantly perplexed by the torture I put myself through by rearranging my room, watching TV, editing photos, playing with a rubik’s cube, etc. on nights where I should have been writing the paper that was due the next morning. Was it insane? Absolutely. I should have spent those hours actually writing the darned paper, but that would have been sensible. I’m much better at reading the paper topic, going off and doing whatever suits my fancy at that point, letting the thoughts stew, and then going to sit at my computer when I’m good and ready to just write. It’s just how I operate. I’ll probably go grey at a young age because of it, but hey, that’s why they invented hair dye, right?
So thanks, Merlin, for giving me a reason to continue working the way I’ve been working. Now to go dig that rubik’s cube out of that one box I haven’t unpacked…
aaaaaaaaand subscribed to 43 Folders. Thanks for putting this video up, Jenn! It was just what I needed. The irony is that I was listening/watching while sorting through the last month of Lifehacker posts in Greader while Merlin was essentially talking about LH’s wackness. Irony makes the world go ’round.
hahaha glad you enjoyed it, Alex! I think Lifehacker has some quality stuff every once in a while but Merlin is definitely right that sometimes you just want to put your palm to your forehead. I’m trying to spend less time thinking about or reading about organizing/lifehacking and more time doing it, but sometimes you just get caught in that loop.