Procrastination…

[the elephant]

When I get deeply into the "head-scratching" part of a project, trying to sort out a solution that will not require me to re-do it several times (like with my Kurath's 6th valve linkage solution) I have two ways to work it out. One is simply sleep. I obsessively work stuff out in my mind as I drift off as a way to combat my lifelong issues with insomnia.

It works almost every time. The issue is that once in a while I drift off at the moment of a flash of insight, which wakes me up completely AND pumps me full of adrenaline. So I have to get up and document whatever it was, dig out parts to see if they fit as I imagined, or actually set up the torch and do some work. This can be unfortunate, but I have had some great successes in my work at 3:00 a.m. Other than these occasional "eureka" moments I generally fall asleep like a normal person.

The other way I work out construction problems is to start another project or dig out an old one that had me stumped to the point of setting it aside for a while.

Lately, I have been doing the sleep thing, but yesterday I dug up an old project. It worked, too. I figured out what caused me to set something aside. Unfortunately I am now more jazzed about the old, now-resurrected project.

<sigh>

So now I have to cope with the ACTUAL issue: when I get too many projects up and running I tend to stop working on *anything* because if I work on one I stress that the others are not receiving any attention at all.

I can't freaking win.

Here is my current list of mental constipation projects:

• clean up 186 for sale
• rebuild/tweak Kurath 5th/6th section
• clean up Kurath
• lacquer Kurath bugle
• lacquer Holton bugle
• install the 6th valve to Holton
• design and build a lever system for Holton
• gut and reblock MTS case for Holton
• design and build MW-182-based 3/4 F tuba
• design and build King K-90-based CC tuba
• replace blown head gasket on Accord
• chase down electrical gremlins in Jeep
• stain and finish tops of desk and table I built
• finish stripping window molding in the office
• finish painting the office
• fix gutters that have fallen from the house
• work on my jungle-like backyard
• cut down two trees
• cut back overgrown crepe myrtles
• hire a roofer
• pay the roofer
• cry over the expense of the roofer
• take up sniffing glue and huffing paint
• prepare Broughton for orchestral performance

[bloke]

yes to all, including length of list

[Mary Ann]

Related but not, on the mental arena: I have figured out that what I am good at is planning projects and getting all the materials in place to do the projects. Note actually doing the project is not on that list.
I had a similar list though when I bought this house, which was cosmetically in need of help. Things like popcorn ceilings, dark brown fake burlap wallpaper, dark brown carpet with immense pet urine stains on it -- and the list went on. It did get done over a couple of years, but money was not a problem because of my exceedingly frugal nature during my working years.

I was pretty happy project managing the design and build of electrical substations because that was a perfect fit for what comes naturally. Get all the stuff ready and have someone else actually do it.

I know you will get it all done because you have a list!

When you sell that 186, you will be pretty close to affording a brand new Alex 151G with five valves.
https://gebr-alexander.de/en/products/b ... 4Yv9O5To42

[MiBrassFS]

From a repair friend in Tempe, AZ about his day…

Okay, enough procrastination. Time for excuses.

[tadawson]

How does that compare to "amateurcrastination"?

(I put the "pro" in "procrastinate" at times :-) :-) )

- Tim

[bloke]

You inspired me...Notice my most recent "Repairs &..." post.

Also...The school crap that's here...new accounts, and no purchase orders yet...
With new schools: "Trust, but verify"...so I ain't workin' on their stuff without purchase orders.

[iiipopes]

When I get deeply into the "head-scratching" part of a project, trying to sort out a solution that will not require me to re-do it several times (like with my Kurath's 6th valve linkage solution) I have two ways to work it out. One is simply sleep. I obsessively work stuff out in my mind as I drift off as a way to combat my lifelong issues with insomnia.

It works almost every time. The issue is that once in a while I drift off at the moment of a flash of insight, which wakes me up completely AND pumps me full of adrenaline. So I have to get up and document whatever it was, dig out parts to see if they fit as I imagined, or actually set up the torch and do some work. This can be unfortunate, but I have had some great successes in my work at 3:00 a.m. Other than these occasional "eureka" moments I generally fall asleep like a normal person.

The other way I work out construction problems is to start another project or dig out an old one that had me stumped to the point of setting it aside for a while.

Lately, I have been doing the sleep thing, but yesterday I dug up an old project. It worked, too. I figured out what caused me to set something aside. Unfortunately I am now more jazzed about the old, now-resurrected project.

<sigh>

So now I have to cope with the ACTUAL issue: when I get too many projects up and running I tend to stop working on *anything* because if I work on one I stress that the others are not receiving any attention at all.

I can't freaking win.

Here is my current list of mental constipation projects:

• clean up 186 for sale
• rebuild/tweak Kurath 5th/6th section
• clean up Kurath
• lacquer Kurath bugle
• lacquer Holton bugle
• install the 6th valve to Holton
• design and build a lever system for Holton
• gut and reblock MTS case for Holton
• design and build MW-182-based 3/4 F tuba
• design and build King K-90-based CC tuba
• replace blown head gasket on Accord
• chase down electrical gremlins in Jeep
• stain and finish tops of desk and table I built
• finish stripping window molding in the office
• finish painting the office
• fix gutters that have fallen from the house
• work on my jungle-like backyard
• cut down two trees
• cut back overgrown crepe myrtles
• hire a roofer
• pay the roofer
• cry over the expense of the roofer
• take up sniffing glue and huffing paint
• prepare Broughton for orchestral performance

I do the same thing; and have done so since high school. I had so many classes and extra-curriculars, back then I would read my algebra problems, work on them through cognitive dreams, then wake up and write down the homework including all steps on the way to school ready to turn in. I have done it in my former profession, reading pleadings, reports, and deposition transcripts, letting my subconscious mind draw the consistencies and inconsistencies, then wake up, double-check everything, and be ready for court.

[iiipopes]

Oh, and in case anybody thinks I am totally off my rocker, I studied Hindu/Tibetan history, culture, and philosophy in high school, and developed my ability to cognitively dream, out of necessity of getting everything done, from their philosophy and practices. Please read the following link starting at page 8: https://digitalcommons.ciis.edu/cgi/vie ... ctices.pdf

[bloke]

I don't doubt that a bit.

Back when there wasn't all this technology and these several hundred dollar textbooks that include sound online and all that jazz....
There were still LP recordings that were in universities' and cities' libraries. There was a list of pieces of music for each semester of music history that we would have to identify from the professor playing a short segment. We referred to those tests as "drop the needle" tests.

For most of the tunes and symphonies or whatever, I would check those out of the city library and run them off onto cassettes. For a few that were only in the university library and not allowed to be checked out, I would take my cassette machine into the university library and copy those onto cassettes on site.

Every night, I would play one of the cassettes on one side while I was sleeping. I think there were maybe six or eight sides. There were probably about 45 minutes of music per side.

By the time the test came around, I could identify all of the music, but only didn't know what their names were. It was really easy to associate a name with an already identifiable piece of music for the test, so the total studying I did (while I was awake) only ended up being about an hour.