Idleness, stupidity and cowardice

Posted on September 6, 2003 by acb

These are, when I come to think of it, the main reasons for my lack of success in life. I’ve just finished two long magazine pieces, and should have spent yesterday writing a book outline. Instead, I sat down to fiddle with the word count code I had made for OOo, and emerged six hours later with a macro that does everything anyone could possibly want, except for the old Cix trick of counting down to a given word length and then putting up a message that says “stop typing now”. Mind you, I worked out how to do that, too, on a walk afterwards. And I won’t. I won’t. I will do my outline. And if goood intentions can’t spur me into action, I’ll do my accounts.

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2 Responses to Idleness, stupidity and cowardice

  1. William Scott Scherk says:
    September 6, 2003 at 7:26 pm

    I’ve become a fan . . . and this posting resounds. Takes me back to the time when a neighbour would alway show up at 10:30 on a Tuesday. “Hi, Sally, what’s up?” “Oh, I’m sorting out my socks.” “Didn’t you get that done last Tuesday?” “Not finished . . .”

    Sally’s column was due at the press at 11:00. We came up with the concept ‘creative avoidance’ to account for her ability to turn procrastination into an artform. Other Tuesday mornings would find her cleaning cupboards, washing floors, re-grouting the tiles in her bathroom, compiling recipes . . . and so on. Sadly for her, her avoidance routines weren’t of any use to anyone else, as yours might be . . . and in your case the routines seem to have been fun . . . and follow on some intense interests. Now what avoidance routines will prevent you finishing the word count code? Sock-sorting?

    My favourite weblog, by far! Thanks.

    William

  2. Rupert says:
    September 6, 2003 at 10:39 pm

    “…the main reasons for my lack of success in life. I

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