Have I done a post about this concept before?...probably. But I'm so dang good at it, that I have to just point it out to myself and others. This term is something I learned in an Educational Psychology class at BYU. For some reason it just stuck with me. The term "Conscientious Loser" is used to describe someone who is busy doing things. Lots of things. Maybe even important or good things. But not the MOST important thing, or the thing that really needs to be done first. But even more than just not doing what is most important, the Conscientious Loser almost fools herself into believing that doing B, C, or D...really is just as important as doing A (the thing that NEEDS to be done.) For example, she might tell herself that painting her nails or cleaning under her bed or posting on her blog really is what she should be doing...even though deep down she knows that she should be doing prep for her classroom since school starts in 3 days. Never mind that her bulletin boards are still bare. She has no firm lesson plans, no sign on her door, no syllabus, no well thought out classroom management plan. She at least can feel good that she baked zucchini cake today. Being a Conscientious Loser is a form of procrastination...but a highly specialized form in which you can't just put things off. You have to keep yourself crazy busy doing relatively insignificant things so that you feel justified when you procrastinate the really important stuff. I have perfected this!!
But I've got two whole days to get everything ready...well almost whole days. I also have a Meet the Teacher Picnic, a Cameron Family BBQ that I'm hosting on the new deck, a Back to School Carnival, and a Cub Scout Pack Meeting to attend in those 2 days...but I'm sure I'll be fine. Lots of time. I'll probably have time to bake some bread, paint a room, and clean out a closet too, right?
3 comments:
I'm right there with you!!! Good luck getting it all done!
Scary true! I hate the word loser, but I am afraid you learned it from me? I have been doing all kinds of useful things, but keep putting off the big elephant in the room.....I need to dung and pack! I do a bit of it here and there so I feel like I'm doing it, but should be so much farther along! Is it too late to change? It's not like we are sitting around watching TV- we're doing B,C, and D, right? Wow, the truth hurts!
Wow, I think I've got that in me too, but it can also be summed up as putting off what is hard and doing something we're more comfortable doing right? Like I just hate inventive projects, much rather fill my day with the mundane tasks. Only consolation with all this school stuff is the kids are non-judgmental and resilient. How bout your first week's lesson plan is they help you decorate the bulletin boards?
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