Absconder
We had a quiz in our first fiction seminar. We awarded ourselves points for each timewasting exercise we do. The points are rated:
Fiddling: 1 point each
Stacking and squaring your papers. Cleaning the gunk from your keyboard keys. Cleaning the gunk from your fingernails. Adjusting the height of your chair. Adjusting the tilt of your chair…
Almost work-related distractions: 2 points each
Cutting and pasting scraps into a scrapbook. Reading a page or two of a book or a magazine to ‘get in the mood’. Rearranging the order of the notes in a ring-binder. Counting the words you’ve written so far. Tidying, deleting and renaming the files and folders on your computer….
Stalling: 3 points each
Tidying your work-room. Re-reading your emails. Making lists of things to do later. Making more coffee…
Dreaming: 3 points each
More than ten minutes staring at a window or a wall. More than five minutes with your eyes closed or your head on the desk…
Skiving: 5 points each
Writing emails. Making phone calls. Doing the housework. Tackling minor repairs around the house. Walking the dog to the post box. Doing questionnaires like this one…
Absconding: 10 points each
Gardening. Decorating. Shopping. Sleeping. Visiting…
I have an essay due in today. Out of the 2000 words I need to write, I’ve written about 600. So, do I get up bright and early, go straight to my desk and start work? No, I check my emails, write some emails, get into conversations on Facebook, empty the dishwasher, load the dishwasher, do two loads of washing, empty the cat litter tray, make some soup (broccoli, cheese and chilli) and then bugger off for an hour on my bike. That’s a lot of points.
Still, I’ve got until midnight to write the essay, then I’ll have seven hours to read five chapters of Jane Austen’s Persuasion that I need to have read by tomorrow. Who needs sleep, anyway?
Stats (cycling)
Distance: 9.3 miles
Time: 58:08
Speed: 9.6 mph
Calories: 288
Timewasting points: lots
Essays written: about a third of one
Midnight deadlines: 1
Chapters of boring novels to read: 5
I know the feeling – I have an assignment due in tomorrow, and I’ve only done half of it. I’ve got until midnight tomorrow, which is probably why I’m allowing myself to lay around watching Deal or No Deal (which is not something I don’t usually watch) and doing things on the internets. I will definitely get started in six minutes, at 6pm. Definitely.
Good luck with your essay!
Very funny Cathy, that’s my kind of quiz! I’m good a gazing at walls. Well done on getting a bike ride in 🙂
oh how I miss the days of skiving off uni work…getting good at it in my job though hehe