Do You Do The Worst First?

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Have you ever heard of precrastination? I read, with some bemusement, an article about his supposed thing the other day. The gist of it is that when there's something on your to-do list that you DON’T want to do, but have to do, that you do the hardest thing first, so you’re NOT putting it off. So, obviously, it’s the opposite of procrastination.

(And thinking about it, pro–crastination does not mean you are in favor of crastination.) (Unless crastination means doing the thing, which I refuse to look up, but I bet it doesn’t.) (Okay fine, I just looked it up, and it's not even a word, except an obsolete word that means procrastination.)

But it made me wonder: do I do the difficult thing first? Hmm. Sometimes, I might. When I get my book edits back I definitely do the easiest suggestions first, so I feel like I am accomplishing something. Then do the hard ones.

On Sundays, when I have to do the laundry, I do it first thing, even before breakfast, to get it over with and I don't have to worry about it anymore and it’s not hanging over me.

On the other hand, I was supposed to do my book tour expenses when I got back from tour in March. But I hate doing expenses so much that I have not aggregated and submitted them. (It’s JULY now, remember.)

Think about that. If I do the expenses, I will get MONEY, but it is such a pain that even so, I would rather not do them. (And hey, I am organized about receipts and things, it’s not disorganization, it’s just–boring. And fiddly. And math.)

Eating, too, can have precrastination. When my husband has a muffin, he eats it from the bottom up. And saves the delicious top, the best part, for last. I am baffled by this. I would never do that. First, since the first bite is the best, why waste that on the part that’s not the best? And once you eat the whole rest of it it, you won’t be hungry for the top any more, and that’s a waste ,too.

Do you think precrastinating is a thing? Or, if it is an easier question, what part of the muffin do you eat first and why?

HALLIE EPHRON: It’s definitely a thing! Precrastinators get to the airport hours early. They never run out of toilet paper. And they eat the pears before the maraschino cherry in fruit cocktail. They make lists and give themselves deadlines.

I’m definitely a precrastinator. But I don’t like muffins.

RHYS BOWEN: Jonathan and I are kindred spirits. I too like saving the best part of the goodie until last. When I was a child I’d eat all around the pastry edge of a jam tart before I got to the jammy part. I’m also a precrastinator. I can’t stand to have anything hanging over me that I know has to be done. I turn in manuscripts before the deadline. I get Christmas cards out early. The only exception to that is my retirement account that is managed by actuaries who send me a list of forms to be filled out for the IRS every year. It’s so complicated and frustrating that I ignore it until I get the email that says if the IRs doesn’t get this by the end of July there will be a penalty.

JENN McKINLAY: I see a common thread here. I loathe anything to do with math and will procrastinate until the very last second. That being said, I eat the bottom of the muffin first, but I split mine in half and toast them and slather them in butter so there really is no bad half. Like Rhys, I get things done early because I don’t like to have things looming over me. So, yes, in most things I’m a precrastinator, which I’ve never heard of, so thanks for that.

LUCY BURDETTE: I think I’m a mixture. I had a conversation with a sister-in-law last night about that dream where you can’t find the exam room and you haven’t studied anyway, and maybe even haven’t attended the class. Not one time. I told her I was like that in college, but definitely not high school or grad school. A short spurt of procrastination in between periods of procrastination? But I will hold off on taxes until I’m tired of John’s nagging me. After the pandemic, I will never run out of toilet paper! And I will eat the muffin in the proper order, top to bottom:).

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 *gasp*

Okay, now I have that out of the way, I will cop to what everyone already knows about me: I am famously a procrastinator. I consider it a great victory over myself that after several years of intensive coaching and practice, I am now able to get places on time, and even ahead of time, when traveling via air. Let me take my bow, folks, this is huge for me.

However… when it comes to treats, I do like to save the best for last. Bottom of the muffin and the crusts on a sandwich first.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Julia, applauding you! That's a huge achievment! 

Hank, I think I also come down on the "save the best for last" side, although my solution is the same as Jenn's--cut the muffin in half so that it's all good!

HANK:  Yes, Yay, Julia! We all have our moments.

And Lucy, that’s a classic stress dream–I used to have it all the time. Although an equally appropriate one is the dream I had where I was in a room at my office and flying clocks were crashing through my window. FLYING CLOCKS.  I woke up laughing SO hard. My subconscious is not very subtle.

So what do you think, Reddies? What do you precrastinate about—or do you leave the worst for last?

And of course, weigh in on muffins!

And two giveaways today:

One-- on our Reds and Readers facebook page! Once lucky commenter on the "clock" post will win an advance reader copy--or a published book-- I choose for you!

And one lucky commenter below on the blog will also win an arc or a book!