Were you the type of person who did your homework at the
last minute? A friend tells of how she used to get her parents to wake her up
at 6 am so she could scribble out a few lines that would pass as homework... and
it gets worse. Another friend admits that she left it for the bus ride to
school! I was never quite so ‘last minute’ but I invariably used to leave it
until the evening before it had to be handed in. On reflection I suspect that’s
how I’ve conducted the rest of my life. Some examples...
- Ironing an outfit right before I need to put it on [who needs hangers?!]
- Typing up minutes of a meeting just before attending the next meeting [Who remembers what they said last time anyway?!]
- Packing to go on holiday half an hour before I’m about to leave [well, I’m going to need all that make up and stuff in the morning and I’ll only have to rummage through to check there are enough pants etc., so why start packing the day before?]
- The A to Z Challenge!
I promised myself that this year I would have the A to Z
Challenge wrapped up, done and dusted way before April 1st. Then I’d
be able to visit all the other A to Z contributors and really enjoy the experience but here
I am, half way through March, and I’ve only done A. If I’m honest A is not truly 'done' because half of the post has come out in a different font. Is it just Blogger
or do all blogs do that?
I accept that it’s too late to change my ways now but it
would make me feel just a little better if you didn’t yell out so loudly that
you’ve prepared all your A to Z posts and you’re now sitting down having a cup
of tea and visiting other bloggers on the sign up list [which has, at the time
of typing this, reached an amazing 1029 participants!]
I am now going to return to the battle of the different
fonts. There may be strong language...
How last minute are you?
And if you STILL haven't signed up for the A to Z then click on the badge top right and you can be number 1030!
I'm up to C, so I totally know what you mean about the A to Z :). I am determined to get at least one done today, but I have loads of fiction to write too. Good luck with yours.
ReplyDeleteWith your blog post that's half one font and half another, did you write it in something else and cut and paste it in? I've taken the writing mine in word, then pasting them in to notepad to wipe all formatting before putting them into Blogger to stop that happening.
Thanks, Natasha. That's really useful advice. Yes, I had cut and pasted it from Word but I hadn't put in onto Notepad. Good luck with your A to Z too.
DeleteSo glad to be of assistance :). I do love how Blogger likes to be really helpful, but sometimes is a little too helpful.
DeleteHi
ReplyDeleteI envy you the confidence to wait until the last minute. I'm one of those pesky Typa A folk who will have packed and re-packed at least three times before a holiday, and I always typed up minutes straight after the meeting, only to forget them completely until the next one. Sigh. That's why I'm not doing the A-Z, I'd be frantic with worry and guilt if I didn't post on time. I reckon that's the main reason I finished my first novel- fear of having to admit failure!
It is sooo not confidence. It's part laziness and part disorganisation, trust me! And having tried the 'packing in advance' versus the 'packing on the morning' I can vouch for the fact that it works. As long as you know what clothes you want and make sure they're ironed the day before (I do use hangers for those!) then how long does it take to put things into the case? I also have a holiday list that I shout out before we leave the house.
DeleteHi Ros .. I've decided what to write .. and I hope it won't take me too long!
ReplyDeleteAh-ha .. I write in Word, copy across, then add my pics ... and then hit the button - but I might well try Natasha's extra step via notepad - if I need to .... I question! I can never get the bullet points in the right place ...
But I keep it simple and that saves effort ... am loving the sunshine with the snow outside! Cheers Hilary
I sometimes have trouble with the bullet points too. They always come up in single line spacing and throw out any pictures alongside them - sometimes. Blogger is so highly strung!
DeleteI'm like you, Ros, but in a way, I'm worse: a typical last minute, panic driven, disorganised, no lister at all. That's in relation to everything you've mentioned here. When it comes to my teaching, though, I am different. Well organised, and prepared, at least that's what people say about me, but I know why that is. I'd be too ashamed for my students to find out what I'm really like :-)
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, teaching. I too always had my lessons well prepared in advance but I suspect that was because of a fear of failing!
DeleteThat too...failure is waiting in the wings in the form of students ready to catch me out....
DeleteI thought you would have finished your A-Z by now Ros. I'm up to G but have been stuck there although hope to get more done when I leave your blog and twitter. I'm always packed days before I go on holiday and always had my homework done as soon as I got it, that way I could relax. I feel I have to get most of A-Z done as I never know when I'll be asked to look after darling little ones. So I'd better get back to it,good luck.
ReplyDeleteWell, I've now managed to get up to F so things are improving.
DeleteI can be a terrible procrastinator at times, other times I jump right in. I wish I could figure out my brain!
ReplyDeleteDitto me with mine!
DeleteI'm a last minute merchant too I'm afraid....yes to the homework scenario...always the night before..and tick to the packing too.
ReplyDeleteNow why doesn't that surprise me, Bridget ;-)
DeleteI did the last two challenges a day at a time, nothing prepared ahead. Then I read that it was OK to prepare ahead, so I did. I have about half the alphabet done now. However, picky person that I am, I find this to be much harder. I seem to go back and change stuff and I worry that no one will like my stories, etc., etc, etc. It has been an interesting journey and I have learned a few things about myself. I don't know what I will do with the last half, but you are right it would be nice to be done and have the time to visit a lot of new blogs. Oh, and I have totally forgotten what my signup number is. Somewhere in the 300s, I think.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying not to go back over the few that I've done but I know I will. It really does make sense for me to do things last minute, then I don't worry over them so much.
DeleteI always did my homework early and generally like to be ahead of deadlines. BUT I pack at the last moment. Otherwise half my clothes would still be somewhere in the washing/ironing process. I have written most of my A-Z posts, but, if last year is anything to go by, your posts will need a lot more planning than mine. ~Miriam
ReplyDeleteAnother one who's almost ready for April 1st. I have to admit I have given myself quite a task again with this year's topic.
DeleteNot having a car has made me be much more disciplined about time. Buses aren't going to wait for me to finish eating toast/listening to the news - so I have to get out on time.
ReplyDeleteBut did see a lad on the bus doing his maths homework - he had to plot a graph. He managed the little crosses, but the problem started when he tried to join them. Each time he set off with his careful line, the bus jolted, went round a corner, stopped suddenly to let a dog cross the road ... (I perfected the art of chortling silently!)
Yet more story material. Buses are great places for that, aren't they.
DeleteCompared to you, Rosalind, I'm practically organised. Although I did pull out of the A-Z Challenge after joining, which is a bit like deciding not to go on holiday because I couldn't get the suitcase shut!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you've pulled out. Hope you'll still call round and visit all us participants.
DeleteI was that weird kid that came home from school and did homework right away. But I did it so I could bum around for the rest of the day with no guilt.
ReplyDeleteThis past weekend I finished my posts. They aren't scheduled yet, but they are all written.
And the only way around the different fonts consistently is if you compose it in html with the formatting.
All your posts are written?! *rolls eyes and sighs*
DeleteHi Ros, I'm much like you too. Very last minute everything. However, I thought I had already signed up to A-Z a few weeks ago, but can't see my blog in the long list. Should I have received an email? Everything appeared to have gone through okay?
ReplyDeleteI have been wondering if they are so snowed under thy aren't updating very fast?
Glad to see that you're now on the list. Welcome to the A to Zers!
DeleteI was the kid who had her paper written a week ahead of deadline. I start packing way before a trip - or at least setting out what I want to take to read. However, I'm very late on writing fiction stuff - can't seem to plan ahead on that. I'm not sure on A to Z because I'll be out of town for close to a week and found that difficult to get ahead. I think I'll be reading A-Z and not writing it.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you won't be taking part in the A to Z. Maybe next year.
DeleteOoh I hate not being prepared but have to admit that I can be a bit last minute with some things and I do seem to have produced one child who is the most last minute person you could ever meet which drives me up the wall! But it's obviously my fault because it's in the genes somewhere!
ReplyDeleteUs women should really fight this guilt stuff about genes and our kids... but I'm exactly the same!
DeleteI'm pretty last minute when it comes to packing for trips. I left my make-up behind once traveling overseas(try finding replacements in Malaysia!). But I've been good keeping up with the A-Z. I have 8 more posts to go...and proud of that!
ReplyDeleteWell done for having so many A to Zs done and no, I've never tried buying make up in Malaysia but I can imagine how hard it might be! And I'd hate to be stuck without my make up.
DeleteOMG! The A-Z! Did I put my name down for that?
ReplyDeleteCan't see you name on the list. There's still plenty of time to sign up :-)
DeleteUh oh! I'm nervous now as I am an expert in the art of procrastination! I shall make a word up for that. It shall start with "P" and it shall be funny...I hope...So much of my writing material comes from my futile efforts at trying to be something I admire in other people. Organized. On that note I will jot down some ideas for several letters. See I'm working on it!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear you're working on it :-)
DeleteI'm very last minute Ros, but this year, out of travel-related panic, I have scheduled almost all my posts for both my blogs, other than X for Amlokiblogs!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you'll do very well, as history has shown ;)
Can't thank you enough for the tweeting help you're giving us -- you're such a gem.
You're very welcome, Damyanti.
DeleteHello. Just thought I'd stop by and give you a wave *wave* and wish you luck for this challenge. This is my first time doing it and I'm getting excited now. Normally I do leave things to the last minute but I've got all of my posts sorted (apart from Z, stupid stupid Z!) But I've still got time to come up with something!
ReplyDeletehttp://rebeccahgiltrow.blogspot.co.uk/p/a-to-z.html
Hi, glad you popped back. *waves in return* If you're really, really stuck on Z then it's ok to use a word with Z in the middle.
DeleteI was one of those annoying students who usually had homework and term papers, etc. done well in advance. (But I DID have to pull an all-nighter when I was in college to prepare for a calculus final the next day.) And since I used to juggle too many jobs and responsibilities at one time, I had no choice but to keep ahead of everything or risk dropping all the balls. Last year, I had all of the A-Z posts done in March, but I'm not even gonna participate this year. I just don't have the time to do it justice right now. Maybe next year. I'm actually planning to take the month of April off from blogging, but I'll try to at least visit some of my favorite blogs a time or two. (Your A-Z was so fabulous last year, I can hardly wait to see what you come up with this year. Good luck with it!)
ReplyDeleteI am too last minute for my own good. I always leave packing until as late as possible and then get stressed about it. I seem to work better when there is a deadline. I always did homework on the bus and stayed up until 4am writing essays at university. The annual RNA New Writers' Scheme deadline in August is great as it makes me write something half-decent to send in. When under pressure I produce better quality writing, maybe because I have to. Good luck with the A-Z challenge Rosalind-you're brave taking that on!
ReplyDeleteI am extremely last minute. Sometimes I surprise myself and do things early, but usually it's late. In fact, as I type this, I'm realizing my Master's Thesis is due next month, and I haven't even begun to draft it! I need to get to work....
ReplyDelete