35 Ways to Procrastinate – A Geek’s Guide

Procrastination is counterproductive most of the time. But there are definitely some times when it, umm, saves the day – or at least lets you avoid something you really don’t want to do. When that time comes, use any of these helpful tips to put off the unwelcome chore. They’re perfectly suited for geeks and pretty much anyone who uses electronic devices.

You did it. Maybe you were trying to avoid a family argument. Or perhaps it was that Moscow Mule your brother-in-law urged you to try. Whatever the reason, you vowed to your spouse that you’d clean up your office, paint the spare room, or apologize to your mother-in-law for giving her that jar of wrinkle cream as a present. But now, well, you just don’t want to do it.

How can you get out of it? How can you put that nasty chore off a little longer without looking like you’re trying to go back on your promise?

If you’re a geek (and even if you’re not) the answer is as close as your electronic devices. Here are 35 sure-fire ways to use your computer, tablet, smartphone, and other devices to procrastinate your way out of almost any undesirable chore. 

• Clean your laptop hard drive to make more space. 
• Clean out the Internet history and cookies folders in the Windows directory. Do it one file at a time with an Internet connection open so you can see where each goes and make sure you don’t delete any shortcuts you might want to use again.
• Go through all the text messages and emails on your phone and computer to find that photo you remember seeing. When you can’t find it in those places, look back at all the posts on all your social media accounts.
• Try to figure out how to take a screenshot on your smartphone.
• Delete all the notifications you’ve gotten about new posts on your social media pages.
• Install a printer and try to get it to print envelopes and labels correctly. Then try to get it to print photos from your smartphone.
• Help your best friend fix her word processing program so it will print envelopes and labels correctly.
• Network all of your computers.

• Call customer support at any big company for help on any matter. 
• Try to untangle the cords for your computer, telephone, and printer and then make all the devices work again.
• Clean out your filing cabinets in preparation for cleaning off your desk. 
• Clean out your desk drawers, too. You’ll need a place to put all the small stuff that’s collected on your desk.
• Try to figure out which USB cords and chargers fit which devices.
• Clean off your desk so you can find the thumb drive you got at the last conference you went to.
• Go through the collection of business cards sitting in your drawer and add them to your database (or run them through Cardscan).
• Look for the manual that came with your digital camera. 
• Call customer support to find out IF a manual came with your camera.
• Get and read your email.  
• Delete mail you don’t need from your inbox.
• Look at your Google Analytics reports and try to isolate the reason you had 3.4% more visitors on Tuesday, and 4.79% less on Wednesday. 
• Check your favorite social media channels. Try to find and read a post that just got bumped down the page somewhere by newer incoming posts. 
• Install the latest WordPress and Yoast updates.
• Redesign your home page.
• Change the headline and copy on your About Us page. 
• Call your grandfather and ask if he needs help learning to use the new computer you heard he bought. Drive to his house to get help after he tells you about his new business venture: designing SEO-friendly web sites for business.
• Search the web for anything that comes to mind. Pick a page and then click on a few links to see where you end up.
• Shop online for the lowest airfare to Hawaii – just in case you decide to go there on vacation.
• Compare the features of the new tablet you bought two weeks ago to the new, improved model touted on TV last night.
• Try to find a single file on your computer backup drive.
• Completely back up your Terabyte hard drive – onto DVDs.
• Clean out the gook that’s accumulated between the keys on your keyboard.
• Start working on the novel you always wanted to write.
• Go online and research how to make your first novel a bestseller.
• Set up a new accounting program and manually add a year’s worth of accounting data.
• Read your email again. There’s likely to be more mail.