I Didn’t Write This Efficiently

Jennifer Zurko

There’s a saying, “Procrastination is the thief of time,” meaning that if you continue to put off the things you need to do now, in the end you achieve very little. And that’s the opposite of being efficient, right?

Now, I’ve been procrastinating on writing this column for a few days. Is it because I’ve had zero inspiration? Is it because my muse is on vacation and failed to let me know? Is it because I need a vacation? Is it all of the above?

As I’ve thought about what to write as this column hangs over my head, the ways I could have made this process better and more efficient start to pop up. Maybe sitting down to really concentrate on writing this column instead of toggling between other tasks would have helped. Maybe changing my playlist from Wiz Khalifa to Vivaldi would help me concentrate better. Maybe I’m procrastinating by talking to myself about why this column isn’t done. Eh, maybe …

Thankfully, this creative blockage doesn’t happen every month. Most months the ideas and creative juices flow out of my head, through my fingers and onto this page without a lot of effort. As a writer, that is a blessing I don’t take for granted.

So when I have a month like this one, it’s extra frustrating for me—someone who takes pride in not being a procrastinator and for embracing my Type A efficient work style. It’s times like these that make me take a step back and re-evaluate my process. What could I do now that will help me be more efficient later?

That’s the gist of our issue theme this month—ways to improve your processes up front so that you’re more efficient in the end. Our cover story by Iowa State prof and friend Chris Currey lists ways you can improve your efficiency in the greenhouse by reducing inputs.

We have tips on how growers who have to heat their greenhouses during the winter months can be more energy-efficient.

Monrovia’s President and CEO Jonathan Pedersen turns his talk from Cultivate’22 into a piece about how and why including more automation has helped his company be more efficient and produce a better product.

Bossman Beytes talks to a couple of growers seeking to reduce waste and increase efficiency by making the switch from plastic pots to growing in Ellepots for retail.

And Bill Calkins put his conversations with Premier Tech’s Troy Buechel from his Tech On Demand podcasts into a feature about how testing and analyzing your growing media will allow you to be more efficient when it comes to solving your soil issues.

So there’s a ton of info in this month’s issue to help you become more efficient wherever you feel like you need it.  

Oh, and as for improving my process for more efficiently writing this column … well, I haven’t figured that out yet. I’ve got some vacation time coming up—and hopefully by then my muse will be back from hers—so my current writer’s block should be long gone by the time I have to write the next one for the November issue. I’ll download some Vivaldi ahead of time, just in case. GT