The Process of a Procrastinator

Am I the only person out there who turns his/her attention away from a difficult task just before its completion, then lets it languish for weeks or maybe even months before finally returning to do that last hour’s worth of work? Of course, between the time I put the task down and I pick it back up, I have devoted endless hours of feeling guilty/annoyed/frustrated with myself over not just forging ahead and finishing the damn thing when I was right there. Also, I run through all the reasons why this project is going to be really tough to complete, which must be the truth because, after all, I did stop before finalizing it. Then after I finally dare to reopen that drawer, closet, or garage and go through the anguish of reacquainting myself with the whole project, I suddenly mutter, “Oh, look at that. I’ve done almost everything to finish.” After which I get a spurt of adrenaline that pushes me right through to completion and I find myself thinking, “How could I have possibly stopped when I was just thirty minutes away from getting the whole thing wrapped up?”

Well, today was the day that I opened that dreaded drawer and I am pleased to report that the project I’ve been avoiding for months that required a letter I didn’t quite know how to write to a probate judge in New Mexico who has a reputation to be tough is now addressed and stamped and ready to go on the postbox first thing in the morning. Hallelujah!

I guess the moral of this story is: “Press onward to the conclusion of something you don’t want to do,” or “Get right back to any project you dread and get it done” or maybe, “If you let something sit too long then just forgive yourself and get back to it. You’ve probably done more work than you think.” More than likely, I’ll be going with that last one most of the time.

I hope you all are getting done all those tasks you hate without any procrastinating at all. If you are, then more power to you. If you are more like me, then you can at least know you are not alone.

I’ll be checking back in with you again tomorrow.