Procrastination Station
So the thing is, my whole entire life, I’ve been a procrastinator. Not only have I procrastinated the little things in life, like maybe doing my laundry, the more important things like writing my college essays, but even the most important things in my life, like getting my books published. You see it starts with the little things, but eventually, you are procrastinating the success of your life.
At least that’s what happened to me. I am that person still who would prefer to do the dishes tomorrow rather than today. But I have drastically improved. I mean by leaps and bounds. You see the only reason I can write a blog post every day now is because I am a procrastinator. I am used to doing a good job in a very little amount of time.
I am actually a lot more efficient now that I have given up procrastination, but also because I practiced efficiency when I was a procrastinator. All those years of procrastination taught me how to work well and fast under pressure. I could have taken a week to write that essay, or I can write it in one night. I always chose one night. The last night. Hours before it was due.
I had been procrastinating losing weight for like ten years. That’s a long time to put something that important off. Now I’m losing weight like a champ because again, doing things at the last moment taught me how to do things quickly. After wasting so much time, I learned how not to waste any time at the last minute when something was due.
But I want to think about what I’m really procrastinating in life. I have currently put off finding a significant other. I justify this by saying that I’m focusing on my writing and my health at the moment. But I’m 43, maybe it’s about time I started looking. I’ve also procrastinated meeting more like-minded people, like joining a spiritual or writing group. What am I waiting for?
I can say with confidence that I’m not ready to date at the moment because dating takes the kind of emotional energy that I’m putting into myself at the moment. Fine, but I better think about starting to date soon. Secondly, I need to meet more people that I can do spiritual things with and people I can share my writing with. I need that now and there is no excuse not to do it.
I want to learn Hindi. I have teachers in my home, my parents can talk with me in Hindi and I know it well enough to carry on a conversation. And all that time I spend driving to work could be spent learning Hindi in the car. I want to one day be able to write ghazals. I can do that, but I need to start now.
There is no time like the present. I’m putting off getting a full-time job as a professor because I want to finish publishing my two books. Or am I putting it off because it’s a lot of work to find such a job and to have such a job? What are my real intentions? I am a procrastinator by nature so I have to be suspicious of my motives when I put anything off. Getting this kind of job may also mean that I have to move to another state, and I am nervous to do that. That could be another reason I’m putting it all off.
I’ve also been putting off opening a savings account and budgeting all my money. I have finally decided when I get my next check this Friday I will open a savings account and start budgeting all my money. I need to save money to move to a nice place and to just be able to live my life. That means buying less crap and being mindful about my spending.
I’ve been putting off learning how to do yoga and strength training as well. If I really want to get into shape I have to do some weight training. But again, this will be difficult. The reason I want to learn yoga is that I think it might be very good for me considering that I’m such a fan of the mind, body, soul stuff. But I actually have to find a beginner yoga class online and just do it.
There are so many things in life that at some point, you just have to do now, or you will never do. It takes a lot of effort not to procrastinate and do the thing when it needs to be done. But I have noticed that since I have been procrastinating less, I feel so much more productive and accomplished.
You see I have a fear of failure. That can often lead to procrastination. I often fear that I will not be able to do the things I dream of doing. I also fear that I won’t do them perfectly. But none of that is important. If I want to do something, I can, and I just need to do it. Now. And there is no such thing as perfect, it is an imaginary construct. I don’t even think god is perfect. Or on the other hand, maybe he is, and so are we all. Perfect just the way we are. And whatever we do is perfect.
So take my advice and don’t put stuff off because you want it to be perfect. Don’t put it off because you think there is going to be a tomorrow. As negative as that sounds, there might not be.
Just do it.
Now.
nina