Procrastinator.  Okay.  I’ll admit it.  Me…to a “T”!

It all starts with a simple choice between my working now on a given project and doing anything else: working on a different project, doing something fun or doing nothing at all. The decision to work on something is driven by how much I value accomplishing the project in that moment – what psychologists call its subjective value. And procrastination, in psychological terms, is what happens when the value of doing something else outweighs the value of working now.  It’s also the delay, or avoidance, of a task or a decision against my own intentions.  You know, waiting to mail a letter, respond to an email, organize paperwork, clean out closets…purge unneeded objects from your life.  And, the amount of time it took me to respond to this writing prompt.

Hey, I’m well aware that most people procrastinate but, we aren’t ALL procrastinators!  It may seem okay to put things off because that helps us avoid unpleasant tasks or decisions, at least in the short-term.  That, in itself, may not even seem like a major issue because, as we all know, eventually, most things still seem to get done.  Most.

I will readily admit that I shy away from tasks and decisions because they are unpleasant and I just don’t need the hassle.  When I am ready to face such situations, I’ll keep postponing what’s involved until I’m in the mood and have the energy levels ready for the task.  Sometimes, I just need to feel comfortable in order to function properly.  Very often, I work within a given level of stress and plunge, head-first, to get the damn job done!  The end result is always a good feeling of satisfaction, I must admit.  Taking a step back to gather all the negatives involved helps me to deal with an issue and that gives me the momentum to get through most of the tasks at hand.  In a twisted way, I kind of enjoy the adrenaline rush I get when when I race to get something finished before the deadline.

Now that I’ve given a brief overview on procrastination, I was supposed to write about something I’m putting off.  Something?  One thing?  Are you kidding me?  Okay, a brief list:  Corporate tax summary paperwork, business website revamping, club Bylaw review and updating, sending packages of “stuff” to my Florida family and putting all the Christmas paraphernalia away. 

Do not judge me, especially on that last one. 

 

 

From Mama Kats Writer’s Workshop…Write about something you’re putting off.

Maybe I’m a procrastinator, maybe I’m not.  I’ll just have to put such thoughts aside and think about them on another day.