Returning guest blogger Jennifer Conaway, owner of Your Next Level Inc
I am procrastinating (not something I typically do). Right this very minute. I would like to thank my blog for enabling my procrastination. I have a project with a deadline I should be working on- a self-imposed deadline but nonetheless if you want to hold a class with ceu’s (continuing education credits) you need to meet their timelines.
In my endeavour to not do my work I have:
- Looked up directions to a new-to-me mountain bike trail
- Tried to rub out my shin splint from yesterday’s jog- it feels a bit better
- Rewritten a list of stuff I need to do tomorrow
- Eaten a few pretzels
- Looked up the directions to a UNC campus building and the always hard to find parking
- Put on a pair of shoes
- Made a cup of tea
- And now… I am outside with the dog
I have been able to rationalize everything I have done for the last 90 minutes- yep; I managed to fill up 90 minutes when I could have simply completed the original project (the one I am trying to avoid) in 90 minutes.
The question I keep asking myself is Why?? I love my work. I am interested in and excited about this project… so why all of the effort to avoid working on it??
If I could answer that question I probably would not be procrastinating.
60 minutes later
The work is done; done for today. There will be more refining. But I have done all I can do today- maybe I’ll be inspired this evening, who knows.
I think I needed to empty all of that ‘stuff’ out of my brain. Normally I can make a list and get back to it in the evening. Today, I actually had to do something about the list.
Here is the really important piece of information for all of you procrastinators out there—one way or the other I had to get that work done today. If it wasn’t done today I was going to miss my deadline. I could either
- Keep procrastinating and blow a revenue opportunity
- Just get the work done
Try thinking about it that way the next time you want to procrastinate.
