Name of the Game, Procrastination!

I am a natural born procrastinator.  I try and try and try to get things done ahead of time, but it seems to be out of my nature to actually do it.  I always mean well. I really try to get things done in a timely manner, but it seems as if the harder I try the further behind I get.

I help as a leader of my girls’ 4-H club, one of the fundraisers we have is our Community Birthday Calendar.  In fact this is the 40^th year that it has been published.  After taking on this project for the last 3 years, I have a great amount of respect for the leaders before me who tackled this project.  I imagine because of modern technology, I probably have it easier now than they did 40 years ago, when the first calendar was published.  Or the technology simply allows me to nurture my procrastination.

I usually send out ad letters in September, and try to have all the ads ready to go by the middle of October.  In theory all the changes and corrections on birthdays should be done by then as well, and printed and ready to go by Thanksgiving.  In my mind this is the timeline the non-procrastinator in me would like to keep.

However, Thanksgiving is only 1 week away, and I have it ready to print.  It seems that getting this done before Thanksgiving is just about in reach.  As you can see I am on the computer typing my blog rather than working on the calendar.  (Actually I am watching it print.) That is the problem, I am so easily distracted and then all at once it needs to be done, and then I enter crazy panic mode!

It’s the same at everything I do!  I think that’s why my house is always such a mess.  I do what I have to on a daily basis, dishes, sweep, a load or two of laundry.  Next thing I know my phone rings and I am on the phone, and if it’s my sister on the phone, better bet it’s not a quick call.  Somebody’s got to solve the world’s problems.   Or I end up outside, and if it’s a nice day, why would I want to go inside and clean.  Or the kids get into something, next thing I know I am asking the baby to spit out the marbles to the Hungary Hungary Hippos game and putting every pan that was in the bottom cupboard away.  The only time I ever get the house “cleaned” is if I know somebody’s coming to visit.  Then, of course the pressure is on. Let’s be honest, with a crew of 7 here, who wants to get to ahead of themselves in the house cleaning game.  I might as well wait till the last minute so it stays clean until guests arrive.  So maybe procrastinating isn’t so bad?

I have procrastinated so badly that I didn’t get done what I needed to.  Christmas cards are becoming my Achilles heel!  Two years ago I put it off so long I didn’t get them sent until after New Year’s.  My thoughts were better late than never, right?  Last year Christmas kind of snuck up on me, I ordered the cards, typed up a letter, and never mailed them.  Now it’s time to start thinking of this year’s card, and I still haven’t sent out last year’s.  I wonder what people would think if I sent this year’s and last year’s cards together.  They get a two for one deal with a note that says “In case you forgot what the kids looked like last year!”

I really don’t have a legitimate excuse for my procrastination.  I could probably make up a few to make myself feel better, but honestly I think I must enjoy the pressure.  I am beginning to think that’s what makes me tick.  Perhaps one day I will be prepared, and on time…or not!