[Originally published on August 7, 2006, without an image.]
I’ve successfully put off doing a simple clerical task for several years. This morning, like an unexpected gift, I noticed that I am now ready to do the thing. In fact, in the time that’s elapsed since my noticing my readiness I could almost have done it already – already have boxed up most of those four or five feet of old files for university archives....
But I haven’t. I’ve been glorying in the heady lightness of a sense of freedom or power...or something, anyway, that is the obverse of the oppressive feeling that had always accompanied my resistance to doing the job. I’ve been enjoying the remarkable contrast between the two states.
Tony Robbins developed a procedure for overcoming procrastination (essentially by becoming aware of the rewards to be realized by doing so and/or the punishments for continuing not to). But I didn’t follow any procedure. I didn’t do anything. I just realized in a moment that I was now free to act. And it felt so good, I think that I’m still...procrastinating just a little...in order to draw out the feeling.
I promise to report tomorrow whether I finally actually did pack up those files....*
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* “Procrastination Update” [originally published on August 8, 2006]: About 10 a.m. I’ve moved the files out onto the floor and am about to retrieve the boxes for sending the files to university archives....
4:20 p.m. Practically done. Three boxes for archive and about a box worth of paper trashed.
I do understand better now, though, why I was procrastinating. Everything else I’ve found to do instead for four years was a lot more fun...but it does feel good to have this task done at last. Plus I’ve got some floor space and shelf space free now.
| Copyright © 2006, 2020 by Moristotle |
This was a good article, Mo. I especially loved the comment, "Everything else I've found to do instead for four years was a lot more fun."
ReplyDeleteAnd that's why it must be done in little chunks as you go, I guess. Your reward for that could be the feeling of a responsible adult behavior. ha ha (If that carries any profound, enjoyable weight.)
Later the task of boxing office stuff reminded me of doing a similar task at IBM in the late summer of 1989, when I was maniacally convinced that the upcoming announcement of that season’s Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes was going to name me as the winner. (And I would be in a financial position to announce to my manager the next day that I was retiring, effective immediately, as soon as I carted my boxes of personal effects off the premises.) Described in more detail in “Youie Summer.”
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