Procrastination is My Middle Name
Today's blog entry from Crazy Aunt Purl highlights perfectionism and procrastination. Two things that can keep even the most well meaning of us from actually accomplishing things, such as responding to e-mails and keeping up with gift giving, craft and art projects, and what have you. I have never professed to be any sort of perfectionist, far from it in fact. I am the queen of "good enough", and "barely passable" on most days. And today, I have a rather shameful admission of procrastination, in the form of a sympathy card I finally got around to mailing. You may be thinking "Oh, good for you. At least you sent it out, and I'm sure the family of the deceased will appreciate it." Here comes the shame: I bought that card for someone else, and then took way too long trying to think of the perfect, appropriate words of comfort to inscribe within the card. So long in fact (weeks? Maybe a couple of months, I'm not really sure) that I decided it was too long and it would no longer be appropriate to send the card. I really meant to buy a different card when I heard of someone else who passed away, but put that off too. Finally a few weeks had passed, and I saw the card still just sitting there this morning, and I decided enough was enough and I brought it to work where I wrote a generic but nice message inside and mailed it off to the family of the most recently deceased. Do I suck or what? Someone dies and I can't even pull it together enough to send my sympathies in a timely manner. *sigh* The only redeeming thing about this whole affair is that I happen to know that my father sent a sympathy card to the first family from our family as whole, but I had bought that card thinking I would send a more personal message to the sister of the deceased whom I knew in high school.
Note to self: Stay away from home town, people are dropping like flies back there.
There must be some self-help books or something out there for procrastinators like me, right? Until then, these are my rules to live by. I will leave you with two quotes from good old Anonymous:
"The sooner I fall behind, the more time I have to catch up."
"If it weren't for the last minute, I wouldn't get anything done."
posted by Shananigans @ 4:40 PM
15 Comments:
I am the procrastinating queen... and unfortunately the writing/blog-stalking doesn't help. just one more thing to add to the list.
I have a bag in my closet of cards and presents I've bought for friends' birthdays and whatevers and instead of admitting defeat with them, and sending them for the next friend's birthday, I buy new ones. Those then sit on my desk waiting to be packaged and sent, only to end up in the bag a few weeks after whatever occasion was missed.
In fact I need to mail my college roommate's son's present before he grows out of it... thanks for the reminder!
At least we are not alone. Makes you wonder about all those people who seem to be so on top of things. Maybe they're the ones who are abnormal?
It's so funny that you mention this. One of my New Year's resolutions (actually, really the only one I have been making progress on!) was that I would be more communicative with family and friends since I live on the left coast and most of them live else where. So, yesterday as I was writing my Dad his Father's Day card, I was thinking to myself...I am doing so good damn it! I am writing my Father's Day card and Father's Day isn't until the 19th! This is not to say that I haven't replaced my previous card and gift procrastination with other things to procrastinate about...because I have!
TBone
Those Procrastinator's Rules To Live By are right on and should be framed. Maybe I'll frame them for msyelf.
I used to have a poster with the procrastinators creed on it in my bedroom, I think that was back in high school. It had a picture of a two-headed turtle in the background. Maybe you cold find one online.
That's really true and sadly funny. i had a girlfriend who bought a book on procrastination and it sat on her desk for like a year.
Hmmm...
omg dropping like flies, eh?
definitely not good.
As far as procrastination, I'm baaad like ill find excuses for my excuses.
No worries, at least you dont put off the important things like brushing your teeth and changing your underwears.
I am so telling you guys.. we need to get together and just write for a sit com..
I will donate my Double Clunk for one episode..
We just need to come up with a catchy phrase for "delayed giving of items to non-initially-intended recipients"
Wow, I found you on Tanya's site, as a self-professed band geek :) I love this entry...because it goes with my entry of today (about it being good enough) and also I think tomorrow's will be about procrastination. You think it might be contradictory info? God, I hope not. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that you are not alone with the sympathy card. I've done the EXACT same thing. At the very least, comfort yourself in knowing that the last thing the family is thinking about is who sent them cards. Love your site!
p.s. thanks for your visit and your comment!!!
hello i am the procrastinator extraordinaire! no seriously, i am always leaving everything to the last minute, revision, doing my hair, getting dressed and putting make-up on at the same time is my current specialty minutes before i'm due to leave to get to work on time. at least i know i'm not alone!
hey shananigans, i meant to ask in previous comment, is it okay if i link to you?
You are so not alone! I procrastinate all those big things I need to do in my life, clean, decide what to do about theboy and Mr. Right, move my bedroom around, hang curtains, etc. I'd rather be shopping.
Nics - linking is absolutely OK. i love linking <3
I'm not a procrastinator, though it has taken me a couple of weeks to respond to your post. Taking into account this post took 30 secs to think up and write, no matter how busy the rest of my life means that I procrastinated 2 weeks.
BTW, Ramblin' Girl is hilarious!
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