My Procrastinative Nature

So, I’ve been thinking lately that I might want to start writing this blog of mine again. And by lately, I mean since ohhhh about July or so. In light of that admittedly embarrassing fact, I will write, today, about the great state of Procrastination.

You may say, “Hey! That word has nation in it; how can it be a state?” That’s very observant, Sarah Palin, but no. It is a state of being I’m referring to, not a nation. It’s very pleasant this state of being. Like a really good high, only legal. It is both my best friend and my worst enemy. We have a love/hate relationship me and my procrastinative nature.

My plan, and I do have a plan because I’ve had five months to formulate one, is to go at this with a list of Pros and Cons for Procrastination. I want to determine whether Procrastination is a valid life solution, or just a waste of time between Step A and Step B. Sounds fair and equitable, right? So here goes.

When I procrastinate I:

PROs	CONs
Free up time to do the stuff I actually WANT to do.	Annoy the hell out of those family and friends who do NOT fall in the category of procrastinators.
Get out of doing stuff I really didn’t want to do in the first place because there’s always a non-procrastinator around who feels compelled to just get it done.	Pay bills late… I’ve had my electricity turned off more than once for the singular reason that I put it off just a few hours too long.
Write blogs when I’m putting off cleaning the bathroom, or doing laundry.	Get a little embarrassed calling the electric company to get said electric re-connected.
Work best on a deadline. The closer the better.	Exist in a state of constant high level of stress! There’s almost always something I simply MUST get done, now!
Save money: If I put off getting a haircut for long enough I can skip whole months, instead of getting a cut at the salon recommended every six week mark.	Have toenails that reach embarrassing lengths. Occasionally. Ditto leg hair.
Free up time to think about important things like ending world hunger, and whether Lady Gaga is a dude or not.	Piss off the neighbors who start leaf clean up as soon as three leaves accumulate on the lawn. (Actually, that’s only 50% CON. My one neighbor’s a real jerk)
Catch up on some much needed sleep.	Can’t enjoy a steak on the grill, when I’ve put off getting the propane tank refilled.
Have time for a nice, long soak in the tub with a glass of wine and good book.	Hate being judged, for any reason, especially by the “no time like the present” crowd. So you could say procrastination puts me in a foul mood sometimes.
Improve my relationship with my dog. She likes hanging out, doing nothing. Slacker.	Am forced to eat take out because the fridge is empty.
Watch some really funny stuff on Youtube.	Have been forced to wear clothes that barely pass the “sniff test” because laundry didn’t get done yesterday. Probably not for several days, if I’m honest.
Keep tabs on my friends’ doings via Facebook postings…. It’s so compelling to know that Kelly K. got her laundry done today, and is planning to spend the evening tidying the downstairs closets!	Will never win “Best Looking Yard” award in my town.
	Can rarely pass the white glove test. Now, tannish-brown glove test is more my speed. (Maybe that’s not a CON really, either. I tend toward earth tones, after all.)
	Am also put in a foul mood when I realize that treadmill isn’t going to melt off these pounds by itself!

Hmmm. So it would appear that the CONs have it. That’s not the way I planned for this to work out, at all. Maybe if I’d spent a little more time planning…..

So procrastination is actually a "bad" thing. Or maybe I should take Mr. Franklin's advice and only procrastinate in moderation? That may just work! But here’s the thing (there’s always a “thing” with me, right?): I quit smoking years ago because it was bad. I wear a seatbelt, I eat fairly healthfully, I even meditate to keep myself balanced. So what’s one bad habit unbroken really going to hurt?

Baby steps. Maybe I’ll try baby steps toward IMPROVING my procrastination habit. Maybe I’ll start by trying to write a blog entry on a weekly basis, and paying my bills on time. Or at least I can shoot for paying my electric bill before my lights go out again!

And as far as the blog writing? Who knows? I’m taking a writing class next month, so that should give me a reason to write here, plus I have some not so interesting projects coming up that could actually turn into pretty funny, or at least vaguely entertaining stories. For example, today I cleaned out my pantry and found random food products like Albacore tuna with tomato pesto, a can of mandarin oranges, and some baking chocolate. I promised myself to use each of these, along with all the other weird stuff I don’t remember ever having a reason to purchase in the first place. The recipes I come up with may be entertaining? Meh, we’ll see.

Also! I’ve recently ventured back out into the world of dating. And yes, I have met a couple of really interesting characters. I may blog some of my more colorful discoveries along the way. I just need to make sure my Facebook page is LOCKED DOWN TIGHT before I start making fun of anybody. Men can be so damn sensitive!