First, my apologies. I have taken a long, long break from blogging. At first, my break was legitimate. It was just to be over the summer to allow me to enjoy the warm, Canadian season with no obligations. In that time, I could build up some good blogging materials and ideas by doing some travelling and those only-in-the-summer type activities. That actually did happen. The summer provided great memories and wonderful fodder for blog posts. (This is me in Chetwynd)
When the summer ended, I intended to start regular blogging but somehow true procrastination started instead. I did begin going to the gym and pool regularly most mornings, which still left the afternoons and evenings available to write but somehow I kept putting it off. Maybe all my knitting was more compelling.
Then the Christmas season was here and truthfully how do you fit in time to write when you are busy getting ready for Christmas--a perfect excuse to procrastinate? So I intended to start again in January once the husband went back to school. But that plan went awry but not just because of procrastination. However now I am back. This post is the first leap to get over the hurtle.
That's the thing about procrastination...once you put something off once, it is easier to put it off the next day, and easier still the day after that. Then it becomes a game to see how long you can go without doing that particular thing--lots of reasoning and rationalization and excuses. That could be my rebellious streak. Soon, I would rather wash the floor than do the thing that I am putting off. Once the task gets to that point it becomes a huge thing that seems impossible to do.
A friend of mine sent an excellent link to a TED talk about procrastination that inspired some reflection upon my own habits, thought processes and reasoning around putting things off; especially things that I really want to do, that are important to me and things that make me feel accomplished or fulfilled or excited or proud when I do them. This long break from writing has lead to my New Year's Goal: to focus on taming my procrastination habits that interfere with happiness or doing things I want to do. I need a new motto, maybe this one:
DO IT NOW Before LATER BECOMES NEVER
I have more to say about procrastination but I'll save it for another blog...later. I guess the motto can't apply to everything.
