It has been eight months since I planned a workday where I did nothing but tasks I had procrastinated on. It was a painful, but ultimately triumphant, exercise. You would think that I would have used that experience to tackle some personal tasks that I was delaying. But no. Now I am wondering if I should schedule a vacation day and spend it doing absolutely nothing other than things I do not want to do.
I am intrigued why the items on my to-do list have sat there for so long. I pride myself on introspection. I know that that there are often underlying emotional reasons why we delay projects, claiming that we are too busy to complete them. Don’t get me wrong; there is no psychological barrier that prevents me from cleaning all the baseboards in my house. I just do not want to do it.
But these items on my list do not require physical effort or exertion, so I’m interested in why I cannot get them done. Some of the chores would take less than ten minutes to complete. So, here is the line-up.
First, my husband and I need to pull the trigger on tree trimming in our yard. Don is waiting for me to approve the contract. I want to walk the yard to understand what the arborist is recommending, but like I idiot, I dithered until daylight savings time ended. Now the weekdays are too dark in the evening to see the trees, and for some reason, I cannot get myself to do it on the weekend. Real reason: I think I do not want to spend the money, and until we sign a contract, I have not spent the money.
Secondly, I have been thinking about setting up an index fund for a portion of my savings. For a penny pincher like me, I am appalled at the money sitting in my savings account earning practically nothing. The problem is that I have to take the time to research the best index fund and go through the process of setting it up and wiring the funds. Ugh. Real reason: this is a weekday task, and I am so busy at work, I would rather be billing my time and getting paid for it.
My third vacillating chore is scheduling a mammogram. I have one regularly, but this year, I got a letter from the clinic that I should consult with my primary care doctor to discuss whether I should have one now or wait another year. This flummoxed me. What? I am supposed to schedule an appointment to talk to a doctor about scheduling an appointment? Real reason: there is no right answer, and it is ultimately my decision. I might guess wrong, with the result that I either wait too long or I suffer the impacts of unnecessary radiation.
Fourth, my dentist thinks that one area of my gums would benefit from using a Waterpik. I have no problem deciding which product I want and no resistance to buying it, so why haven’t I done it? Real reason: I have too many cards to choose from when checking out from Amazon. Although there is only one credit card, there are several gift cards sitting there that I need to use up. The obstacle is that they have small balances, and I cannot figure out how to use more than one card at checkout. It drives me crazy. I need to watch a YouTube video on how to do it or have a chat with customer service.
My number five procrastination is ridiculous. I need to purchase an Amazon gift card for a relative with a new baby. I have the mother’s email address, so this is, at most, a ten-minute project. Real reason: the baby is now nine months old. I am so embarrassed at the delay; it seems easier to not do anything.
My sixth stalling event is reviewing subscriptions and culling out the ones I do not use. Like everyone, I have automatic payments for many products and services. I am keeping most of them: gym membership, Audible, Amazon Prime, Square Space, and Chewy. But I need to cancel others. Real reason: I know that I do not need Sound Machine, and I will cancel it. But I am vacillating on Adobe, Spotify, and my annual Harry & David membership (which provides free shipping.) I just need to decide and move on.
Finally, I need to upgrade my cell phone, but I keep postponing it. To the horror of my children, I have a serviceable iPhone 6. Every year, when Apple releases its new phone product, I announce that I am going to buy it. But then I do not. Real reason: I must decide which iPhone 13 is best suited for me. Then I have to determine whether I will order the phone and transfer the data myself or have someone hold my hand at the Apple store. Sigh, so many decisions, so little time.
During the time it took me to write this blog post, I could have completed three of the items on this list. Time to stop typing and buy a gift card and send it to that little one before he becomes a toddler!