This may come as a shock to many of my readers (maybe not to ONE or TWO of them) but I am somewhat of a procrastinator:
Hi, my name is Jim Silver, and I am a procrastinator....
It is true, my friends, I do occasionally put aside for next week what could have been done LAST week. In this spirit, I have to admit that I procrastinated in writing what could have been my last blog until I had run out of the time and the technology to do so. But, as it happened, I passed my medical tests and will live at least long enough to get another one finished.
Procrastination is a congenital disorder that defies the strongest medications known to medical science. It has the ability to "out doctor" Dr. Phil, Joyce Brothers, Napoleon Hill, and even Mr. Rogers, all combined and giving it their best effort. I myself have been a helpless victim of this disease for....well, for....okay, I will calculate how long as soon as I get the chance.
Anyway, I am happy that I completed the stress test yesterday. The results of the stress test told the good Dr. Miller two things. One, there was nothing medically wrong with my heart. Two, I am a year older and further out of shape than I was last year. You see, I just kept putting off starting an exercise program. Nay, let me tell the truth here. What I meant was I just kept putting off the SECOND DAY of each of my physical fitness programs that I started this year. Sorry, Lori!
I have learned a couple of things. First, don't procrastinate in writing your last blog until you get to the hospital. Second, don't depend on the hospital's "free Wi-Fi" in a pinch! Procrastination not withstanding, I am happy to be here this 17th day of October, in the year of Our Lord 2013, to write another blog. I am also happy to be here this 17th day of October, etc., for the simple reason that the alternative is NOT to be here at all!
Having been given at least a little longer to dwell on this earthly plane (although none of us really know how long we have!) I have given myself certain challenges, then supplied deadlines with the challenges. I want to meet these goals by the deadlines I have set. Procrastination is indeed a difficult birth defect to overcome, but this is what I have set out to do. Yes, I know I just said that none of us really know how much time we have left. In my case, I hope to reach my goals, but if my time should run out first, I hope to be fully in the process of attaining those goals at my final curtain call.
I had obtained several "motivational" books many months ago, but (of course) I never found time to read these books. My life is so busy, you know. But I did open one of the books, the shortest one I think. Scanning the book I came across a chapter about "purposeful procrastination." I could not believe it! A whole chapter written to ME! Purposeful procrastination was right up my alley, I thought. Not really. I mean, it was for me, but it was not the easy button I thought I had found.
Purposeful procrastination means to procrastinate alright, but to procrastinate on doing those thing that a person DOES NOT NEED TO DO. This would be watching TV beyond moderation, playing too many games of golf each week, standing by the water cooler instead of occupying your office, etc. These are things that people LIKE TO DO, but they do not NEED TO DO, at least not when more important things need to be done.
What a challenge! I can think of a hundred things I would like to do, while staring at five or ten things I NEED TO DO. Guess which ones usually get done first. But with purposeful procrastination, I can fulfill my brain's need for procrastination while completing what needs to be done, or working toward goals that I really want to accomplish.
So far all I have is a list of a few things that I want to accomplish, and a working timetable to do so. Having boasted about all this in my blog, the test will be to see how far along I am on my way by this time next year. But that is not the only gauge. I will test myself to see how far along I am next month, next week, and yes, even tomorrow. I know a certain person must have fainted at this point. Still the test is not in what I write, but what I DO. So here goes..............
Hi, my name is Jim Silver, and I am a procrastinator....
It is true, my friends, I do occasionally put aside for next week what could have been done LAST week. In this spirit, I have to admit that I procrastinated in writing what could have been my last blog until I had run out of the time and the technology to do so. But, as it happened, I passed my medical tests and will live at least long enough to get another one finished.
Procrastination is a congenital disorder that defies the strongest medications known to medical science. It has the ability to "out doctor" Dr. Phil, Joyce Brothers, Napoleon Hill, and even Mr. Rogers, all combined and giving it their best effort. I myself have been a helpless victim of this disease for....well, for....okay, I will calculate how long as soon as I get the chance.
Anyway, I am happy that I completed the stress test yesterday. The results of the stress test told the good Dr. Miller two things. One, there was nothing medically wrong with my heart. Two, I am a year older and further out of shape than I was last year. You see, I just kept putting off starting an exercise program. Nay, let me tell the truth here. What I meant was I just kept putting off the SECOND DAY of each of my physical fitness programs that I started this year. Sorry, Lori!
I have learned a couple of things. First, don't procrastinate in writing your last blog until you get to the hospital. Second, don't depend on the hospital's "free Wi-Fi" in a pinch! Procrastination not withstanding, I am happy to be here this 17th day of October, in the year of Our Lord 2013, to write another blog. I am also happy to be here this 17th day of October, etc., for the simple reason that the alternative is NOT to be here at all!
Having been given at least a little longer to dwell on this earthly plane (although none of us really know how long we have!) I have given myself certain challenges, then supplied deadlines with the challenges. I want to meet these goals by the deadlines I have set. Procrastination is indeed a difficult birth defect to overcome, but this is what I have set out to do. Yes, I know I just said that none of us really know how much time we have left. In my case, I hope to reach my goals, but if my time should run out first, I hope to be fully in the process of attaining those goals at my final curtain call.
I had obtained several "motivational" books many months ago, but (of course) I never found time to read these books. My life is so busy, you know. But I did open one of the books, the shortest one I think. Scanning the book I came across a chapter about "purposeful procrastination." I could not believe it! A whole chapter written to ME! Purposeful procrastination was right up my alley, I thought. Not really. I mean, it was for me, but it was not the easy button I thought I had found.
Purposeful procrastination means to procrastinate alright, but to procrastinate on doing those thing that a person DOES NOT NEED TO DO. This would be watching TV beyond moderation, playing too many games of golf each week, standing by the water cooler instead of occupying your office, etc. These are things that people LIKE TO DO, but they do not NEED TO DO, at least not when more important things need to be done.
What a challenge! I can think of a hundred things I would like to do, while staring at five or ten things I NEED TO DO. Guess which ones usually get done first. But with purposeful procrastination, I can fulfill my brain's need for procrastination while completing what needs to be done, or working toward goals that I really want to accomplish.
So far all I have is a list of a few things that I want to accomplish, and a working timetable to do so. Having boasted about all this in my blog, the test will be to see how far along I am on my way by this time next year. But that is not the only gauge. I will test myself to see how far along I am next month, next week, and yes, even tomorrow. I know a certain person must have fainted at this point. Still the test is not in what I write, but what I DO. So here goes..............
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