... it usually doesn't need to be done.
A few months ago, I was planning a trip to a peace conference in Sydney. I wanted the trip to be self-supporting, and I have contacts there who could set me up to give workshops and readings, so it was really possible to make the trip pay for itself. But I just couldn't make myself make all the necessary arrangements to do that. I kept putting it off, and putting it off, and feeling guiltier than all get out. And then the conference was canceled!
A month ago, I was invited to speak at the first-ever Wellness Coordinators' Conference (65 people applied to speak, they accepted 15, so it was kind of an honor). It's a business development opportunity, not one where they're paying, not even paying expenses. (Okay, maybe I shouldn't do it at all, but appearances usually pay for themselves in follow on business.)
I couldn't make myself buy the air tickets to Phoenix. Just couldn't do it. Every day it was on my 'to do' list. Every day, I'd carefully work around that particular item. It didn't help that when my husband and I went to book tickets to the Midwest to see his Mom at Christmas, the tickets were literally 3 times what we'd paid a couple of years ago, and this was for red eye flights, with 2 stops, compared to day flights last time!
Finally, it occurred to me to call the conference organizer to ask if the conference was still on, before I booked the tickets. But I couldn't make myself do that, either! Every day, for 6 business days, it was on my 'to do' list. Every day, I'd carefully work around that particular item.
I just now called the conference organizer. He said, "It's a good thing you called -- we've decided to postpone the conference till March. And actually, we decided that this morning."
So procrastination, especially if you're not typically a procrastinator, can be a good thing!
(Think about this a bit. If you can't get yourself to do something, and can't come up with a reason why, maybe it doesn't need to be done.)
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