Thoughts about Procrastination and New Years - My biggest struggle in life has always been procrastination. Phrases like:

"I'll clean this up later. I'll open that bill later. I'll get everything balanced later. I plan to get around to putting away these files. I plan to have that bookcase organized. One of these days I'll finally empty those boxes. I'll work on that research later. I'll figure out my sewing later. I'll answer this email later."

"I'll update my journal soon, really. And those photos are almost done."

Now, I'm not saying that you shouldn't believe me when I say, "It's almost done," or "I was just working on that." Because I usually mean it, and it's usually an accurate statement. But it's also been a pattern in life that sometimes I just get carried away with an over-abundance of plans, and maybe some lack of sense of reality in the time-space continuum.

I know. Many of you are SHOCKED that I'm admitting this, when you've all believed it for years -- that I'm doing too much, taking on too much... or the occasions when you cannot believe I managed to get as much done as I did. Those are the good times--those wonderful times of accomplishment when I manage the "wow, I did all that?" moments. Yet I live (in my head) with all the memories of all the bad times when I didn't manage to get as much done as I promised, let alone as much as I *wanted* to get done. (And some friends of mine live with their memories of my failed promises, which brings me no end of regret.)

So how does that relate to "New Years" and why talk about the New Year in early October?

Well, the Jewish New Year just happened this week, so there's one obvious parallel. For several years now, I've been more keenly aware of the Jewish calendar, and there many things very appealing about the New Year in September (or so). My birthday falls in September. Traditionally, school starts in September (or really close). And I love the seasonal transition from summer to fall more than any other annual change.

So, I've been thinking about yearly status and growth and change and goals, during September for the last several years. It's a nice time to take stock and re-evaluate. As I look at my goals with fitness, weight loss, house cleaning, organizing, research, crafts, music, composition, language acquisition, career growth --> all of these would SERIOUSLY benefit if I started attacking the root problems of my procrastination habits. Here and there, I've had small successes. Occasionally I have huge set backs. But all the time, I keep looking at those mountains I want to scale, and remembering it's just about taking more steps on these paths, to reach my goals and attain those heights.

This evening has been the perfect microcosm of my issues, from staying too late at work (compared to when I wanted to leave), to lingering over laundry and going slow, to goofing off on the computer rather than getting up and packing for the event I'm headed to in the morning. Procrastination. *sigh*

So, having identified that this is what I'd like to work on for this New Year, you may be hearing more about it. But this journal entry is written fully enough that I can go wash some dishes, pack Coffee Bar into boxes, and probably put away my clean laundry.

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Oh, and special thank you's to the several people who wished me a "Happy Flip the Calendar" day on Wednesday. You all make me smile!

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Finished Objects: Monthly Baronial newsletter (published 3 days late, but done). Laundry, done.

Today's Blessing That I'm Thankful For: The time to keep making resolutions. When it's all over, it's too late to start then. Act now, avoid regrets.