the stealer of dreams…

It is so easy to put things off.

When I need to do something incredibly important – for whatever reason – it becomes absolutely essential that the laundry gets done or the cat hair get removed from under the bed.

I used to be like that in university, too.

Everything needed to be cleaned and perfectly organized before anything that resembled studying got done. It didn’t dawn on me that I was procrastinating because the things I was doing were somewhat practical and purposeful. It could have been worse – I could have been trapped behind the television set.

I was recently visiting my sister when I came across an “Alive” magazine in her washroom. One article, titled “Not now, I’m too busy”, captured my attention. In particular, the first paragraph:

“It will only take a moment!” Those are our words when procrastination quietly convinces us everything in the moment is a priority. We check emails, de-clutter the office, or unload the dishwasher. We justify these actions by saying, “Tomorrow, I’ll start.” But it doesn’t happen. Procrastination steals our dreams.” (B. Langlois. Not now, I’m too busy. Alive #336, October 2010)

Reading this changed everything. It inspired me to take action.

I’ve now come to realize how easy it is to justify anything in order to avoid doing the real work that needs to be done. I guess the bigger question that begs to be asked is this: Why would I deliberately sabotage my dreams?

Surely a question to be answered another time.

Yesterday, to put a fire under my tush, I made a public commitment to get this website done, even proclaiming a date. I guess it’s that defining ‘shit-or-get-off-the-pot’ moment in time where I have a choice to make – clean house and allow procrastination to steal my dreams – or get this website launched.

So now I have cat hair creeping out from under the bed. There are dirty dishes overflowing in the kitchen. My laundry pile is almost taller than me…and I still haven’t put my suitcases away. My place is taking on casualties in this war zone. But, even though the organizational freak-girl in me is dying a slow, painful death, I am getting closer to doing what I originally set out to do…follow my dreams.