November 9, 2007

Later is Soon Enough

I've put if off long enough. It's time to write about procrastination, the dirty little secret of millions of otherwise responsible adults.

Writers are especially accomplished in the art of procrastination. Being wordsmiths, we even have a fancy name for it. We call it Writers Block. That is why editors give us deadlines. If they didn't, we'd turn our stuff in…well, tomorrow. You can't run a newspaper that way. I have never missed a deadline, but I find myself flirting with disaster by pushing it ever closer to the drop-dead moment of truth.

Here's the problem: I'm as easily distracted as a geek at Macworld. As soon as I sit down to write my column, I feel compelled to check my e-mail (again, for the third time in ten minutes), pick the fuzz off the carpet under my chair, and sort through the junk mail in search of a 20% off Maalox coupon. I tell myself (and Keeper) that I am "cooking" an idea and that, while it looks like I am wasting time, I am in fact writing in my head.

I get away with it because it's expected of writers. You never hear about Bricklayers Block, do you? Or Bakers Block? Of course not. They gather their materials (bricks, flour, mortar, yeast) and get right to it. They don't waste time courting an elusive muse-they just build the wall or bake the bread. But writers are different-we must wait for "inspiration."

We're not the only ones. There's a plethora of procrastinators, according to an August 2003 article in Psychology Today that I just got around to reading. Experts say that twenty percent of us identify ourselves as chronic procrastinators. We do things like file our taxes late, leave our laundry in the dryer for four days, and get a lot of takeout because we didn't plan dinner. The "belated wishes" rack at the Hallmark store was made for us.

Procrastination does a couple of things to us. First, it causes a deadline pressure that fuels creativity, something the experts quoted in the article dispute. I'll bet these guys have their taxes done by February 1. Waiting until April 15 will definitely spur creativity, I can tell you that for sure.

The second thing that procrastination does is cause stress. Compromised immune systems, gastrointestinal problems, and ruined relationships have been blamed on the anxiety caused by putting things off. I'll ask Keeper if it affects our relationship. Probably tomorrow. Or on Saturday.

Psychologists cite three types of procrastinators. One is a thrill junkie, looking for that rush of euphoria when the project is completed right at the wire. The second is an avoider, who is afraid of failure and/or afraid of success and is overly concerned about what other people think of her. The third is the person who is afraid to make a decision. The failure to decide becomes a decision itself that absolves the person of responsibility for the outcome.

The good news? Procrastinators can be helped, but it takes discipline and a commitment to highly structured therapy, according to the shrinks.

Hmmm. I'll get back to you on that-right after I walk the dog and fold the laundry.