I’ve written about procrastination before. It was a short post and I intended to come back to the topic to expand. I just never got around to it.

Seriously. Procrastination is a real problem for me. There’s plenty of stuff, particularly around the house, that needs to be done and that I keep putting off. They say that the first step to a cure is admitting you have a problem. Uhm… I could write a post a day for a year, each on a different topic, and not get past that first step on any of them. But, I’ll try not to let that get me off topic. Actually, that IS the topic.

One of the main reasons I procrastinate is that there are so many projects I want to start and so many chores that need to be attacked, that I sometimes get simply overwhelmed and don’t start any of them. It’s simply so much easier to make a peanut butter and jam sammich, pour a glass of milk, grab the remote control and watch reruns of Two And A Half Men. And while the food is yummy and it’s fun to watch Charlie make a fool of Alan, it doesn’t get shit done.

If the first step to a cure is admitting you have a problem, then the second step must be to make a list of the things you must do to fix the problem. In my case, that list is my anti-procrastination to-do list. So… here goes:

• Finish scanning my photos: I’ve done this in spurts, but it’s been on my mental to-do list for two years.. Lately I’ve started it up again, but there still plenty that need to be done.
• Organize my basement and shed: I’ve also done this in spurts. Occasionally, I’ll spend an hour or two or eight in one or the other, and “find” a couple of garbage bags worth of junk or “organize” enough so there’s room to navigate the area without having to climb over stuff. But for some reason, I stop there. Or I’ll decide that something needs to be built or renovated to make it easier to be organized. The efforts I put into avoiding or delaying the actual work truly amazes me.

Note that I’ve mentioned the above two items before. My New Year’s Evolutions post 8 months ago promises that I’d progress on these.

But there’s more:

• There’s a few handyman jobs around the house that need a finishing touch. Whether it be sanding down the rough edges on cupboard doors I’d shortened 5 years ago or nailing a baseboard back on the wall in the living room from my hardwood flooring project 6 years ago, I’m guilty of not putting the finishing touches on some of my projects.
• There’s a couple of repairs necessary that I’ve been putting off. My driveway has a couple of major cracks and a pothole that needs filling. The light on the side of the house needs replacing. I’d replaced the light once, but after a month it failed. So, that’s kind of only half-procrastination. But the driveway… I bought the pavement patch in May. It’s still sitting in my shed, probably hardened and useless by now.
• I’d been planning a couple of creative projects as well. My neighbour has a mini-deacon’s bench in her front hall. She has promised to loan it to me so I can replicate it for my own front hall. It it takes is a little lumber, a weekend, and gumption. I also have every intention of putting in a stamped concrete from pathway. I borrowed the stamp two years ago… Nuff said.

Ok… I’ll stop there. I’ve sufficiently exposed my list. On the off chance that my wife will read this, I’d better keep the list a little short. Trust me, there’s already enough on this list to ensure she cures my procrastination forever.

While that might sound good, given the topic of this post, I’d rather not rush it.