My Answer is Procrastination

So how does a perfectionist deal with not enough hours in the day? Procrastination, of course.

Recently, I’ve found myself with a much longer to-do list than hours in the day. Ideally, I would be able to just add more hours to the day, but I’ve been told that’s not a realistic option. I tried cutting back on the wasted hours I spend sleeping, but crankiness is the side effect. I don’t even want to deal with my own self cranky very less inflict it on others.

I’ve read quite a bit about time management (as I was procrastinating, of course), but I’ve yet to find a solution to my problem. One of the number one words of advice given on the matter is to prioritize by making a list. I make lists daily. I have sticky notes with things to do stuck to my podium and my desk at work, lists on my refrigerator, lists on my island of the daily tasks, and lists on the calendar I keep in my purse. The problem is that when you combine all my lists, I’m right back to the initial problem of not having enough hours in the day.

Which leads to the second most given piece of advice and that is to learn to say no and to eliminate items from the to-do list. Hmm… who do I eliminate or tell no? My kids? My students? My friends? My online instructor who is expecting me to be working on my final exam at this moment?

Not likely. Everyone and everything in my life has a purpose right now, even if it feels like some days I will drown in the responsibility of it all. You know, on those days it feels as if I’ve failed at it all, and that I haven’t accomplished what I should have; I haven’t been there for every single person who’s needed me that day or remembered all the things that I’m expected to say to someone depending on me for advice or support. But at the end of the day, I have done what can be accomplished in one day by one person (I’ve been told superpowers are out of the question, too.).

Basically, I’ve learned to let it go. Perfectionism that is. Procrastination has become a workable strategy, not because I leave things to the last minute, but because there are so many tasks to complete that last minute is all I have left. Everything will work out at the end of the day, and if it doesn’t, there is always tomorrow. And sometimes, things don’t have to be perfect, they just have to be done.

Of course, that doesn’t work with my instructor who is waiting for my final. I probably need to get back to it and stop procrastinating. Probably too late for that.