‘Stop!’ meant ‘Go!’ for me this week, which is no mean feat for a professional procrastinator.
I stopped putting off tomorrow what should be done today, stopped waiting for my partner to do men’s work and stopped avoiding the bank.
Accomplishment has its natural rewards: the endorphins unleashed when I faced my fear of a powerful drill I’d borrowed were so plentiful that I ended up putting up three mirrors (in a vain attempt at light-maximisation!) instead of one.
I finally opened a bank letter that arrived days ago. It revealed more than a little about my inability to manage my finances but instead of sitting at home pretending the letter wasn’t addressed to me, I went into the bank and sorted things out. They were very helpful.
And I set the wheels in motion chasing Southwark Council for a wodge of money they’ve owed me for over a year. Still waiting for the cash but I’ve been given a guaranteed date to expect news, with additional advice from the complaints department.
It was only after my get up and go got its mojo back that I realised I was already working through my protracted New Year’s Resolutions list.
This list, which I may as well photocopy annually, normally leaves me so overwhelmed on January 1st that I throw in the towel and consider taking up smoking.
Don’t get me wrong, my sudden perkiness isn’t without its flaws; I saw a ‘Swear Box’ for sale in a local gift shop and vented my spleen at the very idea of it – if I’d owned it I would be back at the bank begging for an even bigger overdraft limit.
But I do feel a sense of self-satisfaction. New Year’s Day will be more about chilling out than spilling out regrets over missed moments of 2009: “I should’ve done so-and-so”, “why can’t I do anything for myself?” “Poor me” …VICTIM !!!
Until now I hadn’t even mentioned the early start to my list to my partner but he’s just told me that he was thinking the very same thing, which is why he went out and splurged the week’s food money on fruit ‘n’ veg for juicing. He spent January 2009 awash with tasty green fluids which, admittedly, did give him a healthy glow and joie de vivre but were so time-consuming to compile they didn’t even make it to February 1st! (See, I haven’t given up cynicism.)
There’s a long way to go but simplicity is at the core of the rest of my New Year’s Resolutions. I’m keeping them close to my chest as a sort of personal challenge. I am excited about the prospect of change and part of the challenge is the mystery; have I already broken one by saying that? Oh well, I can use the next four weeks to practice!
