Eating the Frog

Some theorists say that procrastination is a way to protect ourselves.  We protect ourselves from things that might be uncomfortable or find us vulnerable.

My daughters have recently described productive procrastination. They don’t do what they are supposed to do, but they do something useful instead. The logic here is that they are not totally wasting time; they’re just not doing what they really need to be working on at the moment.

Here’s some “food for thought:” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0W7GB5Fh2XM it’s a fun, short video about procrastination.

The part that rings true for me in this video is the part about how there is nothing so fatiguing as an undone task.

I know that if I don’t exercise first thing in the morning, and I don’t  have it scheduled into the day, it might not get done. I will find other things to do. It’s fairly easy to get at this first thing in the summer when the sun is up by 5Am and it’s warm. It gets harder, physically and emotionally, to do this in the winter when it’s cold and dark. I don’t want to get on my bike in the dark. I know there are a number of flashing, strobing, and blinding lights I can attach to my bike or myself that will make me able to see and be seen, but I’m not a fan of, what my daughter calls, circus techniques. As for running or walking, this isn’t so bad because I’m not going so fast and I go against traffic. My reflective gear is helpful. The worst part is when drivers are pulling out of their driveways.

 The cold weather has other considerations. I’m learning about layering my clothing. I don’t want to wear things that are heavy or things that will flop around, and because I check my watch and need to push buttons, my cozy mittens aren’t the best choice. The worst part is having a runny nose. I have carried tissues with me, but there isn’t a good place to put them in my non-floppy, no pocket, reflective, yet breathable gear. I used to think that the globs I saw on the street were spit – no, they’re snot. I’ve noticed a number of nose-blowing techniques. I use a blow-pinch-throw method that usually works.

I’ve seen runners throughout the winter months and thought they were out of their minds. I guess I’ll be joining the crazies this winter. I’ll just eat the frog and get my exercise in.