We’re all guilty of it. We have things we want to do, dreams we want to pursue, places we want to visit, a life we want to live. But we put it off.
We know we’ll get there eventually; one day on the sofa bingeing on Netflix isn’t going to do any harm.
We talk and talk about the book we want to write but we never take the time to pick up a pen. We stay up late discussing that mind-blowing trip through Europe or South East Asia that we just have to experience. We scour the internet for details: hostels, flights, sights to see. But we don’t book anything. We get a job, a house, a relationship and suddenly we’ve built a life that we can’t just take a break from.
Maybe we sit down at the computer for a day’s work, a to-do list by our side. We check Facebook, Twitter, our blog reader, the news. We check Facebook again hoping for something interesting. We comment on the photo from last weekend our friend tagged us in. We write ‘congratulations’ on the latest life event and our phone buzzes for an hour and a half as each successive comment comes in. We check the notification each time in case we need to reply. Eventually even Facebook is so sick it doesn’t bother sending us the latest update.
We wonder if anyone, anywhere, is doing any work or if everyone just sits at their desks all day staring at Facebook.
We spot the latest angry cat meme and disappear into a viral spiral of BuzzFeed posts. We lol.
We realise we’ve been at the computer two hours and we haven’t even sent an email. We think this would be a good moment for a break. We get a drink, a snack maybe. Stop into the next office for a chat, or text a friend to say: Hey, haven’t seen you for ages. Want to meet up next week?
We get back to the computer and sigh. It’s nearly lunchtime. Not much point starting anything now, it’ll be time for another break in twenty minutes. Maybe just check Facebook again.
We’re bored with work, wish for 5 o’clock, wish for the weekend, wish our lives away. We blink and another year has gone by. We’re a year older and our dream is still just out of reach. For all our talking about how this was going to be the year we made it happen, we’re still the same. We’ve watched every episode of Breaking Bad and stalked our friends on Facebook. We’re secretly depressed by the ones who have their lives together.
We look back and wonder what we have to show for our time. We start to worry that this is all there is. That dream begins to fade.
That’s the thing about procrastination. It creeps and grows, feeding on fear and boredom. If we let it, it will drag us down to mediocrity.
We’re allowed our lazy days. We’re allowed to get lost in the internet sometimes. We’re allowed to take a break.
But if we want to live our dreams, we can’t procrastinate forever. No one but us can make it happen.
Sara Strauss says
Right now I’m reading blogs and watching Bones on Hulu instead of editing a chapter of my novel. I usually don’t procrastinate, but lately I haven’t been feeling like writing. Hopefully the feeling will pass and my procrastination!
~Sara
Amy Lord says
I can totally empathise Sara, I always procrastinate when I should be editing!
Sophie says
Amazing post Amy! Basically just verbalised my entire life, haha.
Love your blog.
Soph xx
Amy Lord says
Aww thanks Sophie, glad it’s not just me! 😉