Procrastination

I need a book cover designer for my new audiobook, Oklahoma! Hex, and I’ve contacted several from the Web. I’m supposed to return their emails/calls this morning and it’s already afternoon. What’s going on? I’m procrastinating.

I am not usually a procrastinator. As part of the very process, I opened the OED curious about the etymology of the word. After all, it begins with pro- which means for. I tend to think of procrastination as an against sort of process, don’t you? Its roots are Latin from cras; meaning tomorrow.

So the whole meaning is for tomorrow.

There are plenty of things in my life for tomorrow. I have four appointments with clients for tomorrow, not today.

What’s really going on when we procrastinate?

Usually, we are judging ourselves something fierce. There is an undercurrent of thought about laziness, unreliability, unwillingness to work. None of these things is true of me. I’m disciplined, organized, impeccable about reliability.

Why am I procrastinating?

Over the years I’ve learned that when I indulge in procrastination it often means that something bigger or better is trying to happen. Something feels not quite right about these designers I’ve found, and I don’t know what to do next. The energy in my actions feels logey, until I deliberately decide to release myself from the obligation I’ve set myself.

Once I let go, really let go, it rarely takes more than two days before something I’ve needed comes to me.

The next time you catch yourself procrastinating, consider that something better is on its way to you. Let go, wait two days and see what miracle rings your doorbell.

Official notice: I’m letting go of the book cover designer job right now. Anyone know a good one?

P.S. Thirty minutes after I wrote this, one of them called and they're perfect!