Today is Tomorrow's Yesterday

In the famous words of The Steve Miller Band, "Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' into the future."

I remember a lot of things I've given up over the years because there just isn't enough time for them anymore. One of them was my domain SchottInTheDark.com. I just couldn't keep up with it. I was thinking today of all the things I wanted to blog about and kept thinking that there isn't enough time. I run through these ideas in my head at various points in the day and make a mental note that it would be a terrific blog topic. Some days I have multiple ideas and try to prioritize, but in the end I give up because I don't have time to really flesh out any of the topics...much less all of them. It was at one of those moments a little while ago that I decided to blog about not having time to do all the things I want to do. In fact, this is free form and may end up in a completely different direction from where it was originally intended.

The biggest issue is that I'm a procrastinator. True, I work well under pressure (that's a classic excuse for a true procrastinator and can help you pick them out), but trying to get everything done at the last minute is incredibly stressfull. Add three kids and a spouse and everything gets done later than the last minute. The Procrastinator's Creed: "Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?" is a recipe for disaster. To be truly successful at procrastination, you have to train yourself to do some things RIGHT NOW! Then, you have more time later to do the other things you've been putting off. I recognize this in myself and try to work this into my professional life. If someone asks me to do something for them when I have time, I try to tell them I have time right now. Otherwise, they could be waiting for hours or days.

So, going back to my blogging example, I'll come up with a topic and tell myself that I'll have time to work on it tomorrow. Then tomorrow I'll come up with one or more new topics, or just find that I've spent too much time on other things and tell myself that I'll have time to work on it tomorrow. At some point, unless I actually decide it's important enough, I'll give up because I need my time for something else.

It was much easier when I was a kid and when I was in the military. I had "personal assistants" who would schedule my life for me, and my parents were very good at it. To be honest, I would probably be much more of a mess today if it weren't for them scheduling what time I got up, what time I did my homework, what time I did chores, and when I went to bed. Thank you Mom and Dad and Drill Sargent.

Here's the short list of hobbies I've essentially given up because I don't have time for them anymore: bowling, golf, tennis, bike riding, star gazing, wood working, poker, model building, jigsaw puzzles, reading and writing poetry. From time to time, I manage to enjoy a short encounter, but nothing like the relationship we used to have. And some of these items require money or have a prerequisite that may or may not require money.

The second big issue is that my wife is also a procrastinator, but in a completely different way. Actually, she wants everything done RIGHT NOW! and often gets upset if I cannot or will not comply. She often wants me to do several things at the same time RIGHT NOW! and often gets upset if I cannot or will not comply. But then she waits on me. For example, she just asked me when we are going to bed, because she is tired and wants to go to bed RIGHT NOW! No matter how tired she gets, she will continue to wait on me before going to bed. But she's busy doing something while she waits, which gives me an excuse to stay up later so I can get more done. At some point maybe hours later, one of us will get tired of us waiting on each other...usually me...and we will go to bed.

If I were Emperor, I would have the developers of Google Wave devote time and energy into providing me an intelligent calendar application that can learn from me and about me and that can be my personal assistant and not rely on me having to do it all myself because I'll just do it tomorrow. Now I think I'll go to bed, but I hear my wife typing so maybe I can get a few more things done.

Sorry for the Google Wave plug, but I didn't want my blog to be the only one written today that didn't mention it.