by Bonnie & Phil Parker
“It will get done… eventually.”
How many of you as you read this are impacted by facing decisions that one would label “procrastination?” You know the expression: “Why put off to tomorrow what you can do today?” Or, “One of these days I will…” In our relationship, Bonnie is the one who gets things done. She makes her lists, prioritizes her To Do stuff and loves crossing off completed tasks. Phil, on the other hand, commits to doing something in his own time. One year he got a personalized t-shirt from you-know-who with the following stamped on the front: “It Will Get Done…EVENTUALLY.”
If you are in a relationship where one of you is the “doer” and the other the “delayer,” you can appreciate the frustration that comes with tasks that get done eventually. No matter how often we discuss this or how annoying incomplete projects linger, changing a procrastinator seems to be a losing proposition.
Then there is the individual (which may be you) who intends to do something and, for whatever reason (excuses?), just doesn’t move forward in a timely manner. I will go on that diet, eventually. I will get stuff together for donation, eventually. I will clean out the garage, eventually. I am going to start going to the gym, eventually. For some reason, “eventually” sounds like the task is going to happen. It’s just a wait-and-see commitment!
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It’s confession time: in most instances we do our best to be two or three articles ahead of deadline in writing Personally Speaking. We discuss topics. We decide who will take the lead. Sometimes I (Bonnie) start. Other times, it’s Phil. The challenge happens when it’s Phil’s time to engage in writing and then I have to remind him we are getting close to deadline and he says, “Don’t worry, it will get done.” I guess he’s expecting that I’ll bug him which, if I’m honest, is exactly what happens. That can be so darn exhausting. Truth is, we both love writing together. We enjoy being introspective as we banter back and forth. We willingly engage in both sharing our ideas and editing what we each write. While we love the process, Phil doesn’t love deadlines.
Related: 7 Procrastination Hacks That Actually Work
As we closed out this column, we both agreed that it was about time that Phil stepped up to handling tasks without reminders. (At least in theory this was decided.) Who knows? Time will tell (I guess). One thing about writing, it does invite us to face, address, consider and engage in “life as we live it.”
We’re not sure you relate to some of what we share. We, however, love when we receive comments, endorsements and feedback from our readers. So, if you want to share your take on this topic, why not do it now instead of…EVENTUALLY?
You can reach Phil and Bonnie at www.BonnieAndPhil.com.
