Dear Procrastination,
Thank you so much for thinking of me. While I do appreciate your concern for my art and my personal well-being, I think that this time, I will get by without you. I understand that we have had a long association, but I have come to see that it is a lopsided partnership at best. Please don’t think me rude, but I have decided to sever our working relationship. For your edification, I have outlined my reasons below.
First, I have come to realize that you mean only to distract me from making a meaningful start and any progress thereafter. While I appreciate your attention to detail, I trust in my ability to plan for a project and to follow my inspiration. It is not necessary to re-examine all of my plans and motivations before starting. Your insistence on over-analyzing the plans and materials has slowed down my work for the last time. I do not require a specialized playlist to begin. Although, you were right…it felt good to finish that scarf.
Second, I acknowledge the need to keep up with social media, though I think your concerns are unfounded. A quick update from my craft room with my cell phone camera is sufficient for social media. Isn’t that what all the filters on Instagram are for? My readers and followers, also busy, creative people, will not judge me for sharing a quick snap that isn’t glowing with early morning radiance. Who among us glows with early morning radiance? I accept that I am not missing out on anything by sharing a photo of my real work in the real space it is created.
Next, please stop trying to sidetrack me with petty concerns. I am a confident woman and I can remember to brush my teeth. My work will not be better tomorrow or the day after. Today is the day and I will seize it. Those extra 64 minutes of sleep, broken into 8 minute segments, will not be restful. They will merely steal an hour of my day that could be spent on more productive pursuits. I respect Future Lani too much to put this burden on her. If I work now, Future Lani will be spared the stress that I know from experience, comes from partnering with you, Procrastination.
Finally, I know you, Procrastination. You pretend to be helping me by suggesting I get more rest, but really you are pushing me to the point of panic and unrest. You will encourage me to wait until I can’t do my best work because the time is too short and the stakes are too high. At that point I’ll be so overwhelmed that you’ll easily convince me that anything is easier to do than work on my project. Well, not today. Today, I will be productive. Today I will create.
Actively yours,
Lani
P.S. You’re right. I really should start my Christmas shopping. But that’s Future Lani’s problem!