Death by Procrastination

I can’t decide whether or not that would be a cool way to die.

I can’t really imagine myself dying, honestly. Hopefully that’s normal. (Not that dreaming up different ways to die is, but I think we all tend to wonder—some of us more than others, probably—what will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back–or in this case, send us to our final destination).

But it’s not so concerning how you die…it’s really where you end up. (Disclaimer: this is not a post about heaven, although I would love to and probably will eventually talk about that. But for now, my thoughts are just not settling and it seems that the only way for the world to make sense again is to write them all down in this space for the whole world to see. Or just you. Aren’t you lucky.)

ANYWAY, thank you for letting me breathe again.

Now, let’s talk about procrastination.

If it was lethal, I’d most certainly be dead by now. It’s the reason I sometimes go MIA. (Online and in real life…my sincerest apologies to the people who have tried to reach me via text and Messenger and have hopelessly failed. I went radio silent, and I’m truly sorry.) It’s why I missed that final one time in college. (Yes, a final. I went down a whole letter grade. Thank you, Professor. S., for still passing me.) It’s why my writing project took over two years to finish instead of a few months, like I had originally planned.

I’ve often wondered if procrastination is a sin. The Bible does discuss slothfulness and wasting time and laziness—and it’s never in a good light.

“Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.”

-Ecclesiastes 11:4

“Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.”

-Proverbs 10:4

“All hard work brings to profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

-Proverbs 14:23

I personally don’t consider myself lazy. Like any introvert, I need time and space to myself to process and recover; sometimes that includes scrolling Pinterest and watching cooking videos. But if something is pressing, like homework or deadlines or, heaven forbid, picking up a loved one from work or school, I don’t hesitate to get those things done. (Not sure why college finals didn’t make this list…)

And, as I’m sure most of us can relate—there’s always something: homework, deadlines, kids, chores, cleaning, cooking…the list goes on.

All this to say, I still struggle.

But I’m not going to settle with that, and here’s why.

I mentioned earlier that my writing project took me nearly two years when it should have taken a few months. Thanks be to the Lord, because I finally edited it (myself) to a point where I felt it was decent enough to send off to a professional editor.

Once again, thanks be to the Lord, because yesterday she agreed to work with me and I officially hired her and toegether we’re going to flesh out, develop, proofread, and get this project ready to publish.

Which is huge (for me).

And also means I now have deadlines.

So, this is what I’m doing.

I’ve never been the type to make lists or schedules (because I’m not a nerd. Also, I buy textbooks for fun and research during my time off…that doesn’t make me a nerd at all). But I think it would be beneficial to put myself on one because life has suddenly gotten full.

Writing has become like a second job. (Unpaid, of course, but still.) I’m taking it very seriously. Creating content and editing and marketing and building relationships with readers and other writers feels like a full-time job some days.

Not to mention work, school, and my five-year old (Rottweiler…not child, of course). It all takes chunks of time, and it’s going to take balance. (Because I’m the girl who forgot about her college final, remember?) Like most of us, I need balance and structure.

So—with glasses raised and breath held—here’s to putting myself on a schedule and making lists and buying planners and setting reminders on my phone.

May it be fruitful.

Thanks again for reading and following along and for just letting me vent; we’re all a holy mess here.

Also, if you’re a super organized person, I wouldn’t mind some expert tips and advice…I’d honestly just love to hear from you! Send me a message or leave me a comment below.