I have a bad habit. (Actually, I have loads of them, but I’m just going to tell you about one right now. Don’t want you feeling overwhelmed.)
Lately I’ve been reading mostly non-fiction. However, if you look at the sidebar section entitled “I Just Finished”, you’ll see that I’m not actually finishing non-fiction (I’ll note for future reference that at the time of this writing, my three most recently finished books are all fiction). This is because I’m a perfectionist.
When I’m reading a book and it tells me to do something, I want to do it (believe it or not, this stems back to enduring regret about not doing an exercise assigned at a conference many years ago). I’m the annoying person who actually fills in the workbook and feels compelled to finish the assigned reading when everyone else decides to wing it. Despite the fact that this sounds like a good trait (and may be, long term), it’s decidedly unproductive in the short term. This is because I’m a procrastinator.
I fully intend to do the assignments given to me in my work and recreational non-fiction reading. However, I put them off because there’s no set deadline. And I won’t go on in the book until I’ve done my duty, either (because I’m realistic enough to know the likelihood I’ll go back to the assignment). This results in me approaching meals and other prime reading opportunities with a tragic loss of reading material (I’m not really a “mindful eater” yet; maybe that’s the next step in my evolutionary process). So what choice do I have but to “just glance at” another book until I have a chance to finish the assignment?
Which is how I got to the point where I’m at right now: stalled at the end of chapter two of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People“, because I’m supposed to be writing a mission statement; starting chapter nine of “The Search for Significance“, because I’m keeping in time with the group; and at the end of chapter one of “Just Walk Across the Room“, because I “glanced” at it instead of doing my mission statement.
And guess what? “Just Walk Across the Room” has questions at the end of each chapter! And they’re not just stupid questions that I can dismiss; no, they’re good questions, questions that require mulling and probably bloggingb efore I can move on. Yes, it’s a tortured life being a perfectionist procrastinator!
(In other news, I’ve just ordered “Do It Tomorrow and Other Secrets of Time Management“, “The Type-Z Guide to Success: A Lazy Person’s Manifesto to Wealth and Fulfillment“, and “Projects in Less Time“…)
Will it help if I give you a deadline to get your mission statement written?