This social butterfly is starting to poop out

As the days seem to fly by, I am realizing more and more how unprepared I am for this move. I have been prioritizing my friends (which seems like the logical thing to do) and have NOT been putting much effort into the packing, sorting, shipping, & storing process. While I have plans for tonight and each night this week and continue to work during the day, I am beginning to wonder when this packing, etc. will ever get done. I need to stop procrastinating and get to work!


So here I am at work browsing the Washington Post's "City Guide," and I stumble across the article "How to Put a Stop to Putting Things Off." How appropriate! After reading it, I realize that I need to GROW UP and stop doing what I want to do and get done what I need to do. Research suggests procrastination stems from fear--the fear of failure or success perhaps. Some of my fears are being displaced from my oh-so-comfy lifestyle and also letting my friends down before I leave. I worry so much about spending time with them and making sure they know how much I will miss them, that I neglect what needs to be done in order for this move to happen. The move is inevitable, my time is finite, and no matter how long I wait to pack, it's still going to happen. And I know that if I wait until the very last minute, I am bound to be frantic and careless and will end up forgetting who knows what!

One of the psychologists in the article asserts that procrastination is a knee-jerk reaction to discomfort and that to overcome it, it's all about revamping how you think about things, overcome inertia and manage your time better (and stop making excuses). I also think that since fear is driving my procrastination, I need to talk myself down off that ledge. I'm telling myself "My friends will still be my friends if I can't go out one night. If they don't understand the pressure I am under, then are they really my friends?" I know I need to abandon this "people pleaser" mentality and push through this anxiety. I have to "feel the fear and do it anyway."

So here's my plan:

• I will accept the discomfort that I am bound to feel when I am at home this evening, having cancelled my plans and fearing that my friends interpret that as me not wanting to be with them. I am going to accept it and push through it (and hopefully realize that it's ludicrous!)
• I will remove the obstacles like the computer and the phone and get to work!
• I will break it up and not allow myself to become overwhelmed by the enormity of the project.

Now to put it all into action and get this stuff done! WOO HOO!