It’s hard to say for sure how long it has taken for this first blog post to be composed, but a safe answer would be far too long. As such, the primary significance of this post is as a triumph over procrastination.
Merriam-Webster provides this simple definition of the verb procrastinate: “to be slow or late about doing something that should be done; to delay doing something until a later time because you do not want to do it or because you are lazy”.
Ouch! That seems a little harsh, though not entirely inaccurate. It is not that I have not wanted to begin writing, and I will admit only to being partially lazy. Rather, procrastination is kind of like a reptile. It has a sort of non-threatening cuteness when it is small and contained, but can become a real monster to manage if allowed to grow.
The famed 18th century economist Adam Smith is credited with authoring the theory of the “Invisible Hand”, an economic force by which individual decisions concerning self interest collectively contribute to the benefit of society at large. I have my own theory of the “invisible hand” of procrastination which presses down on your laptop to keep it closed (or in some cases, your toolbox).
As it happens, with a little encouragement/shaming from my son, I reached deep down to find my Nike “Just Do It” conscience and decided it was finally time to get this thing started. I feel I have slayed the monster! [ I intend to devote an entire essay to the nature and effects of procrastination at some point in the future, but not right now 😉 ]
Anyhow, this flimsy little post is more an exercise in actually just performing the task itself than it is an effort to produce content. To that end, the fact that this is even being read represents a small success.
The question is not lost on me why the internet needs yet another blog site. I’ll attempt an answer at that one next time around.
BP
Leave a Reply