Would procrastination be part of the Olympic Games, they’d have to design a brand new medal for me - I’m talking about a platinum medal!
Gold is not enough!
Most of the time, I feel very anxious. I want to do things right. Actually, I want them to be perfect, which is a pain in the neck for those who are close to me.
Well, yes, I am a very anxious person and I do want things to be perfect but I have a problem... lack of time.
This is my excuse for putting off things that need to be done. Always a lack of time.
I didn’t make this very important phone call today... Much too busy. Too many things to do... Tomorrow...
And the letter I was supposed to write today? Much too busy again! Tomorrow for sure...
The appointment I was supposed to make at the hospital? Oops. Too bad. Tomorrow again.
The problem is that tomorrow never comes. All of a sudden, it is today, sometimes yesterday, almost too late or really, really too late.
I am a photographer. I'm a member of the French Artists Society and I have one deadline every year... (and more if I ever feel like it!) It usually happens around the beginning of May. All I have to do is to submit a project every year.
I have to choose a few coherent pictures and send them for approval. Then some of them will be exhibited at the Grand Palais in Paris (once a year usually in November). Which is really an awesome experience!
It’s been many years now since I was offered a membership in the FAS (truly a great opportunity for an artist, especially for a photographer).
So every year, I have to send my project on time. I have to.
Sounds easy. I have one whole year to think about it, work around it and then get the pictures ready and send them at the beginning of May.
Yes, it sounds easy but it is not easy for me because... I’m the worst procrastinator in the world or the best one!
So I start thinking about my project a long time before May. I do especially now that I’ve been elected on the FAS board. Quite a reminder. Everybody keeps talking about the exhibit to come...
So I kind of think about it all year long.
I also work a lot all year long because every year, I want my project to be different from the last one... Of course!
Then the deadline gets close, closer and closer... And guess what! I’m not ready... until the last minute.
This year, since I’ve been feeling great, I decided everything would be different. Cancer seemed so remote... Life not this busy after all. I was absolutely certain I’d make it on time. No worries whatsoever...
Oh well, procrastination is so integrated in my operating system that I almost missed the deadline... Well, shame on me. I would have missed it if I had not been in Paris the very last day I could go to the FAS office and drop my project there.
By mail, it would have been much too late!
I’m getting real bad, I know, because usually I am a few days ahead from deadline. This year, it turned out I was one hour ahead from deadline!
A million thanks to the cab driver who made it possible for me to rush to the office and deliver my project... yes but barely on time.
And the platinum medal winner is..... good ol’ me!
Well not quite though, because while I was in the office, checking every detail with the secretary, someone called to ask whether or not he would still be on time if he sent his project by mail!
I won’t relinquish my medal though... Actually this last minute adrenalin rush is kind of fun.
Please, don’t tell my family, they think I’m perfect!
*Good Night, and Good Luck*
1 comment:
we do think you are perfect :) thanks for that eye-opening post! there will be some blog backlash at some point, hehe.
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