Dear Trailblazing,

If you can say one thing about me, it's that I like to do things right. If I'm learning something new, I don't just jump in with both feet; I wade in, slowly, analyzing each step and mentally projecting the future consequences of stepping in this spot instead of that one with each progressive footfall. Once I blaze the trail one time, I'm pretty good at following that same path fearlessly when I come to the same place again, and after a lifetime of blazing well-marked trails, I can appear to outsides to take life pretty confidently.

Until I get to a place that's unfamiliar. Then I have no idea how to proceed, and I'm forced to blaze a new trail. It takes time. It's an agonizing process. I step, I pause, I map out potential next steps, decide how well the previous steps went, how I could or should change or keep going, stop and think, stop and think, step back and reassess. I want to do it right, and without ever seeing this path before, I have no points of reference to get me going. As Sarah Bareilles sang:

I'm already out of foolproof ideas
so don't ask me how to get started.
It's all uncharted.

Uncharted, yes, but not unchartable. And although in this situation there are other people depending on my blazing a fair trail, I think they're patient enough to see where I take it.

Hugs & kisses,
B

Dear Procrastination,

You live in a world of unreality. You seem to think that if you ignore something long enough, it will go away. While this may be true for goldfish, it is not true for the rest of life. Even in the goldfish scenario, if you ignore it long enough, it doesn't actually go away. It dies. Then you still have to clean up.

I propose a change of attitude. If you can accept reality, you're likely able to finish grading assignments within an hour. You can wash and wax your car while it's still sunny and reasonably warm outside. You can maintain your spotless record for paying all bills on time and sticking to budget. If you can simply focus and prioritize, you can even manage to pack for next month's move with a minimum level of stress.

If you ignore packing long enough, you're still locked into a lease.

Hugs & kisses,
B