Hi, my name is Mike… and I’m a procrastinator. Maybe I should start my own support group. We could have t-shirts made and meet every other Monday night at 7. That is, unless we have something else more important to do. Then we could confess our failings to one another and gain strength and all that, you know, from realizing we’re not alone. The struggle is real. Procrastinators unite… tomorrow. Truth is, you know for a fact we would never get around to it. All seriousness aside, I really am a procrastinator, but not of a stereotypical sort.

I’m not the guy that calls in to work sick so he can go fishing. I’m not the guy that skips out on taking care of the yard work to go golfing. I’m not the guy that puts my wedding ring in hock so I can go on a weeklong hiking adventure. (not that my wedding ring would underwrite that kind of trip!) No, I have the opposite kind of procrastination. I suppose if I were defining my problem from a psychological standpoint, I would be considered a workaholic. At least that’s what my kids tell me.

When it comes time to put work aside and get down to nuts and bolts relaxation, I have a hard time. Case in point. This past winter we redeemed some airline vouchers from a previous debacle (remind me to tell you that travel nightmare sometime) and purchased tickets to one of our favorite destinations-Las Vegas. Before your imagination runs wild and you’ve got me doing things that would make a sailor blush, let me clarify. When I get to Vegas, I rent my car, hop on I-15 north and head straight for Utah… Zion National Park… Bryce Canyon National Park… Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Can I get a witness? Las Vegas offers me ready access to the wonders of the desert southwest that are incomparable for price and proximity. (If you know of someplace better, let me know.) So we scheduled the trip. That is a hard thing for me to do. Just the act of committing myself to vacation is easy for me to justify as unprofitable. I mean, what if something happens and I need to work? What if there is a family emergency? What if the Zombie Apocalypse were to start and here I am in Utah separated from my children with no means of reaching them? Do you see my dilemma?

Actually, things did happen that really made me question if I should go or forfeit my tickets and stay home. I went. Aren’t you proud of me? I quit procrastinating about taking some time off. Know what? It was fine. It all worked out. Honestly, I regained some perspective and renewed my spirit as a result of that trip. I love Utah, but because of my procrastination, it had been four years since I last visited and I almost tossed this trip at the last minute. So let me give you three things I’ve determined to make a part of my action plan as a result of my renewed resolve to recreate responsibly. Dream… Decide… Do.

Dream. Most of us have a never ending list of things that we know we want to do someday. This stage isn’t all that hard to put into practice. For me, it’s as simple as scrolling through my Instagram feed. Boom! Twenty destinations in under 2 minutes. The thing I experience when I visit some places, they don’t get checked off the list, they just stay on it. For instance, I’ve been to Zion National Park five times. Guess how many times I’ve hiked Angel’s Landing. Five times. Some things are worth repeating. Don’t spend too much time on this step. Just enough to get your wander lust up and running. Then on to…

Decide. Set your sights on a destination. Pick a place and start planning. Set a budget. Make an itinerary. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect. Half of any real adventure is the unexpected. If everything was just what you expected, how disappointing would that be? Then…

Do. Don’t be easily deterred. Like any plan, there needs to be flexibility. Make sure you take the time to do the things you need to do. Sometimes the answer to being stressed out by too much to do is paradoxical. Take a little time off from what you feel you need to do and rest, relax, and rejuvenate. The increased energy and clarity of mind just might translate into increased efficiency and productivity when you tackle those tasks you put on hold momentarily. In the end, when I look back at life, I doubt I’ll wish I’d spent less time hiking, or fishing, or spending time with my family.

Remember,
Dream… Decide… Do
Mike