It's either my mouse or the computer that's failing. Occam's Razor would say it's the mouse, but the cable connecting it to the computer is buried under a pile of papers, the connection hidden behind a screen. It would require at least an hour to dig it out, and I've procrastinated doing so.
Looking at this problem from a broader perspective...procrastination is my modus operandi. I will put up with inconvenience (usually of my own making) for quite awhile before taking action. Sometimes procrastination works in my favor; I've written my best academic papers at deadline, for example. Sometimes it makes a problem worse, like growing piles of clutter, unfinished craft projects, and a mouse/ computer that refuses to highlight, open dropdown menu items, or opens multiple tabs, even on its slowest settings. I wait until the problem severely impacts my daily living, and then employ the pound of cure instead of the ounce of prevention.
But I've chosen "results" as my one little word this year. So today I will spend an hour after work excavating that pile of paper (hopefully sending most of it to the recycle bin), free the cable and unplug the mouse, and plug in the dongle for the wireless mouse my husband gave me for Christmas. Hmmm, that means I won't have to worry about the cable being buried again....
In the scheme of daily life, there are so many small things that need attention; we just don't often take action until they become big enough to "severely impact daily living." I hope Occam is right. Maybe the old mouse is dying (or the cord has given up!) and the new lovely wireless one will work like a charm. I hope it's not the computer... my old laptop one became so excruciatingly, hair-pullingly slow that I found myself not wanting to write (gasp!). Deleting history etc. didn't help. I finally got a new laptop for Christmas - joy. For the record, I did my best academic papers at the deadline, too.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this is procrastination or creativity. I feel like when I am working in creative flow (writing or perusing Facebook), nothing can distract me. I'm afraid it's a symptom rather than a cure. Ha!
ReplyDeleteI love that you use your OLW to spur yourself to action.
ReplyDeleteEven if you don't need a clear space for your new mouse, you will have a clearer mind from having gotten rid of the pile!
(From one who is writing this instead of dealing with her own messes.)
I procrastinate with those little things that only take a few minutes to complete. I figure they're quick, so I save them for later. Then I add another "quickie," and another and another, winding up with an hour or more of desk cleaning or decluttering my car or the kitchen table. Sigh...You are not alone, friend.
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