Sound advice, hard to follow

Have you ever had one of those weeks when you feel you're drowning under a deluge of things to be done and are nowhere near finishing the list however hard you try? If your answer is yes, welcome to the happy band of procrastinators.

I've just had one of those weeks when the mountain of things to do seems to grow higher and higher the further I climb. The summit is nowhere in sight but my flagging spirits and energy are peaking already. I tell myself that it will soon be something I can put behind me but somehow I'm not convinced by my own reasoning.

It reminds me of school days when lists were compiled of all the fun things to do once the insurmountable obstacle of exams was overcome, a hurdle which loomed like the proverbial dark cloud. The number of days until liberation from the yoke of academics was noted down meticulously, each unit of 24 hours crossed out with delight as one contemplated a rosy future free from the burden of studies and endless cramming.

But the hours crawled by and the end seemed nowhere in sight. That's when one began the self-flagellation for not having made an earlier start. If only one had heeded parental advice and studied regularly one would not be in this state of panic which numbed one into inaction.

So, instead of tackling the task at hand, one sat there worrying about all that was undone, finally escaping into fantasy land. Here exams were a thing of the past and one had done well enough for the parents to allow every waking hour to be spent in fun and frolic. Hours were spent in this pleasant pursuit of dreams until a not so gentle reminder from a figure of authority about it being time to hit the books brought one back to rude reality.

I found myself in a similar predicament recently as all the tasks I had conveniently put off to a later date suddenly required urgent attention. The acrid feeling at the pit of my stomach was familiar, the bitterness at once again finding myself in a situation where the need of the hour was immediate action. These were matters that could not be put off. So, the headless chicken act began, running round in circles, trying to finish everything and ending up feeling like I was losing in the race against time.

That's when I began to appreciate the aptness of the phrase 'It never rains but it pours'. I was drowning in the flood and the lifeline seemed to have disappeared from view. Telling myself to take deep breaths, I tried my level best to accomplish as much as I could in the short space of time available to me before all options were off the table. As I ran back and forth trying to accomplish everything, I promised myself that never again would I leave things for the last minute. So fervent was the vow that I actually almost believed for some moments that I would miraculously turn over a new leaf.

I could see a shining future ahead of me, one in which everything had its time and place and nothing was left to chance. The picture my imagination painted of an organised, methodical individual made me feel giddy-headed with delight. In my mind's eye I could see myself in perfect control of my life, with no misgivings or regrets.

Lost in blissful thought, I was brought back to reality by the ringing of the phone and a reminder of the necessity of my presence at a place anywhere but where I was at the moment. Rushing to meet another deadline, I reproached myself for indulging in wishful thinking when there were unfinished tasks waiting to be tackled.

Why is it that we delude ourselves into thinking that there is ample time later for jobs at hand? The time spent on thinking of all that needs to be done could be better utilised making a start right away. Sound advice but so hard to follow.