It is that time of year, with the first snows of the winter arriving a couple days ago, which also means changing the summer tyres to studs. It is normally a forty five minute job, so no drama there - or so I thought. Unfortunately, after changing the front two, the teeth of the locknut key broke, which meant that I couldn't get them off and as it was the weekend, none of the wheel places were open, so I had to book it in for Monday morning.
84€
To change two tyres, they charged the full fifty for the work, and then thirty four euros for four normal bolts, because I didn't want locknuts again. Locknuts might be great for people worried about having their alloys stolen, by mine are basic factory rims, so if someone is desperate enough that they need the couple dollars they might be able to sell old wheels for, they are welcome to them.
While the broken teeth on the key are not my fault, it is my fault that I didn't change the bolts myself, because I knew it was going to become a problem at some point. And if I had done that, I would have paid 8€ for four lock bolts, or 40€ for all the bolts to be changed, as they are 2€ each. Instead, I was charged 8.50€ each.
The joys of manufacturer service.
Things like this often happen to me, where I have procrastinated doing what I know I should do, but keep putting it off out of convenience. In this instance, I knew I wanted to change them a few years ago, so that means that I have changed the tyres five or six times since, but haven't organised myself to have the new bolts on-hand when I did the work. And since they weren't on-hand, it became a "net time" thing, which created a future me problem.
Am I the only one?
What makes it more annoying is there is a car part store about a kilometre away from me, and I have visited there multiple times, but have never picked up the bolts. Of course, I haven't been in there for the bolts when I have visited, so they weren't on my mind. I can't be the only one in the world that does this though, because I suspect many are just as disorganised or have the "mañana" approach to living, without recognising all the times that the easier choice in the moment, is the harder, more expensive situation in the future.
As I was writing this, I decided to send an email to some clients that for no good reason, I was putting off sending for over a week now. It was a simple reschedule of sessions, but for some reason I kept procrastinating. So, I sent it, and it has all been sorted, no drama, no cost.
But why was it an issue at all?
Is it that the reschedule would put other people out and I don't want to cause the disruption? Is it that it might make me look like I am disorganised, even though I had no choice in the change? I just don't have a good reason, yet this kind of behaviour is pretty common for me, even though I have worked hard to not be this kind of person.
But I behave like that kind of person, I am that kind of person, right?
Which means that I have to get better at changing my behaviours in this area, ensuring that I take care of what needs to be done, before doing anything else. Because I really should learn from years and years of accumulated mistakes. Yet I don't. Well, that is not completely true, because while like an addict I might always be primed, I am acting far less as a procrastinator than I once was, but I definitely regress and relapse from time to time.
Eat the vegetables before dessert.
With so many possible more interesting and convenient ways to distract us from what we should be doing, doing what we should has become increasingly harder. Possibly in the past with less ways to spend our time, getting what we needed to do done, was just easier and didn't require much willpower, because doing something was better than doing literally nothing. Now, we can feel like we are doing something, even though we are doing nothing.
I need to reflect on these points sometimes and I should do it more often that I do, because it helps me get what I need to do done. There is an "out of sight, out of mind" component to our behaviour, so if we aren't consciously thinking about what we need to do to be the kind of person we want to be, then we will very easily fall into our defaults, which are generally the easiest, most convenient, least rewarding and often riskiest activities. The risk might not be direct danger, but the negative impacts of complacency.
I need the reminder that sinking teeth into activity is a better life than passivity, in the moment and for the future. With broken teeth, life just doesn't turn.
Taraz
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No, you are not the only one. I had a server that I waited too long to replace the drives in and sure enough they failed before the new ones came in. It was a hot mess. That's just one example. I've seen more people have issues with those keys than I actually think it solves. Too many times people leave them at home and then they get hours away and have a flat with no way to get the wheel off. Smart move swapping them out!
That sounds terrible! Hopefully it was just a lot of student work on there and nothing important.
It was three years ago or so when I bought new tyres and I left the key at home, so had to book another time. It is normally in the boot, but I had changed tyres and left it out... That was when I decided to get rid of the bolts. Three years of procrastination!
No, it was the main file server for the whole district. I had backups, but it was still a huge pain! Oh yeah, that would be bad. I think it's funny when you see a minivan with the lug lock on it like that.
I can definitely relate with the procrastination issue. I think there might have been evolutionary advantage in procrastinating. It is also similar to the situation where if I am not sure then I will do nothing and wait. Sometimes the issue sorts itself out.
"What's that growling in the trees?"
I will wait here while you go check it out...
The cost of changing these car parts seems to me to be much higher than in our country. Although our labor is much less here. Anyway, you are not alone, none of us learn from mistakes. We are all lazy, maybe a few are exceptional, but most people do not learn from mistakes and we are lazy by nature.
Yeah, the prices can be pretty crazy here for some things.
The lazier we are, the more we pay.
I also struggled with keeping up to appointments, plans and promises, especially ones made to myself. I hate to disappoint people but don't mind disappointing myself especially when it wouldn't hurt or when it gives me some kind of leisure to gratify my immediate desires. But this I've realised is what what my major problem is.
I can't say if it's entirely just procrastinating or just complacency.. I've always needed to remind myself to be present in the present. And talking about relapse, you're not the only one.
I found that about myself because during my school days, I would make sure to pay good attention during lectures, I don't take notes and I only start preparing for exams just few days to the start of the examination. And giving the complexity of this exams, one would say it's a sure way to fail an exam. Funny cos I will not only pass but as one of the best.
Lately I've realised how bad such an approach to live is. Doing things only when it's convenient for your or when it's die minute. When something has already gone wrong or is about to go wrong. Things you could have done better and with more ease if you did them the right time..
And so I keep reminding myself everyday as well to be fully present in the present.
I took notes that I couldn't understand come study time, and struggled. I am not smart enough to pass easily! :D
Perhaps with all these smart devices and their notifications, rather than sending us reminders to pay attention to crap, they should remind us to be present and not on the screens :)
Indeed activity helps build routine and averts sins 😊
Staying on bed far too long gets you empty and withdrawn 😁
I often find myself putting off tasks that appear boring at the beginning, only to feel sorry later when they turn into emergencies. It is a hard lesson, but it surely shows us how to focus on what really matters.
Procrastination cost more but I would suggest you could get a note and write down your schedule for the day and also set a reminder this helps get everything done whether the little or big,it helps you remember the tinniest detail,even randomly if u remember them just put them down in your to do list immediately,it helps alot
Weirdly enough this post made me appreciate having quite healthy teeth. Few years ago I paid around a 100(?) eur to fix a few of them but after that I did not had any problems. That is for the best because I hate both the sound and smell of dental drilling. And the prices can be very high. 100 is not the end of the world but our favorite neighbor and one relative had to pay hundreds if not thousands to fix their teeth... It is like funerals in a way that makes me joke that getting a decent funeral is a luxury.
I see your consistency here in the platform, and it only makes me want to learn from you.
You're doing perfectly fine, we all struggle with something at one point or the other. Sometimes this can cause us money, relationships, and other assets that are important to us. That's why it is very important to keep trying.
Concerning your car, I hope you're able to fix it and meet up with all your rescheduled appointments.
Do have a nice day sir.
Almost everyone battles with procrastination, even the most productive people. The way is not just exerting our willpower, but also asking the things that prove difficult to us attractive.
We can do that by rewarding ourselves the moment we complete those difficult tasks. The immediate reward makes our brain want to repeat that activity and over time that activity or task becomes less difficult.
Also you can make a hard task easy to do by keeping the equipments you use to do in sight or within reach. Some tips I picked up from Atomic Habits by James Clear.
ehhhhhhh, procrastination is human. all we can do is try to get better at not letting it happen too much.. :)
as for eating the veggies before dessert. sometimes i just eat what i want.. like chips and salsa, but as a meal instead of just an appertizer, cuz that's what i feel like at the time. then, when hungry again.. i go for the meat and rice or whatever.. sometimes, just straight for dessert!! :P
Procrastination really is one of those guilty pleasures, though illegal in spirit, but we all do it anyway because avoiding the task at first feels so damn good in the moment. The damage we pretend being not there until it becomes unavoidable. That inner dialogue of “I will do/fix it later” is somehow both comforting and destructive. It is like ignoring that small ache until it becomes a scream. Sometimes or maybe all the times, life"s smallest disruptions have a way of exposing where we are slipping internally too. What matters is we learn, yet making the same mistake over and over again but in a different manner. This way, life goes on 🥲.
This happens to all of us in one way or the other. I can spend hours listening to music early hours of the morning while dancing and vibing ( I'm quite a good dancer). At some point I start hurrying, pushing beyond my limits in an attempt to get prepared in time for work. I anticipated moments like that were coming but I just couldn't help it.
Sometimes I feel it's just that human factor or perhaps we've had enough of striving to be perfect and our subconscious is like... Hell f**k it. Lolz who knows.
I'm working on it tho and it's something we should work on regardless. Regrets are horrible you know.