“Procrastinate now, don't put it off.”
― Ellen DeGeneres

I spent yesterday procrastinating.  I cooked, I baked, I looked things up online.  What I didn’t do was tally my expenses for budgeting and taxes.  I am not fond of bookkeeping.  Nonetheless, I was able to sit down and focus after I did everything I could to avoid the inevitable.  It wasn’t as bad as I anticipated.  Nor was it as fun as taking the day off.  

It’s funny that I can be disciplined in some ways and amazingly avoidant of other things.  We are all studies in contrasts.  Having procrastinated for many years,  I now understand my need to do other things before facing the task at hand.  It helps for me to include my procrastination time as part of the deal.  If I think it can get done in two hours, I must plan for four.  

It's a kindness to include procrastination, in any form, when planning an unwanted chore.  I am easier on myself if I’m not spending a lot of my mental energy on questioning myself for not being on task.  It helps to incorporate the procrastination into the task, appreciating that I’m in the process of getting my bookkeeping done, or whatever completed, and this is what it looks like.  

Self-Care Tips:

• The next time you have a dreaded task give yourself enough time to procrastinate.  You’ll feel lighter. 
• View the procrastination as getting more done rather than less.  For example, yesterday I not only did the bookkeeping, but I also made meals for the week.   
• Even if it’s cold, try to get outside.  The air can reinvigorate if cold, and soothe if warmer.