“Nobody can think straight who does not work. Idleness warps the mind.” – Henry Ford
Labor Day is round the corner. “It’s a long weekend!” exclaimed my girlfriend with frisson of excitement. She has the perfect plan of splurging this weekend which sends me in frenzy. The downtown malls in the neck of my woods are flashing banners for special Labor Day sale inciting the potential customers. My neighbor works as a sales boy in one of the outlets. He often grumbles about having to work extra hours on the day when we are all relaxing.
Labor Day is special as traditionally it also marks the end of summer season. The air is already lighter and cool. The stifling heat has mellowed down setting the tone for fall. I enjoy the parade which displays the solidarity between the people who work hard to strengthen the economy of the country.
I am invited to the Labor Day office get-together which is a day to drink, dine and enjoy the off-the-cuff side of my colleagues.
This day celebrates those who toil and make efforts to fulfill the dreams. It’s a day to honor the spirit of accomplishment and unity.
I especially want to take the opportunity to talk about procrastination which in my opinion is the biggest disease that takes away the fizz from our potential success.
I was recently struggling my way through the same. Looking at the blank, white screen would make me dizzy and for hours I would do unimportant stuffs waiting for the blinding flash of inspiration, when the words would write themselves.
I remember when I get entrapped in the vicious cycle of postponement, suddenly, I notice the dirt on my desk which needs immediate cleaning and just when I run to the basement to get a new dusting cloth, my eyes fall on my old trunk of certificates and merits which is redolent of my journey of achievements and I stop to glance at a picture or two, just then I notice an accolade I had received in a poetry competition and I get stimulated to write one now and in a jiffy I find myself in the garden with my journal, don’t they say that words emerge easily when you are close to nature… as I perch myself on the bench my dog growls as he is hungry and I remember I have to feed him and the fishes … and as I fill in his bowl and pour the fish-food in the tank I spill a little and I run to the basement to get the mopping cloth as ants would otherwise gather for the labor day feast…and just when I run upwards with the dusting cloth in my hand I remember the white screen which was waiting for me … and this cycle of unconscious procrastination continues.
I finally recognized the pattern and wanted to nip it in the bud but for that I needed oodles of inspiration.
The inspiration did come when I noticed one of my colleagues who remains focused when other slack off. I admire him for his discipline, hard work and calm persona. He noticed my dilemma and said, “The only solution is to keep at it. Don’t give in to the distractions or wait for perfectionism. Even if you go slow just hang on to the task in hand and it will pick up momentum.”
His advice helped immensely and this time instead of staring at the blank screen or spending my energy elsewhere I decided to persevere… I wrote gibberish and the writer in me sat as a critic dismissing every word I wrote but I did not give in to the inner critic and carried on, in sometime, words began to shape up adding meaning and value. I was happy to beat procrastination and reclaim my power of hard work.
Procrastination saps our energy and time. Just stay far from the distraction trap and keep on keeping on.
I take this day as an opportunity to refresh my resolutions and renew my spirit to contribute in my way to the building up of a fine nation inhabited by positive people. Happy Labor Day Friends!
I also prepare my wallet for my girlfriend’s long-drawn-out list of shopping in the special Labor Day sale.
