Procrastinating Pleasure

I read an interesting article in the New York Times yesterday on procrastinating pleasure. (I’d link to it for you, but they’re stingy over there–you have to subscribe to read it, although you can likely see it if you go in via your local library’s online database.) Anyway–the point of the article was that a lot of people don’t just procrastinate work, they procrastinate having fun. You have a bit of money saved aside for a special occasion, and you never end up having that special occasion. The article said the problem is that people look to the future and assume that money will be tight, but time will be plentiful, so they hold off spending the money until there’s more time. The problem is, we never have more time. We always have something to do, and that “later” never shows up.

I know I’m guilty of this. (I’m guilty of procrastination in general, so why now this one, too?) I’ll put off having a vacation or getting something I want, or going on a trip–and I’ll keep putting it off for far too long. Classic, simple example: I’ll buy a bottle of Martinelli’s Sparkling Cider, thinking I’ll drink it on a special occasion. Years go by, it gathers dust, and I never drink it, because an occasion special enough never seems to come along. I don’t think that’s because the occasion never comes, but rather because I’m never willing to acknowledge it. There always seems like they’ll be something better, later on.

I need to enjoy the moment more. Stop procrastinating pleasure. I decided this a few weeks ago, but this article really put it into perspective for me. Call it a resolution (although I have a slew of goals for the new year, as well–this is one of them.)

In any case . . . Happy New Year, everybody!