Procrastination, Part Duh

Just days after I wrote about my lifelong habit of putting things off, I made a pilgrimage to Barnes and Noble to offer up my debit card on their altar of books. I have several weaknesses, but two of the strongest are tote bags and calendars, so it seemed like kismet when I stumbled across Do It Later!-A 2008 Planner (or Non-Planner) for the Creative Procrastinator by Mark Asher. It's a great little desk planner that comes complete with designated doodle space on nearly every page, tidbits of comforting procrastinator wisdom ("Research shows that there's a 50 percent chance an undesirable task will disappear if left undone for thirty days") and activities ("Write a lengthy, thoughtful journal entry about your troubles in getting motivated to work.") Egad, this man can see into my soul!

My favorite pages, though, are the lists, both fill-in-the-blank and helpful hints, like Ten Things to Say to Annoy an Uptight Perfectionist, or my personal favorite, How to Make Killer Art out of Office Supplies. In fact, I'm already clearing out my drawer organizer in preparation for that Zen Garden. Basically, it's a fun calendar with lots of reasons to write in it other than to mark how many days it's been since I've sent in a query or an invoice.

The only quibble is when the calendar starts; the first page jumps right in there on Dec. 31, 2007. If it were really for procrastinators, it would start around March 2, 2008. I don't think I've ever written in a calendar before March, so this will be a new, exciting experience.

Now, if he'd only come out with a matching tote bag.