Got a letter composed by someone who obviously understands nothing about procrastination

Got a letter from the Inland Revenue today - a very nice and friendly letter telling me about all sorts of ways they can help me with filling in my tax return.

But what really cracked me up was this bit, when they're telling me about the possibility of filling it in online: "You also benefit from a three month longer deadline of 31 January if you file your tax return online." So far so good, but look at the very next sentence and see where the logical connection just completely falls apart: "So there's absolutely no reason to put it off." No reason to put it off? When you've just told me you're giving me 3 months longer? You've just given me a very good reason to put it off. Why do it now if I've got till January?

My conclusion is that whoever wrote this letter obviously doesn't understand the inner world of the procrastinator. Maybe the Inland Revenue have a policy of weeding out procrastinators at interview stage? (Well, I suppose if you're really bad at it you just won't ever get round to sending in your CV...)

Procrastination

Today's post included a package from a friend who has thoughtfully bought me a book about time management.

Now to find the time to read it.

Phew! have sent those cards at last!

I can't believe it's come to this - me rushing out to the postbox on the last posting day for first class post for Christmas, with a huge pile of cards which I actually sat down and wrote out yesterday and today, in a mega-blitz which involved putting the laptop to sleep because it was taking up too much space on my desk. Somehow it only dawned on me on Monday that I was running out of time - I blame the shops.

The thing is, you go to the supermarket at the end of August and see the beginning of the stocking up of shelves with Christmas-related merchandise and you sigh to yourself and think, Goodness, they do start earlier every year, don't they... And so throughout September/October you keep doing this, going into shops and sighing and thinking how ridiculous it all is. And so in November you carry on doing that, because by now you've got used to it.

And then one day suddenly it hits you: actually there isn't loads of time left, in fact there is NO time left, in fact I'd better get my skates on!!!

Ho hum. At least it's done now, so there's some chance that I won't lose all my friends this year...