Thank G-d for deadlines.
Without them, I’d get nothing done. Seriously. I put the “pro” in “procrastinating.”
I delay entering expenses (mostly paper receipts) until a few weeks before April 15 (Ugh, adulting)
I wait until only a couple weeks before to book a flight (Oy, too many choices)
I edit and go over my stories seconds before I hit the stage (I hate rehearsing)
I have put off getting a new desk and chair for YEARS because I couldn’t find the best one for my space and my wrists. Only now am I dealing with it because my back hurts so much. (See my, IMHO, hilarious video showing you the current state of my home office) Otherwise, I’d probably wait another five, ten, fifteen… who knows? (Hello, perfectionism)
I wanted and needed to throw things away and clean up my apartment, so I had people over for New Year’s Eve to give myself a deadline. (Do whatcha gotta do, Gelf)
This procrastination (or some might say avoidance) is partially why I created this year of 30-day challenges. Among other things, I wanted to write more and this gives me a built-in deadline every single day.
However, with this focus on self-care this month, I’m becoming keenly aware of all of the areas where I’m putting things off and not taking care of myself. A big source of my agita is technology.
For a few months, the right speaker on my computer has been crackly.
Is it urgent? No. Is it annoying? Yes. Is it something I can live with? Of course, but I don’t want to anymore, so a few weeks ago I decided to take action.
First stop. Google. I tried to troubleshoot my problem only to come up with bupkus.
Then, I went to Apple’s site and since I haven’t contacted them in so long (because I’ve put it off), I didn’t even know you could call someone for tech support (literally a call for help.) I’m glad to know it’s an option, but the guy couldn’t help me with the speakers. For my other tech issues, I had to make more space and upgrade the software on my devices (no surprises there), so I did, but I still had unresolved issues (who doesn’t?)
I made an appointment with the Apple Genius bar.
And that’s where I found myself yesterday at the calmest place on Earth - Grand Central. I was greeted by the incredibly friendly Royal. I liked him right away. First, because it’s a cool name and secondly because my favorite color is purple, which is a symbol of royalty. (Go with me on this.)
My laptop getting the Royal Treatment
Before we even started working on the problem at hand, I was embarrassed by how smudgy my laptop was. I thought the marks were from my hands burying down into the laptop and thus, there forever, but Royal thought otherwise.
He got right on it cleaning my computer and he had some good shit (Whoosh), too. After some elbow grease, he made those marks disappear. He’s a Genius and a magician?! Self-care FTW!
I told him about my Gelf-care challenge and he was intrigued. So much, in fact, that he wanted to read this very blog and possibly join the Facebook group I started in case anyone wants to do these challenges with me.
We tackled the speakers and he was straight with me. He told me it would take 3-5 days and cost $111. I didn’t want go give up my computer for that long (How will I write this daily blog?)
He gave me a few other places to call because he’s honest, helpful and looking out for #5 (He has a family, so I’m assuming I’m further down on the list.)
I asked him about helping me with being locked out of my iPad. He was happy to help, but he had to restart it, which took an inordinate amount of time.
I didn’t want to waste one second, Hell, I was in the presence of a Genius and not just any Genius. A Royal Genius who holds the answers to my burning tech questions that are a “royal” pain in the ass (You’re welcome.) With any luck, he can solve my problems (tech-related ones, that is) and help me feel better about some of my life choices (not syncing my phone often, etc. You get the picture.)
This $5 speaker from Five Below doubles as an essential oil diffuser. A self-care twofer!
I asked him about merging calendars, phone backups, a Java alert that’s popped up since I upgraded my software, iMovie file transfers and the list went on. He patiently answered my questions, explained things clearly and took care of business.
He even gave me a hot tip on a place (Five Below) where you can get tech accessories for $5 and under.
While we were waiting for my devices to restart, programs to load, etc., we totally bonded. He told me I was his favorite customer ever because I was so friendly and fun. I was flattered. I told him how much I appreciated his help and how I love connecting with people and above all, we talked about the importance of just being real.
Click on the image to hear Whitney’s song I parodied for Royal.
And when we were done, we hugged. That’s right. I hugged a Genius. It was so genuine and heartfelt and I started to sing “You give good hugs” a la “You Give Good Love” from Whitney Houston.
Royal had no idea what I was referring to, so I shared my Whitney wisdom with him. After all he’d given me the “royal” treatment, it only seemed fair.
So whether you’re putting something off or putting up with something, take one step to take care of it today. Not only will you be helping yourself, you might be helping the world get a little closer. One exchange. One connection. Maybe even one hug at a time.
Are you a procrastinator or are you crushing your to-do list every day? If it’s the former, tell me why. If it’s the latter, please help. Share your wisdom below.