An Object in Motion

This evening I did something that I had never done before. I made a to-do list. Somehow despite signing up for a course in leisure I have more projects to finish at the end of this semester than I’ve ever had previously. More than the time I took 18 credits. More than the time that I accidentally signed up for three writing flags (for the record you’re only required to take two such courses in your entire undergraduate career at WSU).

So why did I spend two hours on Friday writing a four page primer for Risk when I have so much going on? The easy answer is that Risk is way more interesting than research projects. The real reason is much simpler.

Inertia.

In the episode of The Simpsons titled “Mountain of Madness” Mr. Burns and Homer find themselves lounging beside an enormous table of snacks. After reclining deep into their chairs Mr. Burns quips that “The only hard part is getting up.” A remarkably profound metaphor, if unintentionally so.

A number of the assignments that comprise my to-do list are recent developments. I’ve been working on sustaining this blog for over a month and a half. Researching and writing are easy enough, but starting in on the process is a very high hurdle.

I’ve long been a heavy procrastinator and I’ve been content to simply blame the difficulty of starting and to rely on my ability to keep running once I can get off the ground. However, difficulty is a terrible reason not to do something. An easier life is an empty goal (thanks, Dad). What I should have been working on for years is a remedy for my vice.

What I’m trying to do is to find a better way to establish momentum than to just jump into working. This to-do list is my first attempt at this. It’s a compromise between working and not working. Writing a list is negligibly more difficult than doing nothing at all and it’s almost like starting on a project.

I’d be surprised if this one change alone fixes my work ethic, but it feels like a good start. If nothing else I’ve discovered that it feels pretty great to cross things off.