Some tasks require a deadline, like paying bills, handing in an assignment at school, or presenting a project at work. However, some people stick to those deadlines and others create wiggle room. I think start dates might be the same. Some are set in stone, like beginning a program at college, starting a new job, or showing up for an appointment. And yet some people start classes a few days late, negotiate the first day, and are either late or reschedule an appointment. So perhaps most things have arbitrary start and end dates…
Maybe it depends on the priority level of that task as to whether or not someone sticks to the date. And perhaps fudging a bit in one area gives way to a habit of not starting and ending much of anything on time. Personally, I try very hard to be on time for appointments. Once I make them, I rarely reschedule. Sometimes I’ll get behind at the barn and will be 10-15 minutes late. I always contact the person I’m meeting with to let them know. I pay my bills on time. When I take classes, I always turn in assignments when they’re due. When I worked on campus (and now that I’m virtual), I made every effort to complete paperwork on time (sometimes I couldn’t do my job because others didn’t have the same priority).
I find that some tasks are easy to complete, meaning there is no reason to have a start or end date, because those are priorities for me. Like seeing Holly every morning, taking Lady for a walk, meeting with my clients, or taking care of the garden. But some tasks, like the habits I’ve wanted to get back to for a very long time, seem to have such a fluid start date that I’ve yet to do the habit more than two days in a row.
I wanted December 31 to be a hard deadline for my classroom materials. I still have those two projects that aren’t done, and it’s 7 weeks later. So I ask myself if their completion is still a priority. My meditation practice is here and there. I’ve selected print nonfiction books about craft but haven’t read them. And the spirals with my stories are still sitting on the corner of my desk. Are these habits important to me? Yes. Why didn’t I start on January 1? I created wiggle room by telling myself it was a holiday. The I thought I would begin on February 1, another arbitrary start date. Starting and ending habits is simple, but not easy. Is it better to have a hard start/end date? Or figure out why those habits aren’t high enough on one’s priority list to begin or end? I’ve been asking myself a few questions. I’m not surprised at the answers. It turns out, for me, start dates aren’t so arbitrary. I’m paying attention to the friction that keeps me from returning to these positive/needed habits.
0 Comments