By Kathleen Rooney, Senior Vice President
There was a great column in the New York Times recently entitled "Carpe Diem? Maybe Tomorrow."
The basic message was that many of us are "procrastinators of pleasure." Take it easy. This isn't a dirty blog! The kind of pleasure John Tierney, the author, refers to is pretty simple stuff. Like don't wait to use the gift card that we got as a holiday surprise from Bill and Bob. Are you guilty of saving it for "something special?" Not me! Two cashmere sweaters from a sale at Macy's, and I'm not embarrassed to say so.
According to researchers, there is a strange impulse to "put off until tomorrow, what could be enjoyed today!" If that's you, then you are a procrastinator of pleasure! We live by expectations and deadlines in this business. The article suggests we should be giving ourselves deadlines for doing little things that make us happy.
For example, chances are if you have out-of-town guests, you show them a good time by treating them to the best the region has to offer: wineries, museums, Delaware Park or a trip to Niagara Falls. Why don't we do these things for ourselves as a matter of course? When was the last time you went to the Burchfield Penney - just because you could? Or used the good silver on a Tuesday night? Are you waiting for VIPs to come to dinner? If there's a bottle of nice wine waiting for some special occasion to be enjoyed, crack it open my friends. There's no time like the present -- unless you happen to be reading this between 9 AM and 5 PM on a weekday. (This isn't France, after all.)
When my mother died nearly 15 years ago, this procrastination issue hit me hard. As her only child, I had to sort through her drawers and closets, many with clothes that still had the tags attached. What was she waiting for? And the trips that were going to be taken when she retired - they never happened. Lesson learned. The result is you don't have to ask me twice when it comes to travel. Do I hope there will be future opportunities? Of course I do, but I'm not taking any chances. My passport is ready for action.
If you are fixed on finding nirvana, you are probably in for a big disappointment. The longer we wait to enjoy something, it almost becomes unattainable. Stick to the deadline and you won't regret it later.
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