I don't understand why people procrastinate important, big deal stuff. I spent a great deal of my shift last night fielding phone calls from a frantic past employee who was trying to file his taxes with the deadline just hours away. He worked for us last summer and then moved out of state. We mailed his W2 to the address he left us, but they came back. We tried the new forwarding address and they came back again. We tried to reach him via cell phone, Facebook, you name it. We didn't hear back from him until 6 hours before the April 15th midnight deadline. In between his panicked phone calls I made every effort I could to fax him his W2s. They weren't going through so he kept calling me all night. How did this suddenly become my problem?
You would think if you didn't receive your W2s you would make an effort to contact your past employer before April 15th, 6:00pm! He turned his stress on us, claiming it was our fault he didn't have his W2s. Hmmm.... you moved at least three times since you left our employment and you waited until April 15th to contact us. How is that our fault?! Grow up kid. Oh wait, he's almost 30. He's just a procrastinator who chooses to point fingers instead of own up to responsibility. Its like my Sunday School teacher taught me, point your finger at someone else and 3 fingers point back at you.
I can't see how all the stress is worth the procrastination. A close family member has been procrastinating a living situation, and I find myself dangerously getting stressed out for her. A wise woman once told me, "Don't pay taxes on what you don't owe, " but I love this family member and its hard not to be concerned. I want to help her, but at what point am I crossing that line of enabling her to not stand up to her own responsibilities?
I am guilty of procrastination myself. I put off making doctor appointments only to find the wait list is over 6 months long. I will tell myself I'm being a hypocondriact, but then worry I've let something go for too long without a check.
I guess I need to look more closely at why I delay the inevitable. I should be vacuuming right now, since company is arriving soon, but Yumi is sleeping in the green chair, and I haven't had the chance to blog in awhile. (Boys are taking over this computer.) I will most likely end up vacuuming just moments before they arrive.
I know its all about choice. Choosing to do the right thing, even if you don't want to do it. Is it related to maturity or is it about comfort?
4 comments:
Thought I was the only one! Your situation was worse than mine, but I got one employee who lost his W2 and came asking for another at noon yesterday - then asked me where he could get the IRS forms to file his taxes!!! I directed him to the local IRS office.... and wished him good luck. Geesh!!
Good question in your last paragraph! I crossed the line to maturity a few years ago - or was is just resignation? That moment when you realize it won't get done if you don't do it, and that putting it off just makes it worse, so get to it. I choose to try to keep up with things, rather than let small things get big by procrastinating. My dear husband, who is quite a bit older than me, hasn't reached that point yet. LOL
I put off doing stuff all the time but it's only me it hurts. Like if I don't do the dishes today they will still be there tomorrow waiting. I think it's part of human nature to put off stuff we really don't want to do. That's just crazy about the ex employee waiting until yesterday. lol
I typically justify it (especially the cleaning thing) by pointing to the fact that some times there are things more important than a clean house...friendships, personal growth and so on. I procrastinate usually about taxes (last year, I was doing it the night before). However, Mike is always ahead of the game with that. So, we were filed by the end of February. He made the appt. LOL!
My father is HUGE on procrastination .. maybe that is why I never put doing 'MOST' anything off.
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