If you ever watched Gone With The Wind, you might recall when Scarlett O’Hara said “I’ll think about that tomorrow.” Even though Scarlett’s and my that have always been thankfully different, her famous words have provided frequent permission to put off until tomorrow. Scarlett has given great comfort and solidarity in my procrastination habits. She does not resolve any future actions. She resolves only to think about that tomorrow.
Everyone has that in their lives, the chores, assignments, excursions, and unspoken words that get put off for tonight or tomorrow. The challenge is to figure out how to deal with your that effectively and not just imagine it in the tomorrow.
Sometimes I wonder how I compare to Scarlett in my that habits. Many mid-mornings during my work week, I set aside or ignore a difficult assignment and put it off for later that evening. I “Scarlett” a that for later instead of acting on it now. When later comes, I do not have the same energy I did earlier in the day to tackle the that. I engage in this practice of that deferral more than I want to admit.
What I hope for myself in the future is to resist the temptation of sculpting imagined spaces of future productivity for my that. Like Scarlett, I have often organized my time around the myth that there is always a better time than now to tackle my that, my particularly difficult assignments.
Why be like Scarlett, I ask, when I can plow through my that right now?
I have lots and lots of THATS these days. I am going to go check one off right now.
You used “Scarlett” as a verb. Props.
Funny how ‘this’ feels like something to do in the present and ‘that’ def. feels like for later. ‘That’ sounds like the thing you don’t want to do.
I love the distinction you make between this and that. SO true.