This is not about New Year Resolutions. This is about putting off doing things good or bad in your life until…. The until times mount up quickly; until you have more money, until you have more time, until you drop 15 pounds, until you meet your insurance deductible, until you are in that area, until next week, next month, next year. Sooner or later until the ‘until’ never happens.
Gift cards from companies have been banking on this procrastination behavior for years. The card may have an expiration date of 6 months or 1 year or no expiration date and still many people never use them. They fall into the trap of waiting for the right time, the right reason, or the right gift to use the card. Some airlines are now putting a deadline on frequent flyer miles. No activity in 12 or 18 months and all those miles you have been saving until you have enough will be gone.
A colonoscopy, a visit to the dentist, or a mammogram can easily come under the put off until later category. But what if there is no until because you put off too long? What if you lose all those gift cards and the people who gave you them want to know what you bought? What if that perfect trip to France you have been planning with your miles and vacation days doesn’t happen? Can you still have just as good of a vacation using those miles to Louisiana instead? Do not even get me started on putting off the mammogram or the dentist visit. In your closet, what about that good suit you are saving until the right situation? It is going out of style as we speak!
What makes life interesting is that things change. No life is ideal and waiting until whatever is not making life Today any more interesting. I say do not put off the good or the bad UNTIL; add some interest to your life today!