A Prioritization Ramble

 

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   This is a follow-up to my last bloggy bit: Overwhelming Perspective
     I really should be working on task A but instead I choose to do task B. Task A has the higher external priority. Furthermore, Task A is late and not doing Task A will be visible to others. Task B, however, is my priority and no one else will really care if it gets done or not. Which should I do?
     There are many possibilities. The first and easiest choice is not to choose. Basically, do nothing. But, that would have a zen-like sage, wisdom laden, and somewhat aloof choice with a certain air of coolness about it. Did I say it was the easiest choice? It is easy to do nothing, lots of people do this each and every day. The hard part is the zen, aloof, cool part.
     When I choose to do neither task, there is nothing cool about the way I do nothing. There is instead lots of fretting. There is guilt. There is angst. Sure, overeating helps. Naturally, watching TV helps. In this decision space where 1 + 1 = 3 or more, watching TV and overeating is the bomb. If this is not enough, I could layer another totally unproductive activity on top of this by playing a Yahtzee on my phone (this particular game may be a family tradition). So, I suppose there is an app for this… whatever this is.

Sidebar: It should be noted that if one chooses to watch TV instead of doing what you should be doing, you should watch old movies or old sitcoms preferably ones you have watched a thousand times before. Do not, and I cannot emphasize this enough, DO NOT Supreme Court nominee confirmation hearings.

     This morning, however, I am feeling ambitious. I want to do something. I have to do many somethings. I am choosing Task B. This means, I am really doing what I want. I am first addressing my priority not anyone else’s. This is good (unless the anyone else is the IRS or a court order). I am officially a senior citizen. This means I really don’t have to care what the heck (insert the f word here if works better for you) others think. Yes, I know, this is just rationalization for doing whatever I want to do… so there is no need to point this out in a text or comment.
     You may have guessed it already, but this blog post is the Task B I have been talking about. Oddly, Task A along with Tasks C, D, E, F, and G are all writing tasks all of which have external priorities linked to others. So, this five-hundred ramble is a just a first cup of coffee limbering-up, get the juices flowing, in preparation for the other tasks.
     I may be a world-class rationalizer. I wonder if I can turn this into a lucrative consulting business? You know, it could be like being an executive coach for underachievers.
     Oh my, did I just create a Task F that I could spend the rest of the day contemplating and thus avoiding the other more important Tasks? I told you I was good at this.