Waiting For Motivation Has Been Granted Temporary Authority

HEARING TRANSCRIPT Proceeding: Review of Task Deferral Chair: Unnamed Witness: The Subject

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CHAIR: Please describe the task.

WITNESS: A report. About four thousand words. Required by the end of the month.

CHAIR: And today's date?

WITNESS: The fourteenth.

CHAIR: So you have seventeen days.

WITNESS: Yes.

CHAIR: And the task has not been started.

WITNESS: I've thought about it quite a lot.

CHAIR: The thinking is noted. Why has it not been started?

WITNESS: I'm waiting to feel ready.

CHAIR: What does "ready" indicate, in this context?

WITNESS: A kind of... settled focus. Where I'm in the right headspace for the work. I've done good work in that state before. I want to produce good work. So I'm waiting for that state.

CHAIR: How long have you been waiting?

WITNESS: About ten days.

CHAIR: Are you aware that the settled focus you describe often appears after beginning the task rather than before it?

WITNESS: ...yes.

CHAIR: Are you aware that the experience of working tends to generate its own momentum?

WITNESS: I've heard this.

CHAIR: And yet you are waiting.

WITNESS: I've also reorganized my files, read two relevant articles, and created a detailed outline.

CHAIR: The outline is helpful.

WITNESS: Thank you.

CHAIR: Where is the outline?

WITNESS: It's in a new document. With a cleaner layout than the previous document. I wasn't happy with the previous document's organization.

CHAIR: I see.

Pause.

CHAIR: Under the governing rule, any waiting for motivation that feels like preparation may temporarily substitute for beginning the actual task. This substitution is currently occurring.

WITNESS: I understand.

CHAIR: The report is due in seventeen days.

WITNESS: Yes.

CHAIR: Do you anticipate feeling ready before the deadline?

WITNESS: The deadline is usually helpful.

CHAIR: The deadline has not moved.

WITNESS: No.

CHAIR: Thank you. This concludes the hearing.

The task remained unstarted for four additional days.