Ought-based decisions

There are several sorts of decision in this world.

There are choice-based decisions: I like both the Dolce & Gabbana shades and the Matrix shades but I can only buy one pair, so I have to choose between them.

There are choiceless decisions: this rather angry-looking man has a gun pointing at my head so, if I wish to continue experiencing life as I know it, I will have to give him the money.

There are rational decisions: the laws of physics tell me that if I continue to move at this speed and in this direction on these rollerblades I will collide somewhat painfully with that brick wall, therefore I choose to throw myself gracelessly at this patch of relatively soft grass.

There are emotional decisions: although logic tells me that I really shouldn’t go on holiday in July because I’m broke, I’m going to go anyway because I want to.

And then there are ought-based decisions. I’m pretty good with most sorts of decisions, except ought-based ones. Ought-based decisions are the ones where you sit there, trying to whip up enough self-discipline to choose correctly between the thing you want to be doing and the thing that you ought to be doing in order to avoid a hefty dose of annoyance and regret at the end of the day when you realise that you didn’t do what you should have done and now have to face making that ought-based decision all over again the next day.

Friday’s ought-based decision wasn’t too bad. I ought to have been writing the next five Welsh language worksheets. I actually decided to do something a lot more fun, to wit, work on my web shop. As this was actually a very important work-based activity, I didn’t feel too guilty about the fact that I really should have been working on the Welsh worksheets instead.

Today’s ought-based decision is worse. It’s Sunday, theoretically a day of rest for the majority of the population, but not for anyone who has their own business. Instead, Sundays become Monday Mark I. A pre-Monday that allows one to gain some ground on all the things that one lost ground on last week, if only one could get up off one’s arse and get on with it.

So, today, I ought to work on these Welsh worksheets. I want to play on the computer, write long entries in my blog, read lots of other people’s blogs, go shopping maybe, chill out, get myself a nice bottle of Pimms and enjoy the summer whilst it lasts, but generally do anything except work on these damn Welsh worksheets.

I’m struggling. But it’s not even noon yet. Maybe I can fit it all in. I’ll let you know later on if I manage.