Look what I got in the mail today!

I heard a knock at my door early this morning, and when I opened the door, I found an unassuming brown package with no return address. If that doesn't scream of possibilities, I don't know what does! Of course, I ripped it open as fast as I could, and I found this inside:
Pretty, huh? I was wondering why the heck it came to my door, when I found a second item in the package. It was this sash:

(I know, right? You'd think that a beauty-pageant-esque sash would say QUEEN, but whatev.)

I can't say I was surprised to get the package. (Okay, I was surprised, since I didn't know there was an entity out there that awarded this type of thing, and I'm a little weirded out about how they get their info, but I can't say I was surprised that I got the award.)

Okay, okay, so I've been a procrastinator. It's all because of being something called a Defeated Perfectionist. If you haven't heard the term before, then it's probably because you aren't one. Good on you! (I hope there's an entity out there that notices that kind of thing and gives you a crown and an entirely different saying on your sash.)

Being a Defeated Perfectionist means that you have troubles starting things that you want to have turn out *Just Perfect* because you know you don't have the time/talents/resources/patience/whatever to make it perfect the first time.

I'll admit, it can be crippling.

So, I swore I was going to write a letter last week. It's called a query. It's what you write to an agent to entice them to ask to see the first three chapters (or sometimes, even the whole thing) of your book. Basically, it has to be less than a page long, and has to show the character/setting/conflict/voice/hook, and has to make the editor go, "Oh, my gosh! I'd rather stab myself in the eye with this pen than have to go through life without requesting to read more of this person's book!" Okay, MAYBE that was a little overly dramatic, but you get my point.

Recipe for bringing out the Defeated Perfectionist in me? You betcha.

And suddenly, the dishes look enticing.

Then I think, "I bet I could focus on this better if my house were cleaner."
Or, "That laundry is weighing on me. I better do that first."
Or, "Gosh, I haven't balanced my checkbook in a month of Sundays. I should do that."
Or, when I finally sit down at my computer, "My thoughts are so befuddled, I bet a game of Facebook Zuma will help me relax." (It doesn't help you relax, but it IS loads of fun.)

Are you a defeated perfectionist, too?

What kinds of things do you do when you are procrastinating doing something else? I need more creative ideas for my procrastinating choices if I'm going to keep this pretty crown and sash, after all.