In our jobs, we all have some less-than-interesting To-Do’s that are due on a monthly basis. They’re usually mundane; they always require time that we don’t have, and, in general, we avoid them.

I have one. It’s a bit different. It’s not mundane. In fact, it’s supposed to be clever, witty, and deliver some nugget of something or other. What is it? It’s writing this letter to you each month. And for some reason, I avoid it like the plague.

Don’t get me wrong. I like talking with you. But, as an editor, my strength is working with other folks’ articles to deliver strong content to you each month. I am also great at pestering authors to ensure they will deliver the content they have promised. And call me silly, but I adore reworking words and headlines and making things that are slightly dry a little less, uh, dry.

But, facing a blank Word document is something I invest a lot of energy to avoid.

Take this morning. I’ve found reasons to return long-lost emails that are unimportant. I’ve cleared my desk of clutter that never bothered me before. I visited my bank on-line to learn what I already know. (The account still shows that number I don’t like.) I refilled my water bottle, and made sure I have enough of my favorite pens to sign all those critical papers that don’t exist.

And here I am...still. This letter is due in less than three hours and I’ve not delivered anything relevant or interesting. I’ve always taken pride in not writing the typical editor’s letter where I tell you what the table of contents already says. But, it may come down to that this time.

Nope. I won’t do it. Instead, I’ll tell you something much better. Our team has been working diligently to INCREASE the quantity and quality of articles we share with you each month. I’m sure you’ve noticed that we’re using the print magazine and www.ospmag.com as partners to share more educational articles that will help you do your job better. Interestingly, our marketing friends ran a bunch of stats and found that by joining the print and on-line product, we increased the quantity of strong articles we share with you by 93%.

So there. At least I’m doing something while I’m avoiding writing editor’s notes.

Does that earn me a bye? Not quite. In fact, my team is breathing down my neck to get this thing done and sent to the next step in the publishing process. So, I must apologize to you this month. I’ve rattled on about nothing to get my task done and check it off my list.

Thank goodness none of you have ever done anything like that before.

What is your experience with this? Tell your fellow readers now!