I have always been known as a day dreamer, people pleaser, and yes, if you can believe it or not, a big time procrastinator. If you've known me for a long time, then while reading the above sentence you gave a small chuckle, but still nodded your head in complete agreement!
As I've matured, (okay, just gotten older) I've worked hard to lasso in those fleeting thoughts and to spend more time being focused on what needs to get done. I've also learned that no matter how hard I try, there will no doubt be times when I can't please everyone, right? And making the time to make myself happy every once in a while isn't such a bad thing either.
But as far as procrastinating...ugh. I am notorious. It's not that I spend my days goofing off, or lounging around. I mean, come on: The last 14 months were spent moving 3 times, between 3 states, selling and buying 3 homes, unpacking, working on completing a master degree, oh yeah, and still squeezing in time to raise two small children, and try and calm the built up stresses compiling around my husband. I'm not making excuses, just telling like it is.
I really have tried to overcome this procrastination thing, I swear I have! But everyday new things pile up on my to do list and often other (sometimes more enjoyable-I'll admit it) events seem to get in the way of my accomplishing that ever-growing list.
With the New Year, however, I promised myself to work on it. I decided that I was over putting off today what I could do tomorrow! In fact, this past Monday, as I looked ahead to the kids return to preschool today, I tried hard to get back into routine mode. I tried to organize my thoughts, preparing and making a mental list of all that I needed to do the night before so that I wouldn't be frantic this morning trying to find matching clothes, misplaced lunch boxes, or pleading with my (sometimes turtle paced) 4-year-old son (also a day dreamer) to just (please, oh please) move a little bit faster!
Last night, I set out both my own and the kid's clothes, packed dry goods in lunch totes, found book bags and placed them by the door, decided on breakfast, and even set out bowls, spoons, cups and napkins. Wow, was I proud of myself! I even made it into bed by 9:45 pm, ensuring a decent amount of sleep for a 6:45 wake up call-despite foreseeing several middle of the night wakings by Nate, Jules and or the dogs (yes, the dogs actually paw at my arm as I lay in bed, begging for me to let them out just one more time!). After dropping off the kids at school, I planned to head to the library to work on my thesis- which I've been procrastinating the completion of for oh, about two years now!
So, just when I thought I'd step outside of my procrastination shell and actually prepared for something with great thought and intention, I still fell flat on my face.
1.) It somehow, still took me 45 minutes to get every one's lunches together (mine and Pete's included)
2.) Nate slept late, and took at least 30 minutes to properly wake up and be functional enough to sit at the table and eat breakfast (which of course I'd prepared slightly different than Juliana's resulting in his refusing to eat)
3.) I spent an extra 10 minutes scowering the kitchen for a travel coffee cup lid for my husband (who left the other two mugs in his office this week)
4.) Nate refused to begin the "getting dressed process" unless I was actually in his bedroom with him
5.) Shoes, I'd forgotten the shoes! Of course, all three sets of Juliana's had been (perfectly) hidden in a box in the dining room earlier yesterday
6.) I'd neglected to get together my own bag with computer, books, and other materials needed to work with at the library
7. ) And last but not least, I'd realized that I'd told myself last night that I would look up the library's opening hours this morning...and of course I remembered this after the laptop had been shut down and packed up in my bag...where were the darn phone books?
And so it was, despite my efforts, I was left with approximately 7 minutes to shower, dress and brush my teeth, before scooting out the door (forgetting breakfast for myself) 1 hour and 40 minutes after my 6:45 wake up call.
Ahhhhh....maybe I'll plan to be better at all of this tomorrow....
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