Procrastination 101

Well it’s only Monday and this week’s already fucked.

No I’m not being a negative Nancy. It really is. And I’ve decided that’s OK.

Don’t get me wrong – I did start out with some pretty ambitious plans for this week. The Sensible Thoughts had been in and had a good long look at last week and decided that we really should get our act together.

They had taken stock of the overflowing washing basket, feral children and pile of unopened envelopes suspected to contain bills and decreed, in quite definitive terms, that next week would be THE WEEK.

The week when the shit (all of it) in all areas was comprehensively gotten together.

Specific sub-decrees also made by The Sensible Thoughts regarding this week included:

1. Family budget drawn up which will rigorously account for all expenses
Even if that does mean coming to terms with the alarming amount of disposable income which is spent on coffee.

2. Adopt a “clean as you go” approach and do some housework each day.
This will replace the current policy of leaving it all until the weekend, by which time it has assumed such epic proportions that I am totally demoralised before I even begin.

3. Come up with a plan for educational excursions & stimulating activites to do with the boys
Rather than chasing them off the computer every 5 minutes by bellowing “For god sake go outside an run around” like some kind of demented Field Marshall.

Their over all message was simple and to the point…

The Sensible Thoughts giving it to me with both barrells

So what happened I hear you ask?

Well as you’ve probably guessed I am a world class procrastinator.

I have an endless supply of things I can do to put off the things I SHOULD be doing.

Traditionally my favourite method of procrastination was reading. Being a quiet activity it allowed me to fly under the radar both at school and at home, giving the outward appearance of doing something useful while actually disappearing into the world of fiction.

These days my go-to procrastination activities include hanging around on various forms of social media and this blog. Special mention must also go to my boys who FORCE me to procrastinate by watching endless screaming goat videos on YouTube and also the “Duck Song”…

The Duck Song 2

If this doesn’t give you an earworm for DAYS then I don’t know what will.

In all honestly my procrastinating time is pretty limited these days.

As a parent and partner with a full-time job I tend to deal mostly in imperatives – things that must be done, that cannot be negotiated, avoided or even compromised slightly.

However life wasn’t always like this.

I was the type of vague and day-dreamy child that was always going to be better than most at avoiding the shittier parts of reality.

My procrastination tendencies probably reached their peak during the pre-kids years of my late adolescence and early twenties.

Whole days spent devouring novels instead of exam cramming.

Golden pub afternoon that dissolved in the warmth of cheap beer and bad pool.

Sleeping until 10 am… actually make that 11.00 am.

And while I can’t see myself returning to that peak state any time soon I am still regularly visited by Ms Screw-it who banishes The Sensible Thoughts with a well timed…

Ms Screw-it, looking uncannily like myself as a teenage dirt-bag 🙂

So that’s why I’ve decided it’s ok that this week is already fucked.

I’ve rather defer a few of the things I should be doing to spend a little more time doing the the things I love.

Delaying housework.

Putting off comparitive analysis of competing health fund premiums to ensure we are getting the most bang for our buck.

Losing the opportunity to have my tax return lodged on time.

Dodging the washing to spend the whole afternoon playing “Monocoly” with the boys.

Living life between the lines.

Rachel x