I believe that every human being has been born with exceptional skills. We have an amazing capacity to love, to think, and to cause change. I believe that we also have two demons: self degradation and fatigue. With all of that passion and hard work sometimes that little demon of fatigue and laziness plagues our mind. The result of that demon dragging our feet and building excuses is procrastination. Sadly, as we listen we enhance our skills to procrastinate.
This skill typically is enhanced by the daily laundry lists of tasks we have to complete. Laundry being at the top of my most personal loathed to-do’s. It does not help that my laundry is not in my apartment unit. So I have to separate my clothes, carry it and my detergent down the stairs and across the parking lot to the quarter sucking closet of a Laundromat. Then as my clothes was I walk back up the stairs to do something for twenty-six minutes only to go back down to move that load to the dryer and another to wash for twenty six minutes. It is the most repetitive, boring thing of adulthood and I hate it.
Now that is not the only task I put off until I run out of what I need. Many times throughout the day I neglect cleaning a bowl here, a fork there, and a cup or six all day. Then after a long day of school, work, homework, friends, notes, tests, and evidently eating, the last thing I want to do is splash hot water and soap around while standing on the hard linoleum floor of my apartment. I would much rather take off my makeup, brush my teeth and crawl into my unmade bed to stare at my phone and watch cooking videos. But if I do that I will be eating my cereal out of a mug and buying paper plates I simply do not need.
Not only do I do this with medial daily tasks but also with things like moving. Moving is awful and who ever tells you otherwise either had movers, packers, or are liars. After living with my husband for six months I can finally say that I have unpacked all of our moving boxes. It took me calling a girlfriend over and making her tell me to throw things out that I do not need. Why did that have to take forever? Now I can actually see the carpet in our functioning office, it only took four hours and a distraction.
At the end of the day, I hate chores, I hate having to clean, budget money, and run out of conditioner before shampoo. However, the feeling of going to bed with your laundry folded, the dishes done, and a new day breaking while you snooze is pretty amazing. Just get it done. Dig in, use that passion I know you have and kick that demon out of your mind. You are amazing and you do not have time to let something silly distract you and keep you from changing the world. Get those gloves, Clorox wipes, windex, and detergents together and get it done.
You will feel rewarded I promise.
Love,
Reach for Roots 