De-Motivation

When it comes to completing a schedule or a "To-Do" list, I can be my worst enemy.  Don't ge me wrong, I'm not the personality type that is too susceptible to creating excuses or just whiling away the time through procrastination.  All of my life I have had to keep a body part moving (even in my sleep) and I can get cabin fever rather quickly if I don't keep busy.  No, I unfortunately fall vicitim to self-sabotage.

I can crank out the most impressive "Monday To Do List".  As a writer, I must spend most of my time writing even on days when I just don't feel like or can't manage to envision where the story goes next.  I can read over that list first thing Monday morning (which isn't exactly first thing, mind you) firmly set on knocking out each item in order.  But somehow, I get led astray every time.

Okay, fold laundry, take upstairs and put away.  That's an easy warm up to my day.

I fold the laundry and trudge up the stairs which can seem like the stairway to heaven some days.  I place the pile of warm, folded clothes on the bed, turn to get hangers and spy a used glass lounging by the bed.  I think, if I don't take that down to the kitchen now, I will forget and it'll sit there another day.  So, back down I go.  I rinse the glass out and go to put it in the dishwasher when I realize that last night's now clean dishes didn't get put away.  Well, if I leave those, then the man may mistakenly start adding dirties tonight so those better get put up.

Finally done putting away the dishes and wiping down the counters, of course, I realize the dog food bin needs refilling.  Well, that's just out the garage door.  Grabbing the food and refilling take only moments, but upon replacing the large bag in the garage I spy a box full of office supplies.  Now how did that get out here?  It goes upstairs in the office/activity room.  Better take that up before it gets left out here in the cold and that jacks up the pens and such.

Upstairs I realize that I've left the laundry on the bed, so I go back in our bedroom.  The first shirt to hang is winter clothing and of course that goes in the spare room closet across the hall.  I hang that and notice the thin layer of dust on the furniture.  Already time to dust again.  I quickly grab a duster and wipe everything down.  I see my old boots that were to get donated to the thrift store.  Those shouldn't be up here.  They should be down in the donation box.

I traipse back downstairs and drop them in the box.  Wait...that blanket doesn't belong there.  It's the dogs' ratty sleeping blanket.  In the laundry room however, a pile of shirts for drycleaning are laying where the blanket should get deposted.  Those better get run to the cleaners or they will never be done in time for wear this week.  And I really should get some stuff for dinner while I'm out.  It really will be a quick trip and it's still early enough (well...early enough for me) that I can certainly take a quick 15 minutes and get back home.

But it takes more like an hour to get to the cleaners and through the store.  And of course, I'm right up the street from that one place that has that Christmas present I should really go ahead and get before it slips my mind, again.  A quick glance at the clock leaving that store shows me that it's lunchtime and I should probably run something out to my man since I won't be home in time to get a sandwich pulled together.  But I better make it quick or I'm liable to miss that appointment I setup last week and nearly forgot about.

Once on my way back home, it comes to mind that I promised to send my daughter those pics of the dogs I took over the weekend.  I get those posted just as soon as I walk in the door and see a Facebook update email which encourages me to sign in where I inevitably get caught up in all the updates I'm scrolling through.  Thirty minutes later and I think, I should take a shower now instead of later so I don't go to bed with wet hair like last night.

And now, well I might as well do my hair and makeup.  Better to look good than risk looking bad.  By the time I make my way downstairs, the sun is setting and if I don't start on dinner we won't eat until late and that's never a good idea.

Then my boyfriend is home and we chat a bit and catch a quick show before making our way to bed.  While turning out the lights and locking up, I spy a sliver of paper about to fall from the table to the floor.  I push it back in place and notice it's the list I'd made the previous evening.

To Do:
Put away laundry
Blog
Write
Respond to emails
File paperwork
Organize coupons

Well, damn.  I snatch the pen up next to it and draw a line through Monday, scribbling Tuesday next to it before pinning it to the fridge with a magnet where it will most certainly get overlooked completely tomorrow.