Coffee – then adulting.

I am pretty sure I got the order form for my daughter’s yearbook 3 months ago. When is it due? Tomorrow. Have I filled ordered the yearbook yet? No.

But I did put it on my nightstand as an in-your-face reminder to complete it. So that counts for something, right?

If you’re like me, you wait until the very last minute to complete something on a deadline – like paying bills. The bill may sit on your desk for days, weeks, or even months before you take action. A week -and-a-half worth’s of newspapers sit on the coffee table waiting to be read. Even my daughter has had to remind me of making a physical therapy appointment for her.

So why do we wait so long? Like putting away laundry or cleaning the fish tank, what makes us avoid these simple tasks?

As kids, procrastination was practically inevitable with every chore we were assigned. Turns out that hasn’t phased much since then. Now I have to be the one modeling behavior that I hope my kids will adopt, like putting away laundry before we run out of baskets to use. And we have at least 3.

Now, will not doing the laundry cause harm? Probably not. So it makes it easy to understand exactly why we avoid it. When we have so many other things we could choose to do for pleasure instead – like doom scrolling on the phone or watching TV – then we’re probably choosing those instead.

Even grocery shopping is a task that I cringe to do at times. Thank goodness for delivery services now, making it a bit more doable on days when I would rather do anything BUT that.

Maybe it’s just the tired brain (and body) saying NO or a brain function that I will never truly understand (as I am not a doctor or psychologist). It’s fascinating how our minds and bodies communicate their needs, often in ways that can be confusing or frustrating.

Sometimes, when we’re exhausted, our brains signal us to slow down, to take a break, or even to step back from the chaos of everyday life. This disconnect between what we want to do and what our bodies are telling us can lead to a deep sense of introspection, forcing us to confront the limits of our own endurance. Now I understand why it is many adults I know take off a day from work just to cross things off their “to-do lists.” It’s like your body has to catch up with your brain.

Multi-tasking has always been a requirement of our generation, but it was never a skill I naturally possessed. I feel the need to accomplish one thing before I start another; however, unfortunately, that mindset is not based in reality.

So as I sit here staring at bills that need to be paid in the next few days, wish me luck that I will pay them by 11:59 p.m. on their due date.