The Dirty Word That Sidetracks Me. It Should Have Stayed on the Other Side of the Tracks!
By Marsha
@MarshaMusselman (38659)
Midland, Michigan
April 22, 2017 10:56am CST
There are so many things that I need to get done each day and so much left undone by days end. My daughter is moving back at the end of this month and I need to continue to clean out her room. Her room is the place I've put all my bookkeeping once it's been put into the computer first. I have piles and piles of paperword. Most of it just needs to be filed in one of the many file drawers that I have throughout the house, but some will need to be thrown away too I hope.
I just discovered that she will be here with another load of her stuff within ten minutes. I'd hoped to make a huge dent by the time I saw her next, but I thought that wouldn't be until next weekend.
I did get up at a decent hour this morning. I began my day with some exercises and then did my payroll for the week. There's still a lot I need to do with my computer today, but I also want to move some desks around to make room for my daughter again.
Most of this could have gotten done already this week after we did the windows we accomplished, but instead I hung out here some and played solitaire tournaments on facebook.
Can you guess what that dirty word is? Possibly I'm not the only one that has problems with it. And then I almost forgot to name it. Procrastination. Never used to get me, but it does now.
12 people like this
13 responses
@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
23 Apr 17
I'm hoping it's not becoming my middle name, but it may be too late to hope for that. If I'd at least get up every hour or so that I'm on the computer and do something productive I'd feel a bit better about things.
@paigea (35701)
• Canada
22 Apr 17
I am a life long procrastinator. I am leaving tomorrow and need to clean the whole house
, get the taxes done, 2 mystery shop reports and pack and prepare for one mystery shop on the way tomorrow and print off pages for another mystery shop next week while away. I would like to bring the printer but I would have to sneak it into my suitcase, my husband would never agree.
I had hoped to get to see my Aunt in the city but just did not have time this week. And I would have had time if I had been more on top of things. Procrastination really is an annoying habit to have.
I did set up my record keeping a bit better in January this year, so next year at tax time I will be a bit more on top of things.
I hope your daughter will be a big help to you once she is living with you.
, get the taxes done, 2 mystery shop reports and pack and prepare for one mystery shop on the way tomorrow and print off pages for another mystery shop next week while away. I would like to bring the printer but I would have to sneak it into my suitcase, my husband would never agree.
I had hoped to get to see my Aunt in the city but just did not have time this week. And I would have had time if I had been more on top of things. Procrastination really is an annoying habit to have.
I did set up my record keeping a bit better in January this year, so next year at tax time I will be a bit more on top of things.
I hope your daughter will be a big help to you once she is living with you.1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
22 Apr 17
She's already asked if she can reorganize my pantry and smaller closets.
@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
22 Apr 17
@paigea I don't know. We're using a bookshelf unit in the kitchen for our extra foods and I think it looks fine but a few things are falling over. Maybe she'll just be straightening that out. Our closet gets everything thrown in and it's hard to get to. That needs to be done too which I do every once in a while but I keep throwing things like grocery bags in there when there's too many for the bag holder.
@paigea (35701)
• Canada
22 Apr 17
@MarshaMusselman Is she good at that? I am not so I would love someone to do that for me. My husband can organize it so it LOOKS good. But it does not make sense how he groups things.
1 person likes this
@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
26 Apr 17
I am afraid that I suffer from the same disease. We should start a support group!
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@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
30 Apr 17
@MarshaMusselman Oh I could give you a very long and complete list of things that I need to do but I procrastinate on. 
I started out this year so well. I cleaned the laundry room really well and a few other places but now I am at a stand still. I am the same way with filing. I did make one step in the right direction. Every year, I keep the kid's homework and artwork sent home from school. Normally, I would pile these on my desk or anywhere I could put them. This year I purchased large trays to keep them in. I was even able to color code them. Dark blue for Lil Keith, sky blue for Adam and green for Elijah. Now when summer rolls around and I have received all of their homework and art, I will have it all together in one place, instead of here, there and everywhere else.
I started out this year so well. I cleaned the laundry room really well and a few other places but now I am at a stand still. I am the same way with filing. I did make one step in the right direction. Every year, I keep the kid's homework and artwork sent home from school. Normally, I would pile these on my desk or anywhere I could put them. This year I purchased large trays to keep them in. I was even able to color code them. Dark blue for Lil Keith, sky blue for Adam and green for Elijah. Now when summer rolls around and I have received all of their homework and art, I will have it all together in one place, instead of here, there and everywhere else.@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
26 Apr 17
Maybe I just did. I'm not sure how that would work. If we all got together the days we should be doing certain things, then we'd be in the same boat, lol. It could be, also, that we expect too much of ourselves and do just fine the way we are. But, no, I know that I'm not quite there. If I were to put things away including filing as I go it would be different.
We've been reading lots of good books via church and although they've not covered procrastination, I feel more convicted now to make some changes than I did before. The problem is there is so many things to do how to decide on which one when? Maybe I'll discuss that problem later on.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
23 Apr 17
What's the longest you've gone with something you hoped to get done one day? I'd say for my filing and clearing out the extra bedroom about three years. I will say that since about then I began working full-time as a cashier and then running our window business too, so that's sort of a good excuse. But, now that I'm on mylot and before this bubblews, that was what kept me from doing whatever needed done or what ever was on my list before.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17099)
• New Zealand
23 Apr 17
@MarshaMusselman not sure about the longest time - unless you men that unfinished knitting sitting in my wardrobe! Yes, it is easy to use sites like this to avoid things getting done. That's why I'm not on here as often as I used to be.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
26 Apr 17
@valmnz I meant anything in the past or now, not necessarily what you have waiting for you in your closet/wardrobe.
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@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
23 Apr 17
Oh, one of my favorites! Thought about starting a club for those of us who feel it is a wonderful thing.
1 person likes this
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
23 Apr 17
@MarshaMusselman Maybe you will be able to do better at some point. Others will never do better and always be procrastinators.
Maybe it is in their DNA? Learned behavior? Not sure.
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@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
23 Apr 17
Well, I don't think I feel it's a wonderful thing. In fact, that's probably the one thing that stresses me out the most at present. When I'm up and awake and have the time, it doesn't bother me, but when I can't sleep at night I think about doing some of those put-off things and realize I shouldn't or I might wake everyone else up.
So,.I've been trying to do better, but haven't been succeeding so much.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
26 Apr 17
@PatZAnthony Well, I didn't use to be this bad. It was probably since I had to take over the running of the business and then I also went full time at my regular job. When you're done working you want a break and to sit, although if you never get up or get at what needs done no one else will either.
Hopefully when I can work less hours again, but that may not be for about five more years, then I can reverse this tendency. But, if the last couple of months are any indication, I may have to really work at it to make the right progress.
I have a daughter that likes to organize moving back in so maybe I'll make more progress than I have been thus far.
@LadyDuck (458230)
• Switzerland
23 Apr 17
@MarshaMusselman I sometimes wait a few days, may be even a full week, but no more.
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@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
23 Apr 17
@LadyDuck I shouldn't put it off at all since I work so much normally. That causes it to go to the end of the line with my tasks as there are certain things that need attending to on a regular basis whether I like it or not.
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@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
23 Apr 17
Eventually, you probably even do those things that you don't much like as we all do. Some of us just wait years rather than a few days.
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@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
23 Apr 17
I'm guessing that probably the only people that don't procrastinate is those type A personalities that tend to work for the joy of it not because it's a need. THe rest of us are at different stages all through life.
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@marguicha (215480)
• Chile
22 Apr 17
I cant even imagine my shock if one of my daughters moved in with me again. I have a big house but, for some reason or other, I have managed to fill every room with my things.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
22 Apr 17
I have plenty to do even without her moving back. She talked about moving back in some time ago and then moved to the other side of the state, so I wasn't expecting it.
I've needed to work on that room of hers for the past several years ever since I took it over. Normally, I'm working two jobs and use that as my excuse. Right now I'm recuperating from knee surgery so I have more time.
@LovingMyBabies (85127)
• Valdosta, Georgia
23 Apr 17
I do put things off now and then. I think everyone does at times. =) I hope you got more done!
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@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
23 Apr 17
I'm hoping that by the time I have to go back to working again that I'll have all the different spots around here cleaned up and organized. In order to do that, I need to stay away from here a bit more than I have been because I'm not taking the crew out to do windows some even though I'm not doing much of the work yet.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
23 Apr 17
Mine just sits on my shoulder it seems. I've gotten a bit more done today, but I also need to do some claims for my flex card and it's a task that is still waiting on me.
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@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
24 Apr 17
@MarshaMusselman Good for you in getting all that done. So you are swapping one daughter for the other
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@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
24 Apr 17
I actuallty got a considerable amount of stuff done today. I weeded a patch in the front yard three different times. Mainly because I could only manage doing it for about ten minutes each visit. It's not my knee or leg that is the problem now but mainly my back. I really need a bunch of adjustments to get it back to normal again after limping on my leg for seven months and having sciatica before that.
I sprayed cleaner in the bathroom on the tub and on two burners on the stove. Hopefully I'll feel like working on those before bedtime. I've begun two loads of laundry and taken out the garbage for tomorrow. And, vacuumed for a few minutes in my bedroom and moved a small cabinet there which will be my end table.
It turns out my younger daughter is moving out before the older one returns so the one coming back can have the other one's room and that gives me more time to organize in the extra room.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
22 Apr 17
If you don't manage it today there is always tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after and next week, next month, next year! 
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@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
22 Apr 17
That's my problem exactly. I actually got one computer desk from the dinette where I have my computer out into the living room to replace two tv trays that my husband uses.I did a bit of vacuuming too, but not too much.
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@Happy2BeMe (99399)
• Canada
22 Apr 17
I am a procrastinator too so I get it. I've been going to reorganize my spare room for the past three weeks and it still isn't done. It will get done eventually.
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@MarshaMusselman (38659)
• Midland, Michigan
23 Apr 17
I've been thinking of doing the one room for the past three years, so three weeks isn't nothing. But, now that my daughter wants and needs her room back I need to quit sidestepping that one anymore. My younger daughter rarely sleeps home these days. By years end she'll probably move in with her boyfriend that may by then be her finance. If she moved now, I'd still want to work on the smaller room I just wouldn't be so rushed.
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