Procrastination

I thought about writing this last week, but I had better things to do.
(If you didn't at least smile at that, stop reading)

No, seriously though, this really only came to me today.
I guess some could say that blogging is just another form of procrastination, seeing as I have so much writing to do. For me it isn't though. Writing down these thoughts helps to clear them from my brain and leave my mind, if only for a short while, a little less cluttered. So onto today's topic: Brought to you by the teenager

I don't quite understand it, the idea of procrastination. I mean I know I must do it myself, although I do try to not do it consciously. Every day though it seems as if I am surrounded by perpetual procrastination.

Now I am a PAINFULLY organized person, if it isn't in the schedule, it doesn't happen. I am up at the same time every day I follow nearly the exact same schedule every day. Laundry is done at the same time each week, dinner is made at the same time each night, you catch my meaning. I am probably some classification of crazy. I did not come by this genetically. Sadly for my step kids, my husband is very much like me, albeit in slightly different ways.

It would seem their form of teenage rebellion has decided to take the form of complete and utter chaos. It would take an act of God to find something in either of their rooms, and heaven forbid they try to keep even a slight handle on their own schedules. Both are in high school at this point, so they really should be in keeping track of, at the very least, the things that matter to them. Yet it seems like almost a daily occurrence that I hear the phrase, or some variation of it, "I didn't have time" or "I almost forgot". I can't help but think, and occasionally say, "You did have time", "you've had weeks", "you've known about that for months", and I shake my head and move on, a little more bewildered by the human psyche then I was before.

If something is important, I mean really important, I would think that procrastinating would never be an issue. Yet paperwork for leadership camp, transportation arrangements for parties, sign up forms for activities and things they want to do with school, even down to a simple thing like a grocery list each week, continually fall by the wayside, despite endless reminders. Yet, when these things don't happen, it's always a disappointment, always a surprise that things didn't magically come together to lay down a golden path of perfection before their feet. And again I am puzzled.

I will add, for anyone who doesn't know me, I'm a bit insane, I will arrange to be somewhere 15 minutes before I really have to be, rather than be even 1 minute late. The idea of ignoring deadlines, or trying to pull strings to get what I want, or expecting someone else to do all the legwork, it is a very foreign concept. They are also not concepts these kids were raised with. We live in a 'if you want something done, get off your butt and make it happen' house. If you want something above and beyond your allowance you have two options, wait and save up or take on some extra jobs to earn a bit more. That is not to say there aren't treats, but frankly there is a difference between the occasional treat and spoiling your kids. If you don't know the difference, guess what, you’re probably doing the later.

How many opportunities must be lost, how many once in a lifetime things will be slept through all because of the idea that everything will just work out. Get off that butt, do what needs to be done. Got a project or assignment? GET TO WORK! If you don't you can't sit there and wonder why it didn't get done, or why it didn't turn out how you expected it too. You put it off, you didn't give it you undivided attention when you should have, it wasn't going to do itself.

Things can only be as good as the work you put into them, the effort you invest. So what's it going to be?