Stop wasting time and money!

For the first time in my life I would like to do something about procrastinating. Not only is it a time waster, but also a money waster too. Putting things off I usually end up just sitting there doing nothing.  From now on I am going to recognize when I am procrastinating and try to do something about it. When I find myself just sitting there doing nothing, I will say to myself, “you know, you are procrastinating.  What better thing can I be doing with my time?”  If I have only 15 to 20 minutes before going somewhere I will try to find something to do within my 15 to 20 minute time allotted. Lots of things, even if I don’t finish what I started, at least I have started it without that much less to do when I get back. I could organize the dishes to get set on before going on to something else.  That’s almost half the battle to at least get started. Groom myself just a little more than I have.  Say, pluck my eyebrows or even clean my glasses. I could take out the garbage or even water the plants.  Little things add up to a lot.

There are worse things than procrastinating like getting too much sleep or watching too much TV. Sometimes I have to sit down and ask myself if what I am doing worthwhile? Could I be doing something better with my time? Why make a to do list if I am not going to do anything on the list and just throw it away? Just sitting on the couch doing nothing but wasting time. Things have to get done.  The dishes pile up, food needs to be prepped, clothes need to be washed and hung to dry. Even taking a shower is supposed to be done every day.  Mail needs to be opened, sorted and taken care of whether in the trash or just bills to be paid. The car broke down.  What do I do now? That takes time to get fixed. The phone rings. People come over to visit.  All to be reminded that I have things to do but aren’t getting done.

I want to make time to write. I want to make time for music such as the guitar and the piano.  I need time to organize and clean.  I need to save money. The garbage disposer doesn’t work. I have to clean the place up to get that fixed or I will be written up for inspection. I have to wash dishes a certain way to accommodate the garbage disposal being broke. It’s Christmas and haven’t gotten the place cleaned up. Now it’s New Year’s and the place is sort of presentable. I keep reading on how to clean, I should just clean!  I need to make good use of my time. To quit procrastinating and just do it. That’s what my Mom has always said all along. I just never really realized the importance of it until now. I have 10 or 15 minutes here and there. If not I could make 10 or 15 minutes here and there by being just a little late to go to a friend’s house.  Go to the bank a little later or even the library. Sometimes I have two to three hours in the morning.  I should just put the dishes away, sweep and mop the floor, Vacuum.  Get some aural comprehension in if only for a little while.

Not being able to say No or I need more time to do other things is just as bad as procrastinating. Sure everyone else says no. Everyone else says they need more time to do other things.  Why not me? Maybe I am a bit of a push over. I should make time to make myself look nice and presentable to the public. Just because a telephone solicitor calls doesn’t mean I have to take the time to talk to them. Donations and get rich quick money making schemes need a big, fat no.  I don’t think I have ever been helped by a telephone solicitor.

I have got to keep improving on my to do list. I have got to keep improving on my goals and time management skills. I have got to keep on improving in general. I guess I have to keep studying myself and see what works and what doesn’t work. How can I do better than what I did the last time? What did I do right? What did I do wrong? Not to think, ok I have a whole day to play with and then not get anything done. Like mom has always said get all your work done and then you can play around. It took me this long to figure it out but maybe I will do it this time.

How does procrastinating waste time and money? Let me count the ways. I had a sack of potatoes that I should have prepped and cooked right away. I should have ate them right away too, but I didn’t. Weeks went by. Then months. My potatoes have turned soft, gooey and slimy. They left a big puddle of gook where I left them in the box and some gook spilled onto the floor.  Not only did I have to throw out the potatoes but everything else that was in the box like oatmeal and flaxseed bags. I still have to clean the gook the potatoes left on the floor. Now whenever I get potatoes or fresh produce for that matter I deal with them right away or the best I can. Sometimes I just get too much and can’t eat it all.

Another time I bought tweezers too soon. I thought I cleaned the bathroom to find a pair of tweezers. The one I found on the floor had been trampled on and bent out of shape. So, I decided to go to Walmart and get me another pair of tweezers. I thought I was smart by shopping around. I narrowed down my choices between two tweezers. One was $7 and the other was $1.93. So, naturally I picked the $1.93 one. A couple days later I decide to clean out my medicine cabinet in my bathroom. I found another pair of tweezers. I didn’t even have to go out and buy a pair at Walmart if I would have just kept looking, cleaning and organizing.

I think for my new year’s resolution I am not going to procrastinate, to always do something important with my time. I am going to prioritize, organize so I know where everything is at with a place for everything and everything in its place. I will make more time for me instead of just letting myself go.