Cutting it close

There's nothing like a good dose of procrastination.

I am very, very good at it. It's not that I like the adrenaline rush of getting an assignment in at the last minute, it's usually that I'd rather do something else and know I can get both accomplished. Either that, or I never really wanted to do the initial thing at all.

That's the joy of being an adult. You can make choices not to do things if you just don't feel like it. Okay, not everything. Well, actually...you don't have to do things, but you do have to live with the consequences.

Take for instance, if you fail to pay your mortgage on time, eventually, you will lose your house or have your credit score lowered. If you fail to clean your home, you may be embarrassed to have people over for social occasions. If you fail to show up for work, you will hear about it from your employer and put your income at risk. If you fail to wash the dishes, you may not have enough pots and pans to cook your next meal.

I'm more of a leave the clean, folded laundry on the couch kind of gal. I also have a bad habit of not getting to the dishes until there are enough to fill the dishwasher. Not the best habit, I admit, but I'd rather sit down after being on my feet all day than spend another 20 minutes emptying and refilling the dishwasher when I get home.

Here's the thing. I know, logically, that I feel better when my laundry and dishes are put away. I like having a clean sink and countertop and enough room to stretch out on the couch without fear of knocking over a stack of t-shirts or wiggling my feet under three pairs of neatly folded flannel pajamas.

Luckily, I do put my things away when I need or want to. No one is forcing me to keep a spotless home. I don't feel pressure to do so. That said, the sense of accomplishment when surfaces are cleared, when closets and drawers are full (and not my sofa), and I can think about something other than the things I need to put away.

Welcome to days off, when lists get written and crossed off, when errands supplant household chores, and when juggling both brings in Shabbat with a sense of pride and calm, peace of mind that is allowed when you can focus your mind on creative pursuits, on the next book to read, on being with friends and family, on planning that trip or garden.

I look forward to that calm this Shabbat, once I figure out how to prioritize my list.