So Much Time, So Little to Do

Did you break your New Year's resolutions? Do you ever put off 'till tomorrow what you could have done today?  Of course you do.  But it's not your fault.  Scientists have discovered that people are hard-wired to procrastinate, a trait which allowed early man to conserve his resources to deal with the harshness of prehistoric life.  In fact, the ability to diligently accomplish an endless series of tasks is actually the result of a genetic mutation most commonly found in people of low intelligence.  Unbelievable, right? Well, yes, because I just made that up.  But still.


Forget those resolutions--they are nothing more than a yearlong to-do list. In fact, forget your daily to-do lists, too.  They are unreasonable. Embrace your inner procrastinator.  Your chores will wait for you.  I promise you nobody is going to break into your house and do your laundry and clean the refrigerator while you're out having lunch with a girlfriend.

Be honest: you're not going to finish all that stuff. And even if you do, there will just be a whole new list tomorrow.  You'll still do the really important stuff most of the time.  And if you screw up occasionally, oh well, it was bound to happen sometime, list or no list.

If you MUST keep a daily list, try keeping a "have-done list."  Instead of starting your day with a page full of obligations that puts you behind before your feet even hit the floor, begin your day with a blank sheet of paper.  Then every time you do something, anything, write it on the list.  You will be amazed at how much you accomplish every day.

Consider.  Last Saturday I woke up, daydreamed for a while, and had a couple of imaginary conversations.  I brushed my teeth, got dressed and went outside for the newspaper. Brought the trashcans in. Made coffee. Made toast. Buttered the toast. Ate toast and drank coffee. Read the paper. Did the "Jumble." Washed breakfast dishes. Folded a load of clean towels. Went for a walk. Took a shower, washed my hair, put in contacts, applied makeup, dried my hair, gave up on my hair and put hair in a ponytail. Dressed, made my bed, checked e-mail and Facebook, watched a little t.v. and checked the smoke detectors (which was the only thing that would have been on my to-do list if I'd had one). Drove to Starbucks, ordered a Cafe Americano and wrote this piece.  My have-done list had more than 25 things on it already. And it was only 11:30 in the morning.  See?

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