just do it

Do you ever feel like you spend more time dreading a project than you would spend actually doing the task itself?  There are so many times I do this...it's such a bad habit!  One day this week was such an eye opener for me.  When I played hookie on Wednesday I took the pressure off myself to get stuff done and I actually ended up accomplishing tons of little things.

My youngest earned several Scout badges back in May and I still hadn't sewn the badges on his uniform.  It's been on my to-do list...since MAY!!!  Every time I looked at the project and thought about it, I would think, "ohhhh...it'll take soooooo much time"!  whine, whine, whine... 

Well, yesterday I did it.  I sewed the patches on his uniform and you want to know how long it took me?  About 30 minutes.  For 4 months I've needed to do this, and it only took 30 minutes to complete.

Another "mountain" I tackled was the dishes.  It seems like by the end of the day our dishwasher is overflowing so there are always dishes left in the sink to either hand wash or wait until the next day when I can unload/reload the dishwasher.

I hate walking into a kitchen that looks like this!  How long does it take to actually clean it up?

Check the clock to see what time it is.  Let the clean up begin!

Dishwasher unloaded.  Dishwasher reloaded.  Hand washables washed, dried and put away.  Ahhhh....much better now!

And how long did it all take?  Less than 10 minutes!  Now why did it take me so long to do this?

What other things are needing to be accomplished that are bogging me down mentally?  Sometimes I wonder if I just did what needed to be done instead of making lists and putting unnecessary pressure on myself if it would seem easier?

I'm currently reading The Happiness Project.  The author is trying to eliminate the clutter in her home and adopted the philosophy to do immediately anything that can be accomplished in less than 60 seconds.  Finished with the paper?  Recycle it.  Finished with breakfast?  Put the dishes inside the dishwasher.  Just come in from the freezing snow or rain?  Hang up your coat instead of throwing it on the back of the chair.

What do you have that needs to get done that probably won't take near as long as you think it will?


Thank you for commenting on my posts!  

In response to my "frugal living for dummies" post:

Carla - Yes...there are other things that are free that I'd much rather do with my husband.

sft - The tip on "reading to one another" was in the section on frugal dates.  

Laura - The library is great isn't it!  I love to check out books on frugal living simply as a refresher or to see if there are new ideas that I'm willing to try!

And responses for "today i played hookie":

Carla - I hope you're feeling better!

sft - a nap would be wonderful!!!