Tag: procrastination

Earth Day Reflections

We left our leaves in piles in our backyard all winter. They have been covered with snow, peaking through with each thaw. Now, they are wet, muddy reminders of the consequences of our procrastination.

We had some good reasons for not cleaning up our yard during the fall. We were busy with preschool commitments. I finished my master’s program. Matt worked more hours.

We didn’t realize how much debris would accumulate in our yard.

We thought we would have more time before the first snow.

There are so many examples of this in our lives. We avoid or underestimate the work. We put off tasks we need to complete or conversations we need to have. We don’t anticipate the amount of time something will take and, as a consequence, miss our window of opportunity.

Earth Day started in 1970 to promote awareness and activism for environmental protection. A worldwide event, Earth Day reminds us that now is the time to change our actions towards human-driven pollutants before the damage to our environment becomes irreversible. While large policy change seems to be a reoccurring issue in the U.S. government, even small changes from throwaway to reusable, can help the environment (and your wallet).

This Earth Day (or sometime this summer), plant a tree, choose a reusable or sustainable option and make a conscious decision to be more mindful of opportunity. We regret the things we don’t do,

Pile of leaves
Piles of leaves

 

 

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I spend too much time on Pinterest

I feel as if I am one of those really annoying dieters. I talk a lot about dieting, do it for a few weeks and then fall back into my old habits. However, I would replace the word “dieting” with the word “writing.”

Hello, my name is Sara and I am a binge writer.

For a week or two, maybe a few more than just a few days, my thoughts are consumed with writing. What will I say? What witty observation can I make about myself, or life, or social events that others will be able to relate to? How can I use vocabulary that will interest my readers but will also inspire them to think out of the box? What are my goals with writing this piece? Or that piece? Or using this word?

Yes, it is rather obsessive. But again, how many dieters do you know who will obsess over the products they put into their bodies? I know several.

And, I suppose that if we are going to continue with the dieting analogy, then Pinterest is my secret stash of chocolate I save for “emergencies.” This is, of course, all fine and dandy except for the fact that the definition of what actually constitutes an “emergency” is a little blurry:

  •  A bad day at work, an hour of searching through DIY projects will cheer me up.
  • I want to go shopping, but my rather limited bank account stops me, so let me just cruise around the Women’s Fashion pages as I look for new ways to wear the clothes I already have.
  •  I’m bored and my boyfriend is playing video games. Pinterest it is.

Just as dieters have books on nutrition, weight loss, and alternative usages for cauliflower (yes, thank you Pinterest), I have stacks of books and magazines dedicated to the craft. And they get about as much use as the scale I hide in my bathroom.

Just a quote about writing.

So what do I do? Well, the proverbial “they” say that the road to change begins with admitting that change needs to happen. I’m just not sure if I’m ready to delete my Pinterest account just yet.

I wrote this post didn’t I?

Just a quote about writing.