Procrastination is Costly
For so many people they are just naturally organized, they don’t overpack their calendar, know when to say no and can prioritize the important things in life. That is not me. I constantly feel like I’m going from one fire to the next- regardless of my planner system or intentions. Last weekend was no exception. We were planning a going away celebration for my youngest kiddo, as he heads off for a career as a commercial pilot. It’s a big deal; I’m going to miss him more than he’ll ever know and I wanted him to know just how proud we are of all that he’s accomplished and how excited we are for what he’s going to do in life.
Still, between work and life I was constantly pulled in other directions and didn’t get to prioritize the planning. Having ADHD, I’ve lived my life with that last minute crunch. I should replace crunch with panic. Yes, I can get a lot done when there’s no other choice, but I was reminded, yet again, of the cost of procrastinating. Regardless of the reason, I put it off and that lack of organization was costly. That little send-off proved three important points:
It’s expensive. Waiting until the last minute, I didn’t shop for the best deal, buy things ahead of time or even keep track of what I already had. I knew we were ordering food but still felt the need to make a Costco run and grab anything we might need. I ended up with a lot of food that we didn’t need and with much of it being perishable, it was a sad waste of money. Because I was in such a hurry, I didn’t pay enough attention to the size of plates I ordered. When they arrived, I discovered that everyone would have to eat from dessert plates. I picked the set I ordered because they could arrive in time instead of reading the full description.
It’s stressful. Let me just say that opening those plates sent me into a panic since I knew they wouldn’t work. Running around grabbing things last minute added so much unnecessary stress. I was impatient, my husband was grouchy and it was not a pleasant experience. I opened the photo backdrop to discover it needed to be steamed, which meant more time that I hadn’t budgeted for. Had I planned properly, I could have taken care of that ahead of time, but instead it was added to a very long list of last-minute tasks. A huge piece of fabric that covered up one wall, steaming that wasn’t something that could be rushed. More stress. Hosting events is always stressful, hosting with limited preparation magnifies it.
It steals joy. This is probably the biggest one for me. Instead of feeling elated with pulling off a successful sendoff, I just felt guilty. The lack of organization robbed me of savoring the moment. I’m not sure when we’ll all be together again, or if we’ll ever all be together again with extended family. Instead of focusing on quality time with family and friends, I was consumed with things I might have missed. The worst part was that I was aware of it in real time but just couldn’t stop. Perfection and procrastination go hand in hand, but they are a lethal combination. I had procrastinated but still wanted perfection.
The veggies I had to chop were barely touched, no one ate any of the salad I threw together, and I had to beg people (with the exception of my dad) to try the frozen soda. I needed to focus more on my company. Instead of making happy memories, I gave my family a little ball of stressed energy- like the Tasmanian Devil cartoon- whirling about instead of engaging. I have the photos to prove it. I was able to run through the shower before everyone arrived, but it was literally a rinse since I didn’t have time to wash my hair. Between the bags under my eyes and my hair clearly just pulled out of a ponytail, I was not presenting my best self. Not even close.
Fortunately, they don’t care. They don’t care if my hair is a mess, if my skirt is wrinkly or if the food isn’t the perfect temperature. They came to see the people; to celebrate my son and enjoy each other’s company and I need to take a lesson from that. People always come first. Instead of beating myself up and having the typical mom guilt, I’m going to work on letting this one go and focus my attention on the next opportunity. I’m going to use this one as a lesson, one of many. I’m clearly a very slow learner.
A little bit of planning is all it takes to prevent the chaos. Life gets busy and there are so many things pulling us in every direction, but I need to slow down a bit and remember what’s important. The people I love and making memories together. When I remember it’s the people that matter, it’s so much easier to prioritize. Fortunately, we have a birthday coming up, so I’ll get another chance to prove myself.