I am possibly one of the worst procrastinators ever.

I put off and put off and put off simple tasks. Picking up that toy I’ve been tripping over. Feeding the sourdough starter. Getting out first thing in the morning to feed the animals. Preserving that batch of beets that was sitting in the fridge for far too many weeks.

You know what happens when I procrastinate?

My house falls apart. Food gets wasted. Bills get paid at the last minute. Library fines accrue. Animal cages take much longer to clean because they get messier than they should. I get stressed out because of so much to do that I should have been doing all along.

Procrastination makes more work for me. Those simple little tasks add up- and even multiply- as I ignore them. It seems that every time I let something go, it’s easier to let more go. And pretty soon, when I’ve let go of too much, it all becomes overwhelming. You try washing the dishes and feeding the animals and folding the laundry and practicing for a concert and working on the blog with small kids under your feet and chickens sneaking in the kitchen through the open door.

Hmm. Maybe I should have done those little things one at a time.

Procrastination is a time waster. I don’t want to do that work right now… instead, I want to_________________________ (fill in the blank). Just veg out a few minutes? Eat cake? Play on my phone? When I procrastinate, I put off the work that needs to be done in favor what is essentially a big distraction and waste of a few minutes… or an hour… or a day…

Procrastination can be costly, too. Didn’t preserve the food? I’ve wasted the time, money, and work it took for us to get it in the first place. Didn’t pay that bill that you forgot about? Now I’ve got a fee on top of the original payment.

Procrastination is an ugly monster that can undermine an otherwise pleasant routine.

It’s hard to change habits completely. I sort of fall into that undisciplined category by nature. BUT that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try to do better. Here are some of the things I’m working on:

• Tweaking (and sticking to) my morning routine to start my day off right.
• Eating my frogs first. (A.k.a., getting the least favorite tasks out of the way before anything else.)
• Making a habit of cleaning up right away. (Wash the dishes right after a meal, picking up the shoe on the floor instead of stepping over it, etc.)
• Taking care of my mail as it comes in instead of setting it down to handle later.
• Setting up a schedule in my planner for routine animal tasks (hoof trimming, coop cleaning, etc.)

Note that I said I’m working on these things. I’ve got a long way to go, friends.

Anyone else struggle with procrastination? How do you tackle it?