Posts tagged Housework
Why Procrastinate?
Sep 18th
Too much to do
Let us face it. There are way too many things for us to accomplish. As a teenager, there is schoolwork to handle, housework to be done and some of us have to even perform chores while others need to work to get their pocket money. With so much to do, sometimes we feel helpless and become paralysed, rooted to the ground, unsure of what exactly to do and this becomes not knowing where to start.
Yes, we sometimes feel so overwhelmed that we do not know where to start. Do I start with the Algebra assignment? Or the history paper that is due next week? What about this Friday’s geography test? How about the households chores I promised mum? The list goes on. This is one of the reasons why teenagers tend to procrastinate.
Too little time
With so much work, there is just too little time. If we spend eight hours a day on sleep and eight hours in school, that will leave us with eight hours to complete the rest of the task we have. And it certainly does not help when we procrastinate and delay finishing our work. According to the Parkinson’s Law, work will expand to fill the time available for us to complete it. So if we have a task that is due by tomorrow, chances are that we will probably get it done by tomorrow. However, if the same task is given a much later deadline, we will probably finish the assignment at a much later time. When we are given to much time to carry out a task, sometimes procrastination sets in and we simply delay the process of completing the task. What happens when several tasks have the same deadlines? For that, I think we might encounter a bit of a trouble especially when we need to rush through all the task to meet the same deadline. By procrastinating, we are wasting time and this eventually becomes a vicious cycle. No wonder some people say they do not have time!
Overcoming obstacles
By the size of the task, we need to come up with a plan to overcome these obstacles. One effective method is to break up the huge task into smaller and more manageable ones. People have come up with various names for it, from the “Slice and Dice” method to the “Salami” method to the “Sashami” method. Basically, they all mean the same thing which is to tackle the task “one piece at a time”. Make sure that each task is so small and simple that it does not require too much time and effort. When a specific task is completed, strike it off the list and go on to the next one. Maintain the momentum and very soon you will complete the entire task!
Strength For the Journey
Sep 7th
‘God is not in the great and strong wind, or the scorching fires of agitated feeling, but in the soft, almost imperceptible breeze of calmness. ‘ S. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Prince of Geneva, Annency 1603
What is the average day like for you? On a weekday, mine consists of the school run, an ever present to do list, daily writing, emails, phone calls, taxi service for the kids after school activities, housework, food, washing up, maybe a bit of radio or TV and maybe, just maybe a 20 minute walk through the fields in front of our house. Oh plus all those problems and challenges that life can throw at us. Hmmm.
Don’t get me wrong – I like this busy mix, in fact most of the time I thrive on it. Work is good, pressure can be good. Pressures causes rocks to fuse and become stronger. However, as the inspirational poster says life is a marathon not a sprint. Don’t know about you but I get to a point when my body feels like a runaway express train and my mind spins like a wooden top released from its whip. Here’s the great artist Leonardo da Vinci on the subject;
‘Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen.’
The culture we live in has become so full. We can now talk to each other 24 hours a day, we need never be alone with our thoughts. There’s always an electronic diversion. My question is whether sometimes our never ending projects and electronic diversions can drown out the still, small voice that invites us to draw apart, come away, be still and know that He is God.
Some days you may only find 5 minutes to be still. That’s OK. But at some point, you will require strength for the journey or a well deserved rest from your labours. Sometimes you may find that the Lord will lovingly enforce one! Take it, get off the highway and walk amongst the flowers.
There are times when we are called to fight. There are times when we are troubled, anxious, tired and overwhelmed. Jesus felt all of these things, He was not immune to the chaos and relentless buzz of life on this planet. But these were the times when He withdrew. He spent time away until the peace of God was greater than His troubles.
So let me encourage you to rest awhile. As hard as it is, as impossible as it looks. The time to rest is when you feel like you cannot possibly take a break. Be still and know that it is not all up to you, He is with you, He is able to do more than you can ask and imagine. Loosen your grip and let Him take the wheel. He knows the road better than anyone.
Have a good day.
