I have an extremely sophisticated subconscious Kitchen-work avoidance system. It seems that every time I walked into the kitchen today I intended to do dishes. I have very a very clear memory of deciding that the very next thing I needed to do with my day was dishes. In fact I have at least four memories of deciding that. I have zero memories of deciding to do something instead of dishes. It worked something like this:
Okay time to do dishes. But then I heard the dryer buzzer. If I switch the laundry loads they can be washing while I’m doing dishes. It’s like multitasking, I’m saving time. So I go switch the laundry loads. Then my office door is right there, so I check email “really quick.” Then I’d post in a forum. Then I’d break up a quarrel… hours later I’d end up back in the kitchen and remember Oh, that’s right I was doing dishes. Once again ready to start, I’d remember that the mail really needed to be in the mailbox before the mailman arrived. Then the garbage cans needed to come in. Then Patches needed a diaper change. Then laundry needed to be switched again. Then I was hungry and ended up back in the kitchen. Oh. Dishes. But I decided they’d be easier to do if I got my energy up by eating first. So I sat down with lunch and a book. Then I wandered out of the kitchen with my book. Then I went to make the squabbling kids play outside for awhile. Then I helped Link ride his newly training wheel-less bike. Then we all needed drinks and went back to the kitchen. Dishes. Determined to actually get them done I consciously decided against picking up my book again. I consciously decided against switching just one more load of laundry. I actually opened the dishwasher. This time I was determined to do absolutely nothing else until I’d unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher. Then Gleek and her friend had a meltdown which included biting. So I had to haul Gleek home and help her write an apology note. And Gleeks hair was a mess, so we gave her a haircut. Then she needed help finding the dress-up she wanted. And Patches was having issues with a computer game. And Kiki and Link were arguing over the television. It was time to put them all to bed. So I did bedtime. After bedtime is my moment of solitude and sanity. I get a few moments to unwind, to be by myself. I walked from the kids’ rooms into the kitchen. Yup, still dishes. But I need just a minute first, so I came downstairs and checked email. Then I checked forums. And now here I am writing this journal. Guess what I’m not doing?
Dishes?
As soon as I finished this post I went to the kitchen intent on actually doing those dishes which have haunted me all day. No sooner did I get the diswasher open, than my back brain started supplying brilliant ways to edit and tighten up the post. I felt the urge to run back downstairs and fix it quick before anyone had the chance to read it. Or maybe I should just go to bed…
I’m pleased to announce that I retain control over myself. I stayed and actually Did The Dishes!
Yeah, that’s me with dishes. And laundry. And taking out the trash. And schoolwork. And….
Vorn
Me too.
At this very moment I should be figuring out how back up my huge amount of data so I can fix my broken PC. I’ve also managed to avoid my real work for about a month and a half, and I’m still coming up with “urgent” tasks that need to be completed before I can continue.
*sigh* I think I need a motivation update.
Yay you!
I’m glad you have a dishwasher, at least. But I know how that doesn’t make it easier to get the momentum to start …. 🙂 I usually do the dishes when I’m in the kitchen fixing dinner. Or I let Lut do them. 🙂 But we don’t have kids underfoot to distract us!
Hmmm, insight. If this is happening to you, an adult, maybe it also explains why my kids can take two hours to poorly (usually incompletely) do a chore that by rights they should be able to complete properly in 15-20 minutes.
Does this mean I’m going to start cutting them more slack, probably not, then it would be six hours.
Bah Humbug! This post is only a reminder that I have to go do my dishes :/
Glad yours are done though 🙂
Well, they WERE done, but now they need doing again. Dishes and laundry are forever.
LOL! What makes this so very funny is that I have a dishwasher full of clean dishes calling to me at this very moment.
I get High Motivation / Urge to do the dishes once a week or every other week. Then the dishes get done, the counter gets uncovered and the kitchen gets to sparkle. The rest of the days are EXACTLY like you describe minus 2 kids worth of attention needing.
Thank goodness Ross gets the urge to clean the kitchen once a week or every other week too.
What is it about dishes that makes us want to make lunches, change a diaper, or weed the garden MORE than do dishes? Even with a dishwasher!?
Does anybody REALLY like doing dishes?
ADD Journal
This sounds like a stereotypical Attention-Deficit Journal, only in your case it’s not “Ooh, Shiny Thing!” so much as “Ooh, Less Icky Thing!”
Also, your Shiny Things don’t get interrupted with other Shiny Things….
I was going somewhere with this post but I got distracted and now I’ve forgotten where that was.
Re: ADD Journal
My life is too dull to be interrupted by shiny things. 😉