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I just find it funny. It's so predictable! And I always wonder why, if the question or topic doesn't apply to one (speaking generally now), people feel compelled to participate in the conversation anyway, boasting how it doesn't apply to them. Another example is the inevitable "Alone for the Holidays" contributors humble-bragging that they are not alone... But it takes all kinds on C-D!
I just find it funny. It's so predictable! And I always wonder why, if the question or topic doesn't apply to one (speaking generally now), people feel compelled to participate in the conversation anyway, boasting how it doesn't apply to them. Another example is the inevitable "Alone for the Holidays" contributors humble-bragging that they are not alone... But it takes all kinds on C-D!
The OP asked a question and people are answering it. The OP DIDN’T say only answer if you are like me.
Same; I understand. And even things that should be a pleasure, like sitting down and mapping out the trips I want to take this year (so the schedules don't conflict with each other) and working out the logistics get shoved to the back burner, even though I very much want to do those things. It's puzzling! I just seem to have lost all my drive and ambition - as well as motivation - for even the smallest tasks. I didn't send out Christmas cards for the first time in decades even though I wanted and planned to. Day after day, it just didn't happen. Dishes and laundry, for example, which I used to dash off without a thought on weekends between other activities while I was working, now sit and wait to a ridiculous degree, and it takes a Herculean effort to even begin them. It's as if I'm torpid; all rather strange. Yet if I have someplace to go, something to do, or someone to see, I have no problem at all getting up, getting ready, and getting myself out the door, and I enjoy that.
What do you, OP, think is behind this phenomenon?
For me, I think I'm just fed up and have had enough. My life has been very disciplined and work focused. Not much fun - never time for fun. I used to marvel at those people who go skiing or water skiing on weekends - like "How do you have time?" Also, I thought certain things were going to happen that didn't happen. I worked and went to school and have an advanced degree and at one point was working on a Ph.D. for YEARS on end - had such discipline - sitting down at the computer, writing for ten hours at a time. I remember one time my back hurt so bad I wanted a massage but literally thought a 15 minute chair massage was taking too much time away from my tasks.
I gave up a lot of time and it turns out it was for nada.
And I'm much more intolerant than I ever was before and I get tired. Just aging stuff, I think. Before, I had endless energy - could work all day, take care of kids/grandkid, drive hundreds of miles a day - no biggie - come home, do housework, pay bills, do taxes (!!!) - not a problem. Now it's a problem due to my lack of energy and wanting to be doing other stuff and not being able to figure out how to accomplish some things (have a list of things I can't accomplish - problem things I can't figure out how to solve).
I really don't know how super old people get things done after awhile and was so curious how they deal with taxes because that's an every year demon to wrestle with, for everyone.
The OP asked a question and people are answering it. The OP DIDN’T say only answer if you are like me.
Well, I'll give you that much. The question was "do you notice?" and for you the answer is "no." That's fair, and different from most posts. Thanks for sharing!
I have a separate checking account for our rental with its own debit card and every single expense gets paid out of that account, either by auto-pay, check, or debit card. Then it's simple to take the statements for the year and transfer them to an excel spreadsheet that's already set up with the vendor names and various columns for each expense category needed for the tax forms. The spreadsheet totals the various categories and voila! Enter those figures into Turbo Tax and e-file. Easy-peasy.
That is very smart. I wish I was that smart! Not kidding. Just lazy!
I hate doing taxes, too. So my "solution" is to get it done with as soon as I can. I duplicate last year's spreadsheets and note to my accountant, and change them as needed. But the template is there for each task, and I'm not re-inventing the wheel each year.
Yes, that's smart. I know that someone could come in and show me how to do things smarter, but I just don't know who that someone is. I really need hand-holding to set up a system that would work for me.
I always have a list of things that need to be done and if I have a day with nothing planned I work on completing items on my list. I find it very satisfying to cross things off the list. Also now that I’m not working full time I have the time to keep my house immaculate which also feels good.
I always do my spring cleaning in April but had a bad snowstorm so was home for a few days so did it all. Then I realized February is a much better month to accomplish those tasks versus wasting the good weather in April. I put everything on my calendar so next year when I get to February it will remind me to spring clean.
I gathered all my tax paperwork and emailed it to my son as soon as I received it. I actually don’t understand procrastination at all. I will be 70 this year but in fact the older I get the more on top of things I am.
I am so in awe of your organization and discipline!
I just find it funny. It's so predictable! And I always wonder why, if the question or topic doesn't apply to one (speaking generally now), people feel compelled to participate in the conversation anyway, boasting how it doesn't apply to them. Another example is the inevitable "Alone for the Holidays" contributors humble-bragging that they are not alone... But it takes all kinds on C-D!
I think people feel as if they are alone (without a partner), but, they actually have friends. They are not exactly alone, but, are not partnered.
I may procrastinate a tad more because I have much more free time, so easy to say "I'll do it later". The less time I have, the more I get done.
But for the most part I'm pretty structured, some things get done once a week, some I do every 6 months (like baseboards and moulding), some things are "projects" (this winter is touch up paint), and finishing all my half done hobbies (finishing a blanket in time to visit later this month). Winter is normally the time we make all our summer travel reservations - happy to report 95% done!
My brain divides things up into "boxes", first box is the normal day-to-day stuff that gets done (bathroom cleaning, laundry, cooking), then the small project box (right now I need to put up hanging plants, etc), so I pick a couple of those for the next day (I always have a list of those projects and set a goal of some of them for the next week, depending on our schedule), exercise is always worked into the weekly schedule, and then bigger projects and travel.
I know myself pretty well (the obstacles I put in my own way), so I have ways to "trick" myself. Say I had a huge stack of paperwork to go through (wouldn't happen ) and I REALLY didn't want to do it.
I tell myself "just open all the paperwork and throw away the stuff that doesn't need any action" and that's all I have to do.
What usually happens is:
Oh, I'll just pay the bills and leave the rest
This stack of needed responses is small I'll just do that
I'll just file them to clean up and leave the rest.
There is not much remaining! I'll just finish it up.
I just give myself permission to stop at any point, which makes me feel better, and it normally gets done in full.
It's the exact same process I use for cardio and weights everyday.
You highlighted one of the problems I have - the daily chores take a lot out of me, so once done with washing dishes, cleaning bathroom, doing laundry, sweeping floors, etc., I have ZERO ENERGY to do anything else. I have had someone come in to help, but it turns out I can't think straight or concentrate if there's anyone else in the house with me, so that's a problem!
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) and I REALLY didn't want to do it.
