I have a new method for getting myself to get off my butt and do housework. I am calling it The Solitaire Method. It goes like this:
I make a list of the things I really should get done. I order them by least annoying to most annoying as far as the work goes (or least difficult to most difficult). Then I open my solitaire game and play until I win. When I win, I have go to do the first thing on the list. Once I have completed it, I once again play solitaire until I win, and then I go do the second thing on the list. And so on and so on, until the list is done (or I run out of housework time, i.e. Lin gets home and it’s time for dinner and a movie).
So far it has worked wonderfully. I managed to enjoy a good 20 minutes of totally guilt-free goof-off time between each of the first few tasks. But now that the tasks are getting to the ones I really would rather NOT do, my solitaire game is letting me win too easily, like on the first hand! Not fair!
Oh well, I guess I’ll go do the dishes, and maybe I’ll get lucky and not win right away before having to attempt to cram just ONE MORE BAG of garbage into the outdoor bin. Yeah, I am really not looking forward to that. Yuck. If you have any imagination at all, or have ever lived near a coastline, you know what week old shrimp cleanings smell like after being out in 80 degree weather. Well, that’s what our outdoor bin smells like right now, and I have to move some bags around, and stuff some more in, all of which is going to gross me right the hell out. Like I said … YUCK!
Still, The Solitaire Method appears to be working. I have, indeed, gotten to goof off a good bit and gotten a lot of housework done. Yup, sometimes working with your addictions can help you get things done (you have no idea how addicted I am to solitaire).
I just might have to try that method… I’m off from school for the next few weeks and sitting on my big fat butt is actually getting old already. Can you believe I am considering going to law school? Either that, or I’ll get my doctorate! I’m trying to convince everyone that I am just a professional student, but Jim says that I need professional pay to go with it!
I can tolerate just sitting around for a day or two … if I am really tired or sick. Then I have to DO something. The only thing to do around here right now is the damned housework, and I do love to procrastinate on that. I have tried all manner of “rewards” for myself to get me to do it quickly, and so far the joy of playing solitaire seems to be working best.
I keep thinking of going back to school, but Jim has it right … we need professional pay to be a professional student these days. Still, I think I will pick out a class at the community college to take this fall, just to ease back into it, see if it’s even something I really want to do, and maybe have some fun and meet some new people. One can never take too many art or literature classes. ;)