I hate to admit it, but I have a lazy streak. *sigh* That was hard to admit, but now that I've said it you all know the truth about me.
For most every day things there are some built in incentives that keep me motivated. For instance in order to have clean clothes I have to do laundry. In order to save money and eat healthier, I have to spend time making menus, shopping, and cooking. To prevent injuries and illness, I have to force the kids to pick up their rooms once in a while. But for any "extra" task I have to have a darn good reason to expend that extra energy!
Cleaning my oven is a task I detest, so I just don't. Occasionally when a some unknown crumb catches fire in the bottom I'll do a quick job brushing it out, but otherwise those blackened chunks don't bother me, so I don't bother them. The fridge is the same. It keeps my food cold whether it's clean or not, so why bother? In fact, the last few times it's been cleaned have been right before the repairman is coming to fix it or when my college age sister AnnaLisa comes to visit and can use an extra $20...although I'm pretty sure we underpay her.
Further proof of my lackadaisical ways of doing chores, is the fact that I NEVER do as good of a job on any household task or creative project unless I have a good reason. Somehow just trying to impress myself with a super sparkly bathroom just doesn't do it for me. I need someone to come to visit before I'll kick into high gear and raise my standards of cleanliness any higher. There's something about hearing that a visitor is coming that gets that adrenaline to kick in where I can see more clearly what needs to be done and move much faster while I'm doing it.
Afterwards I stop and admire how sparkly my toilets can be and how much better I like my mopped floors. Then I always wonder why I clearly am capable of meeting those higher standards of cleanliness, why can't I just try to impress myself and Glen? Why can't I get that focused, efficient feeling that the adrenaline brings every time I do the chores?
I know it has nothing to do with my blogging habits, because I'm totally in control of all that.
Those five little distractions I have running around undoing things faster than I can do them might have something to do with it...either that or I really am lazy!
Like mother/father-like daughter. We laughed as we read your account of just in time cleaning. It is an art that we have perfected over many years of practice.
ReplyDeleteDrop in unexpectedly if you want to see how we really live.
P.S. How come you never paid us when we cleaned out your fridge??
I'm so glad to hear you say this! I can't say how much I can relate.
ReplyDeleteSometime I just invite people over so I will kick into gear and get cleaning. It seems to be my biggest motivator too!
It's good to know I'm not the only one like this!
Sell your house, that is the highest motivation of keeping your house clean!!! LOL!!! You are not alone!! I, too feel the same way, but I still do it!!
ReplyDeleteLara, I love this post!!!! Maybe I'll just copy and paste it into my own blog! ;-) I seriously don't think it's laziness though, just an inborn survival mechanism of those in the 4+ Kids Club. :-)
ReplyDeleteYeah, lazy is a word that DEFINITELY comes to mind when I think of you, Lara! Call a spade a spade. You've got your priorities straight!
ReplyDeleteOh my, I have been feeling the same way! I'm blaming it all of having sick kids for 2 weeks.
ReplyDeleteThat's why kids learn to do chores....right? :)
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