The Lesser of Two Evils

I finally, finally confronted the bookkeeping task that I have somehow avoided for the past two weeks (I can't believe it's only been two weeks! It feels like at least twice as long).

I believe that I slept two entire days of the long weekend as I initially avoided this task. In all honesty, I planned to devote the entirety of the following weekend to just getting the job done. I did my best, but 'life' happened and that plan didn't work.

I returned from our quick trip to my mom's and other bookkeeping tasks took priority. The big, onerous task that I had been avoiding kept being put on hold.

This past weekend, I promised myself that I must face reality and get with it!

The higher priority bookwork got done. Jobs that I really don't love, seemed so much more bearable to work on because I was avoiding the big job.

Then came the life choices that had to be made.

Should I rush through supper and dash off to get to my bookwork ... or spend some time with my Second Son? Then, the next day ... do I let the grass grow long enough to bale it ... or do I do my bookwork? Then, My Oldest came over. Bookwork verses sitting down and visiting? Then ... clean the car verses bookwork? Then ... shall I return the recycling or put in an hour of bookwork before I had to start making supper?

Bookwork lost every time. And I simply stopped caring after supper ...

Then there was yesterday.

I had two bookkeeping jobs to work on. One, high priority. The second one, the task I had been avoiding for two weeks. Plus ... I had to babysit.

This is when I had my great epiphany. I realized why I got so much more bookkeeping accomplished while I babysat full time. Because I (didn't) enjoy babysitting even more than I (didn't) enjoy the bookwork. It was the lesser of two evils.

In this new life of mine, I don't have a lot of things that I (don't) enjoy less than bookwork. So I keep putting it off. I have a fair bit of leeway with my bookwork but I know that I can't avoid it altogether. There are many jobs that must be done quickly and within a certain time frame. Then there are the 'projects' like this one. I have calculated that I most likely could work ten solid hours per day, and work for a minimum of 11 days ... and maybe, just maybe I would accomplish the task at hand.

If it's any consolation, I have jobs that have been pushed aside entirely so that I can accomplish what I need to get done. My family history project? It is put on a back burner. I hope to devote a large parcel of time to that during my holiday from school. Practicing dancing? Ha! I scheduled in 15 minutes per day. But by the time the end of the day rolls around, I just want to sit still. Yoga stretches? Same thing. Housecleaning and worrying? A thing of the past.

On the flip side, I have a lot of fun stuff going on in my world!

Time with my family, flexibility in my schedule that allows me to do things on a whim, go out with friends, time to dance (at least at my lessons), time to keep in touch with the people that touch my life and time to relax (it never fails - no matter how 'busy' I think that I am, I always carve out some time for myself at the beginning and end of the day and many times in between). I do make time for the things that really matter.

All I can say is, I need to find something that I really, really want to avoid in my life so that I push the limits and get this bookkeeping project done! I must choose between the lesser of two evils to push myself through the work at hand.