I Have to be Stern With Myself

Miss B and I were having a conversation.  We've been having a lot of them lately.  Conversations about life, personalities, growing up, being responsible, discovering your talents...etc.  And so we were discussing focus this one time and her lack of...as of late.  I told her it's not a lack of focus, per se...maybe it's too much focus and with time she will learn to hone that skill and make it work to her advantage.  I therefore gave her a few tips.

Sometimes I am a nut, I told her.  My brain is always going a thousand miles a minute.  It races and races and jumps from topic to topic.  "Oh I need to sweep, but what should I make for dinner...darn, I should've put something in the crock pot earlier, food...foooood...WAIT...I need to buy snacks for Mr. C's baseball game, and what food should I serve for Dennis' party?  It's going to be so fun, what should I do for invites...speaking of invites, I need to finish editing that wedding and designing that invitation...and the weeds really need to be picked...but MAN isn't that sky blue, I love blue skies and puffy clouds, they really are phenomenal...and did I ever sweep?  Or pay that bill?  Now where was I and why am I standing in the pantry with one shoe and a pencil?"

So to help with that little problem, I tell myself, "No.. you absolutely cannot go on that computer until your dishes are completely finished, you have washed at least two loads of laundry and the floors are spotless.  Now stay focused and do one item at a  time.  And you need to stay on task!  Do you hear me young lady?  No, I don't care if you just need to check one thing on the internet...you know as well as I do, that you won't get off.  You'll wander and read and browse.  I know you will and I don't want to hear one more thing about it!"  I have to be stern with myself like that sometimes.  Give myself little incentives. You know, like "Get the mopping done first and then you can go shopping."  Sometimes it works...sometimes I don't listen very well.

Miss B has since taken my advice and has said that it has helped her busy little mind. But she also said it's ridiculous to yell at yourself. You do what you gotta do, I say.