Maintenance

I'm so tired of living in Camp Procrastination. What is it about maintaining that is so simple yet so hard?

If I load the dishwasher each night after dinner, I can use the delay set so that it runs during the night while we're all sleeping peacefully. In the morning, voila! We have clean dishes. My son puts away the clean dishes and we are ready to receive the dirty dishes of a new day.

My husband completes approximately 5-6 ROs (repair orders) per day in his business. It takes no more than 15-20 minutes - at the most - to enter those into QuickBooks per week. Add on the handful of receipts for parts and supplies that he purchases, and his books can be maintained in no more than an hour per week.

Homeschool records require a little more time on my part this year. Entering their completed work and time, jotting down some thoughts in the journal, and printing the next day's sheets (I use Homeschool Tracker) takes about 30 minutes per day. Planning a week's worth of assignments? About an hour (plus) on the weekend.

But what happens when I don't enter this week's ROs? Or I don't update the homeschool records today? Or tomorrow? Or this month? It multiplies and grows exponentially, becoming an enormous burden, which continually taps me on the shoulder. I am aware of this phenomenon. I am also acutely aware of the simplicity of maintaining something. I'm not an entirely unintelligent woman. Although my actions may prove me otherwise.

main⋅tain –verb (used with object)

1. to keep in existence or continuance; preserve; retain: to maintain good relations with neighboring countries


2. to keep in an appropriate condition, operation, or force; keep unimpaired: to maintain order; to maintain public highways


3. to keep in a specified state, position, etc.: to maintain a correct posture; to maintain good health


4. to affirm; assert; declare: He maintained that the country was going downhill


5. to provide for the upkeep or support of; carry the expenses of: to maintain a family


6. to sustain or support: not enough water to maintain life

Origin:
1200–50; ME mainteinen < OF maintenir ≪ ML manūtenēre, L manū tenēre lit., to hold in hand, equiv. to manū, abl. of manus hand (see manual ) + tenēre to hold (see tenet )


So here I begin a new week, with a stack of paperwork and administrative responsibilities that makes me want to shirk, run away, and hide. Preferably on a sunny beach. With a good book. My challenge is to tackle this monster, piece by piece, day by day. I want to see at least some progress each day. Yes, we have homeschool. Yes, I have appointments and plans. But it's time to deal with this issue. And who knows? Perhaps one day, I'll move from Camp Procrastination to Camp Maintaining.

And there will be much rejoicing.