Sh*t I’m going to change in 2016. Part 1.

I have a whole list of stuff that I’d like to improve in 2016.

The biggest thing on the list?

I’m chronically late.

I’ve been this way ever since I can remember. And while I’m definitely better than I used to be, it’s still an issue.

And it doesn’t feel good.

I’m ready.

I’m ready to not be late anymore. I’m ready to arrive at my destination more than fifteen seconds before I’m supposed to be there. I’m ready to not be constantly rushing and to not be hurrying the kids. I’m ready to be able to actually walk from the front door of my house to my car rather than doing the front walkway sprint I find myself doing multiple times a week. I’m ready to not be really fucking pissed at the person in front of me who is driving one mile below the speed limit. I’m ready to have a few minutes to breathe and collect my thoughts once I arrive at swim practice or to volunteer at school or for a dentist’s appointment or for a yoga class, rather than bursting through the door frazzled and out of breath. I’m ready to never say to my kids again, “HURRY UP! WE ARE LATE!”

It’s too stressful on me. It’s stressful on the kids. And I am well aware that it’s also inconsiderate.

What pisses me off the most is that I know better. But still, I keep doing the same stupid shit over and over and over again.

There are some areas where I’ve been able to maintain some discipline and remain punctual. For the most part, our morning routine runs pretty smoothly.

But in so many other areas, I continue to be unrealistic about either how much I can cram into an hour, or how long it will take to get somewhere. Or both.

I live less than two miles from number 5 and 6’s school. So if all the stars are in alignment, I can walk out of my front door and into the front door of their school in five minutes.

That’s if I’ve backed my car into the driveway when I’ve parked it so I don’t have to back out onto the road. And that’s if there isn’t any traffic I have to wait for before I can pull out of the driveway. That’s if nobody driving below the speed limit or a garbage truck or a mailman or a school bus is in front of me. That’s if there’s no construction on the road (which there often is). That’s if the light right before the school is green and not red when I get to it. And that’s if there are plenty of empty spots in the parking lot that are close to the entrance (which there often aren’t).

So if I am supposed to be in Number 5’s classroom to volunteer at 12:15, rather than leaving my house at 12:10 like I normally do– okay. I’ll be honest. I hardly ever even leave my house at 12:10. It’s more like 12:13. And I tell myself it’s fine if I get there a couple minutes late.

But then I forget about the waiting to be buzzed in and the signing in. Then I’m more like five or six or seven minutes late.

So anyway, rather than leaving at 12:10 or later, I need to leave at 12:00. Give myself some extra time. My life is crazy and hectic enough. I don’t need to make it even more chaotic.

If it only takes me five minutes to get to school, I can spend five minutes sitting quietly in my car. Enjoying the quiet. Just sitting for a couple minutes.

Wow. That sounds a whole lot nicer than the rushing/cursing/rushing some more routine I’ve currently got going on.

I could wait three weeks and commit to changing this on January 1st.

But why wait until next year?

Turn your weaknesses into strengths and your strengths into weapons.

Yeah. I think this is one that I’m gonna have to jump on right away.

 

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