The silly quotation above comes from a website that sells pictures and quips. Over the time I've been writing a weekly blog, I've discovered that every thought I have, someone else has had first and worded it in a funnier way. I love that the line, in its ridiculousness, captures the essence of this week's post.
It might not come as a surprise to you, gentle reader, that I work with many people who don't complete tasks by the time they said or believed they would. Sometimes we have totally reasonable plans for how to work through our to-do lists in reasonable and productive ways, and then life gets sticky. However, for some people, this happens over and over, and at no point do those people think that maybe their original plans weren't reasonable or maybe they shouldn't have pivoted to something more fun at the first (and every) opportunity.
I admit I don't have a ton of room in my heart for people who consistently fall short of their own goals AND blame everything and everyone except their own failure to plan. I don't believe people who say, over and over, "I didn't have a chance to do" X or Y or Z. They're in the same camp as people who arrive late to events in LA or Kennebunkport or Atlanta and say they couldn't believe the traffic. There's ALWAYS traffic in those places; if you left late, that's on you.
Okay, I know I'm ranting. I think that means my well of goodwill has dried up, my patience has evaporated. This happens every year around this time and means that I need summer vacation, which is, thankfully, knocking on my door.
If I don't get my summer to-do list completed by September 1, please know that I DID have a chance to do that work. If I chose to spend my time in other ways instead, that's on me.
Did you have a chance to read to the end of this post? If so, share your thoughts, even if they're grumpy like mine, in the comments.
Dear Grumpy,
You are the master of planning and checklists. I admire your ability to get amazing amounts of stuff done on a daily basis. I don’t say, “I didn’t have a chance …” because I’m usually answering to myself. I just need more of your helpful posts, especially something on sloth.
Love,
Pattie
Dear Pattie, I don’t think you could write a post on sloth any more than I could. I agree, I’ve tried to quit lying to myself about how I could have or should have done something I didn’t do. These days, I try to get those things done.
Love, c
“I didn’t take a chance” is probably often more accurate.
Yes, we’ve all had chances and let them pass untaken.