What Are You Putting Off?

We’ve all done it. We’ve put off plans to eventually go on that vacation, do that makeover project, or something else, for “someday.” 

“One of these days I’ll redecorate our bedroom and make it relaxing and lovely for us.” 

“One of these days I’ll take a weekend trip to the coast so the kids and I can see the ocean.” 

“One of these days we’ll spend a weekend building a back yard fort for the kids.” 

Does “someday” ever come? Or are you still waiting? Kids grow up, life moves on, people change, houses change, and there are no guarantees we’ll even have that “someday.” 

What Are You Putting Off?

Last month a friend of mine lost her husband after only three and a half years of marriage. The next day she made one simple request of all of her friends: take time to have a family picture made. My friend had put off family pictures for too long, and her one request now is that each of us would take the time to just go do it. 

Her request made an impact on me. Not only because we’d been putting of family pictures ourselves, but also because it made me look procrastination in the face and say, “what am I putting off for someday?” 

A year ago we moved into our new house, our huge blessing. And while we have been busy doing some projects and things to make this home, I have also procrastinated on some other things, too, thinking that I will get to them “eventually.” I looked around the house and realized that it had been a year since I started painting the kitchen and never finished it. I realized that for an entire year, my home office has served as storage and catch all and never been put to use. Kitchens and offices don’t matter much in the grand scheme of things, but God blessed me with this space and I should use it, enjoy it, and take care of it. 

My procrastination is evident in the little daily things, too. “Later,” I often say. Later, we will play a game. Later, I will watch a movie with you. Later, later, later. Later I will get around to doing this chore, or that one. Later, I will do this project, or that one. I put things off a lot. 

Over the past month I’ve needed to come face to face with my procrastination and look it deeply in the eye. There are no guarantees that I will get around to that “someday” if I don’t make it happen today. There aren’t even any guarantees that I will make it to that “someday” myself. 

If one of my family members were taken from me, what would I wish that we had gotten around to doing instead of putting off for later? If I were taken from my family unexpectedly, what would they wish that I had taken the time to do with them? We can’t live life worried about tomorrow. Today has enough worries of its own. But we can’t take today for granted either. 

After our Christmas Eve service at church, I pulled a friend aside and asked them to take a picture of my family in front of the Christmas tree. It’s not professional, no fancy cameras or lighting–it’s just us, real, in the moment. It’s our first family candid shot since Easter, and I love it. I’m glad we made time for it. 

So what are you putting off? What are you waiting for? This time of year we tend to spend a lot of time thinking about goals and resolutions, plans for the new year. My challenge to you for the new year is this: plan to do some of those “somedays.” Stop putting them off. Make a list of things you’ve been putting off and start doing them. Go get family pictures made. Plan to build that back yard fort in February. Put a Spring Break vacation to the coast on the calendar and start saving. 

While you’re making that list, don’t forget about those little things. What can you do today? Can you take a bike ride with the kids? Do you have time to read a book or watch a movie with them? Of course you have to get your work done, too, but make time for those little things, today, because we can’t live life waiting for tomorrow. We have to live in Today. 

So what are you putting off? What do you need to put on your calendar for 2014?

 

Image Source: Pocket Watch by Junior Libby