stuff jen says: Aug. 2: I just don't feel like it

Well, this will undoubtedly be a huge surprise, but I am not always the most motivated of people. Sometimes when I have a list of things to do I just stare at it for a while and finally add tasks like, "wake up," and "take vitamins," and "brush teeth," just so I can cross them off.

(OK, sometimes I don't always get "brush teeth" crossed off.)

I love to organize things. In my mind, empty boxes and shelves simply beg to be filled neatly. But measuring and calculating my Rubbermaid needs and then shopping for the perfect storage materials wears me out. In other words, I buy all the boxes and they sit empty while I continue to live in chaos. I'm a perfectionist in so many ways but you'd never believe it if you looked at my closets. I used to wonder what was wrong with me until I read that perfectionists are often the worst housekeepers because their need to organize perfectly supersedes their need to just straighten things up. If it can't be done right, it's not worth doing at all.

So I have three boxes of loose papers that need to be filed, but the color-coded hanging file tabs still haven't been made. The clothes Katie and Jack have outgrown fill random boxes in their closets because I haven't gotten around to sorting them by size and season. The space saver bags I bought--you know, the ones you vacuum the air out of--were apparently not sealed tightly and now the mass of blankets and pillows I'd put in them are permanently wedged on the bottom shelf of the linen closet. And don't get me started on my half-assed shoe storage methods.

I'm always looking for new and easy ways to create good habits. My sister's great about sharing ideas. I've found a few fabulous books on organizing, and keep them handy on my nightstand. And today I found this little goodie. What I like about it is that it can be used to meet so many different kinds of goals.

After spending 5-6 hours searching the Internet for the perfect one-page calendar maybe I can actually put this technique to the test. Go me!

—Jen

facts of jen's life

So, who do you think you are? I think I’m Jen. People who don’t know me sometimes call me Jenny. That’s weird.

Tell me about yourself. I was born a small black child, and am now a grown-up, or at least my kids think I am. I’m in my mid-40s and live in the ‘burbs of Portland, Oregon. My husband is Victor, and my kids are Katie and Jack. Read this if you want the real and very long scoop.

Tell me things people might not know about you. I am an ordained minister and can perform marriages. Why no one has asked me to do this for them yet, I do not know. ● At the request of my Disney-hating friend Ed, I got mouse ears embroidered with the name “Satan” and I didn’t even get kicked out of Disneyland. It’s quite possibly the ballsiest thing I’ve ever done. ● I “helped” write this book, published in 2012: You Take it From Here, by Pamela Ribon. My name is in the back, and I’m still geeking out about it. ● I recorded a song in a studio in 1994 and it got local radio play for a few months. At least two times I turned on the radio in the car and my song was playing at that moment—very cool. ● I nearly died from a zit in 1986. I am not making this up. ● Victor and I once appeared on The Tonight Show. Really. If you can find a VCR, I’ll show you the tape.

I read some of your posts and I think you might be an alcoholic. I drink way less than I write about drinking. If I ever STOP talking about booze, then it’ll be time for an intervention.

What do you love? Books. Coffee. Fonts. Broadway musicals. San Francisco. Bacon. Rum. Law & Order. Naps. Butter. Home. Crack cocaine. iDevices. Words. Disney vacations. You.

If you could punch anything or anyone in the face, what/who would it be? Cancer. I was diagnosed with lymphoma in November 2009. I kicked its big fat ugly ass and am in remission now. ● Comic Sans. ● People who won’t take responsibility for their problems—the “I didn’t do anything to deserve this!” attitude. Look in the mirror. That’s who to blame. ● Celebrities who are famous for no reason. Y’know, if we stop looking, they’ll go away... ● Bad grammar and spelling and the dummies who use it.

You seem bitter. Did someone piss in your Cheerios? I’m not bitter. I think unicorns-and-rainbows stuff isn’t very interesting to read, so I tend not to write that way. But also, now you’re being kind of a jackhole.

It seems like no one ever comments on your blog posts. Why is that? Most people comment on the Facebook links. I don’t know why.

What if I want to tell you something? Two ways to reach me: leave a comment on a post, or e-mail me at jenniferTAKETHISPARTOUTmanullang at gmail-dot-com.

Aug. 2: I just don't feel like it

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