050922 — Blog — Rulerless

The question that gets me to do hard things

Sometimes, even though I have been a grownup for many years now, I balk at doing my chores just like I did when I was twelve.

My temper tantrums look a little different than they did when I was twelve, just as my adolescent temper tantrums looked different than the ones I threw when I was two. But they still show up.

I feel suddenly tired. I crave sweets. I look for something to distract me. I whine, even if there’s no one around to hear me whine. Sometimes, the whining takes place in my head.

Casey von NeumannApril 28, 2022050922, 052622, 062422, 092822Comment

Getting ahead

Every semester, the team at The Little Middle School lovingly prepares a detailed progress report for each of our students.

And every semester, I work so hard to ensure that I do not leave them until the last minute. If I do, I am absolutely sunk.

With twenty-something progress reports to perform the final edits on, they cannot be left until the last minute. You can’t leave twenty hours of work until the last minute — you’ll run clean out of minutes.

Casey von NeumannApril 13, 2022042522, 050922, 053122, 070522Comment

Now, later, and someday

My first experience with procrastination and the terrible feelings it brings was in fourth grade. I was supposed to do a report on Leonardo da Vinci.

I don’t remember whether it was that night or the next morning when I suddenly remembered that I had this project to do, and panicked.

My mom let me stay home to complete the project with the understanding that this would be the last and only time I’d be allowed to do that.

Casey von NeumannApril 8, 2022050922, 051122, 061722, 062122, 062722, 081522, 092322 Comments

The bridge

Here I am, standing on the edge.

There are things to be done — nebulous, amorphous things.

I don't have the mental or physical stamina. I'm cold, hungry, tired.

This would be easier on a different day. Or in a different life.

Casey von NeumannMarch 14, 2022042922, 050922 Comments

The mean mommy

The other night, I took the draconian step of moving my phone and its charger down to the kitchen.

If I want to know what happened in the world (and with my friends and family) while I was asleep, I now have to go all the way downstairs to find out.

The desired outcome, of course, is that I go to bed and get up on time. Both of these things do indeed happen more easily as a result of this change.

Casey von NeumannJanuary 26, 2022050922, 071222Comment