Not Going the Extra Mile

 Lately, I’ve been noticing that I care a lot less about going the extra mile in some areas of my life -- not the important ones -- just things I used to care about a lot more than I do now. I was a little worried about this drop in motivation, concerned it might signify something more – counselors have to analyze, after all. Why did I suddenly just not want to put in the effort?

Then, it occurred to me one morning as I was folding towels and I noticed that I no longer care whether the tags were on the inside or the outside of the fold that maybe, just maybe I was beginning to practice what I've been preaching. 

Does it really matter where the tags are on the folded towels? Does anyone (besides me) really care? They get unfolded so they can be used, and I'm sure the cabinet shelves really have no interest in where the tags are located. 

In that moment, I realized that what I’ve really been doing is embracing the concept of "good enough," something I've been talking to my college freshmen about for more than a decade. In some of the low-stakes areas of my life, I've rejected maximizing (making sure all the towels are folded with the tags inside) for satisficing (making sure all the towels are folded). 

Though I've had moments where I aspired to be Suzy Homemaker, it was always a temporary goal. I want my house to look nice, but I truly don't want to expend the effort to make it a showplace, nor do I really want to live in a showplace. Having abandoned that pursuit almost entirely, I'm discovering there are many tasks that simply need to be completed, and not necessarily completed to the highest possible standards.

A few years ago, for example, I lost about 35 pounds. Excited by the prospect of a new wardrobe, I put a lot more effort into putting outfits together. Five years later, weight still shed, I find myself perfectly content to leave the house in an outfit I would have consider unfinished -- or even sloppy -- a few years ago. I still put effort into getting ready for work and the occasional evening out but, day to day on my days off, I'm perfectly content to revert to my COVID comfort wardrobe. Leggings and sweats and shorts and tee shirts (and even pajama pants) are perfectly suitable for a day at home.

I'm a huge fan of @justbeingmelani's "We Do Not Care Club" on Instagram, leaving me to wonder how much of this is age, how much is adopting her philosophy, and how much is just being Lisa.

And you know what? Figuring it out is too much trouble. Though I can pull out the maximizing vibes when an occasion warrants something more than good enough, I'd rather satisfice my way through the day-to-day and save my time and energy for the things that really matter.

And most of those things are a lot more fun than folding towels.

Towel image by cnyizhao via Pixabay