Admin is My Kryptonite

I don't have a pension, I can't manage my gas metre and don't even talk to me about the post office queue.

Photo by Firmbee.com on Unsplash

‘Just nip it in the bud,’ he counsels as I angst over an admin task which currently feels akin to pulling toenails. It’s one of his catchphrases passed down by his very first mentor, a hairdresser in Stafford. Every time he says it I feel an irrational, involuntary desire to head-butt him. Thank God I’m so in control of my emotions these days, ha ha. 

There are many reasons why my husband is suited to business—a lack of fear, personal charisma and confidence, street smarts and good instincts. But the one that I’m probably most envious of is his ability to just do any bloody thing immediately. From scary phone calls to arranging travel insurance, he just gets to it without allowing any kind of dread to ensnare him. 

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m by no means an Olympic-level procrastinator. I have a friend of that ilk and I’m aware that in this spectrum I’m very much at the softer end. Most days, I wake up and whip through my to-do list, rewarding myself with a mint munchie per crossed line. There is nothing like the rush of errands managed / liquid peppermint fondant encased in dark chocolate. But I have to confess that when it comes to life admin, I have a bleeding, nay gushing, Achilles heel. I allow paperwork to fester until it squirms serpentine-like into my soul. Until it’s a week, maybe a month, sometimes dear reader, even more. There are particular tasks, tasks which require telephone calls or online passwords which just move down my list in increments, gaining more and more mental weight the longer I carry them. Considering I’m so good at motivating myself and working in a focused manner, why don’t I just deal with them? Seriously, why?