Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I found that out the hard way yesterday. Instead of receiving four free flu shots, my family was prescribed $200 of Tamiflu to treat and ward off the Type A flu my teenage daughter had just tested positive for. I guess even ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ isn’t enough to combat close-quartered high school cooties.
Most working moms are so busy running the show – plotting who has to be where, when and with what – that even with the best of intentions some things fall through the cracks. In our case, a busy fall season of soccer and cross-country meant that October’s schedule was just too full for a trip to the clinic so I had scheduled flu shots for the Thanksgiving break off school.
Usually, making costly a mistake guarantees that it won’t be repeated, but it would be much easier not to make it in the first place, wouldn’t it? And yet, human nature makes us procrastinate and we end up avoiding important appointments (who really wants to spend time going to the dentist or accountant, or getting a mammogram?).
Of course we know we should. We know it’s in our best interests to take preventative care of our health, home, car, finances and pets. We know it’s more expensive to be sick, to make repairs, and to spend rather than save money.
So why do we leave things to the last minute? Why do we avoid the simple fix?
I just read an interesting article on why people procrastinate that suggests it’s a process of self-regulation rather than time management. Apparently cognitive behavioral therapy can provide assistance for chronic procrastinators.
Given that procrastination can be expensive, it’s helpful to acknowledge what kind of procrastinator you are – someone who lives for the adrenalin-induced rush of the last minute; an avoider whose fear of failure or success is the barrier; or, someone who shirks responsibility.
For my part, I know I’m a last-minute thrill junkie…I work best under the pressure of being down-to-the-wire. I tame this natural inclination with self-imposed deadlines, but it’s not a perfect remedy.
The fact that I can feel the chill of Type A flu creeping into my limbs is proof of that. This is the only year we have not had an October flu shot, and I feel awful that it’s the first year at least one of my children has succumbed to it.
Next year, I will be sure to opt for the ounce of prevention and avoid the emotional, financial and physical expense of a pound of cure. In the meantime, I am going to take a long, hard look at my schedule to see if anything else is in danger of falling into the cracks.
Why We Procrastinate, July 2005, Psychology Today, https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200507/why-we-procrastinate