Laundry has been my lifelong nemesis. Seriously—it's been chasing me down my entire adult life, taunting me from overflowing baskets and whispering guilt as it spills onto my floor. To be totally real, I just don't like doing laundry. Never have. And if you’re anything like me, the struggle is definitely real. I mean, the minute I finally celebrate seeing the bottom of the hamper, the clothes multiply overnight.
Now, hitting my 50s has come with its share of life lessons (and plenty of gray hairs), but one surprising bonus? I've actually gotten better at handling my laundry situation (most of the time). I’m not gonna lie—it's still not my favorite—but I’m finding these days, my baskets don’t bury me alive quite as often. Notice I said, ‘Quite as often.”
I’ll take that as a small victory!
Then there’s my mom. Bless her heart. Her ‘love’ of laundry was definitely not passed down to me as laundry literally never hits the floor at her house. It’s like she catches clothes midair as they're headed to the hamper. Blink, and magically they're washed, folded, and neatly stacked on your bed within hours. I can’t even wrap my head around that.
The funny thing is, despite laundry being my nemesis, I was always that mom of four kids who somehow managed to keep a clean house. Not because I was secretly a cleaning ninja—but because I taught my kids early on that keeping the house clean was everyone's responsibility. We did it together.
But laundry? Laundry always had a convenient loophole—a door to close, an excuse to whisper, “I'll get to it later.”
And that’s where things start to get a little too real.
Because it’s not just laundry.
That “I’ll get to it later” habit? It sneaks into other parts of life too—phone calls we need to make, decisions we’re avoiding, even those quiet nudges in our heart we keep brushing off.
We laugh about the laundry piles, but spiritual procrastination? That one quietly builds up, too. One missed prayer. One unopened Bible. One more time we ignore the nudge to reach out, forgive, or slow down and be still. Before we know it, we’re not just behind on chores—we’re buried in spiritual clutter.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 (NLT) says it perfectly:
"Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant. If they watch every cloud, they never harvest."
Waiting for perfect conditions—whether it’s folding towels or spending time with God—usually means nothing gets done at all.
So how do we beat this thing—both practically and spiritually?
Let’s start small.
Everyday Procrastination Fixes:
Micro Goals:
Forget “clean the whole house.” Ever since I entered the empty nest years and lost my kid crew to help me clean house, I started micro-cleaning. Here’s how it works: Just clear one counter, fold one basket, or tidy up one room. It’s that simple. You’ll be amazed how momentum builds and before you know it, your house is clean. The key: be consistent even when you don’t ‘feel’ like it.
The Five-Minute Rule:
Promise yourself five minutes. That’s it. Set a timer, start the task, and chances are… you’ll keep going. I did this with my kids and we knocked out entire chores during a single 15-minute countdown and they loved it!
Embrace Imperfection:
Done is better than perfect. My laundry isn’t folded like a Pinterest board, but clean is clean.
Ditch the Distractions:
Turn off your phone. Turn on good music. I personally recommend folding towels to disco or mopping floors to a cooking show. Dancing with a mop? Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. Don’t ask me how I know.
Or, better yet, listen to your favorite Christian podcast or sermon and grow your faith walk with Jesus. Wait! That reminds me, you can check out my Heart Talk Podcast here.
Spiritual Procrastination Fixes:
Start with Five Minutes with God:
Same rule. Five minutes of quiet time. Open your Bible, pray, or journal what encouragement you received from the scripture you read. Real is better than perfect. Five, without fail, turns into twenty minutes before you know it.
Pick One Verse and Sit With It:
You don’t have to study a whole chapter. Just pick one verse and let it breathe into your heart. One verse can shift your entire mindset.
Invite God Into Your To-Do List:
Before your day begins, ask, “God, what do You want me to focus on today?” That one question can change everything.
Create a No-Guilt Zone:
If you’ve been putting God off—He’s not mad. He’s just waiting. Start where you are. There’s no shame, just an open invitation. But whatever you do, start today.
Hebrews 3:15 (NLT) reminds us:
"Today, when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts."
That little whisper? That tug on your spirit? It matters. Responding to it—today—could unlock a peace you didn’t even know you were missing.
So let’s kick the “I’ll get to it later” mindset to the curb—whether it’s your laundry pile or your quiet time with God.
One step at a time. One moment of obedience. One act of surrender.
Your laundry, your heart, and your soul will thank you.