On Being Reliable
For many of us, adulthood comes with new sources of responsibilities. As a kid, it didn’t take much coordination to stay on top of a handful of classes or social groups that had expectations of me. But as an adult, I quickly discovered that new responsibilities seemingly emerge daily – each with different levels of urgency. There are things that I have to do today: pick up the kids, finish up the project I told my boss I’d get done, or pay that bill that’s due. Then there’s a class of things that I really should do soon: the yard’s overgrown and needs mowing, I need to decide on a strategy for the big project at work, and I keep putting off getting my flu shot. Then there are other things that are longer-term goals that I really want to make time for: I’d like to get a better handle on our finances, exercise more regularly, or learn to play guitar.