Tell me, have you ever had a really spot on to-do list ready and raring to go and then out of nowhere, you found yourself sitting on the floor organizing the paper products in your pantry? 

Someone please comment and tell me I’m not the only one…

Or maybe it was cleaning out your freezer, labeling the spices in your spice cabinet, color coding your toddler’s closet or *finally* cleaning the baseboards?

Whatever it was, you’re not alone. 

And no, this isn’t your ADHD showing off or your mom brain creeping in. 

Shocking, I know. 

Instead, it’s actually something that affects all of us and it’s called buffering. 

No surprise here, but buffering is a way our brain has designed for us to stay in a comfort loop. 

We can still “be productive” but without having to touch the actual stuff that we’re *supposed* to be doing, that we *need* to be doing and that maybe is gasp…just the teeniest bit hard or uninspiring. 

But alas, I’ve found a way to beat the system! 

Welcome to my Strategic Maximizer brain, courtesy of StrengthsFinder. IKYKY.  

Knowing that I’m naturally wired to do this (the buffering), rather than fight it – I embrace it. 

Basically, I give myself permission to buffer – daily and in small doses – just enough to get that dopamine hit my brain so desperately (seriously, how annoying!) seeks. 

Example: I have a really powerful [insert your favorite day of the week here] blocked out on my calendar and my list is prioritized. I play a game where after I knock out the first three things, I can go toodle (this is what I call it, anyways). Maybe I want to do a load of laundry, maybe I want to scroll IG, maybe I want to paint my toenails. Who knows. But, wait for it – I CAN!

The key is I simply have to accomplish the first three tasks on my list. Then, after I toodle (aka buffer), it’s back to my desk and back to the grind. I then accomplish three more things and can go back to toodling (buffering) again. Maybe I want to run a quick errand, or line up the socks in my sock drawer, whatever it is – I’m actually ALLOWED to do it, so long as I play the game and follow the rules. 

So, do you see how all of the sudden, the shame, guilt and pressure is taken out of the equation? 

If I’m actually *allowed* to do something because I satisfied some other requirements in the scenario, it’s basically become a reward. 

And y’all, our brains LOVE rewards. 

So, beat your brain at its own game and have fun while you do it. 🙂