When it's acceptable to have a sink full of dirty dishes

I'm sorry if you're a 'must have clean kitchen at all times' kind of person. I don't mean to offend anyone or make anyone feel wrong for being who they are. The following opinions are mine and mine alone. Each to their own, I say.

I actually fluctuate between the two kinds of people. I have an inner clean-freak and an inner arty-farty who sees beauty in the clutter.

Here's my list of what I deem to be acceptable times for ignoring those dirty-dishes until a more convenient moment.

1. You are using the time you would have spent on cleaning to advance a goal.

I have lots of goals. Probably too many. That's why I flutter around from one thing to the next and don't tend to spend enough time on any one thing. But my most concrete goals are: to finish and publish my novel, to get more gigs (and maybe a record deal, but just to get more opportunities to sing in general will make me immensely happy), to do more paintings and to showcase them at an event (maybe even sell a few), and possibly one day to be able to live off of my creative pursuits alone. I would also quite like to write for a living, perhaps blogging for a company, translating or writing articles.

In my opinion, if I get a moment to do something creative, then I should take that moment. Time is precious. We think we have so much of it, but really, the closer I get to thirty, the more I realise that time slips through our fingers like sand and before we know it we'll have debts to pay, a mortgage, three kids and quadruple the amount of dishes to do.

I tend to procrastinate when it comes to my creative projects, especially writing my novel. I know this is because I pour so much of myself into it and I'm terrified of writing it and then for someone to tell me it's a pile of crap. The characters are projections of different aspects of my personality. This book is like my child. I am nurturing it and giving it life. Heaven forbid that someone comes along and tells me it's ugly.

That's why, quite often, I choose to do other things instead of write. Heck, even that pile of dirty dishes.

I know that for me, choosing to write is often the right option. Since, in the end, I do it so rarely.

2. We are spending time with loved ones.

Isn't life all about our relationships? Our families, our partners and our friends deserve our time and attention, as much as we need theirs. Again, time is precious. We don't know how much longer we'll have with someone. I think if we get the chance to go for coffee with a friend, we should do it, rather than put it off because we've got a mountain of ironing to do.

We need to phone our relatives. Send that e-mail to let them know you are thinking about them. See people as often as you can. Just get out and interact with other human beings. We need to be social. We need love and relationships. It's what gives us the greatest joys in life. Don't deny yourself of it because of those cursed dishes.

3. You've broken or severely injured your coccyx.

I don't like the word 'coccyx.' It sounds rude and extremely medical. I'd rather say tailbone. Anyway, however you wish to call it, I fell over on the ice a couple of days ago and injured it. I was in such a lot of pain that I had to go to hospital. They told me it was either severely bruised or fractured, but that there was nothing that could be done except go home and let it heal. It's one of those things in life that you just have to go through. An unfortunate event. It's like that line from Gilmore Girls, 'Sometimes in life you're going to have pain.' At least, it's something like that. And it's true. Crap things happen.

This crap thing means that I can't bend over, sit in a particular way or go to the toilet without feeling pain. Sorry for the TMI, like the cool kids say.

I feel sorry for myself. Dishes don't require any bending over or sitting, but sometime yesterday I decided that I could wait a couple of days before doing the dishes, until I was morally more up to the task.

Perhaps that time will be tonight. Perhaps it won't. Maybe I'll just write.

So those are my three times for when not doing the dishes is the right choice for me.

What are your reasons for procrastinating with the housework?