I am humming the song “Anticipation” by Carly Simon, singing procrastination instead.
For those who are not Carly Simon fans, here is a video to jog your memory.
“Procrastination….” Procrastination seems to be a part of life; although some have a harder time with it than others, especially around daunting tasks (anyone else stressed about this being Tax week?). It’s great to get to the root of the problem but sometimes it is less important to figure out way and just work on strategies to combat your avoidance.
My go-to strategy is giving myself a time limit. By setting a time limit I know I don’t have to work on the dreaded task for too long.
For 10 minutes, I am going to work on one item I have been procrastinating on, hum Carly Simon and repeat my mantra, “I can do anything for 10 minutes!” Today’s task to tackle is… shredding papers, lots of them.
At this point, the girls were helping me and they though it was great fun to have “confetti” on the ground.
My 10 minutes was extended with a quick baseboard dusting and the addition of a container to catch future items to shred. I didn’t mind the extra time since I don’t plan to venture back into this hidden corner anytime soon.
Giving myself a time limit always helps me get started; especially when I would rather do anything else then the task at hand. Here are 3 other simple ideas to help you get you moving through your procrastination funk.
Take the organizing quiz and then pick the tip that fits your style. (of course you can use any of these tips, just pick what speaks to your style)
Clutter Bug
Many times the problem is getting started. Combine your dreaded task with something you enjoy that will get you moving. Turn on music or an interesting podcast, if possible work fast to get your heart rate up. Then you can cross off your workout at the same time. My personal favorite, a little dark chocolate square to reward myself for a job well done.
Mess Manager
If you have a larger project that you are stuck on, try breaking it into smaller parts first. When you feel stuck on a particular part of the task, move on to a different part of the same project. This might be just the thing to get you re-energized about your project.
Practically Professional
If you are typically the master of checking items off your to-do list but you have a handful of tasks you procrastinate on time and time again. It might be time to evaluate what is holding you back. Do they have something in common? Are there smaller steps that need to be completed before you can accomplish your original task? If you can find common themes to the areas you feel stuck on, you may be able to make more movement on the task.
As you evaluate the tasks you are procrastinating on, and the ways you may be feeling stuck, keep your larger vision and goals in mind. In my case, my goal is to have organized financial records where I can quickly find any paper I need. Shredding unnecessary papers falls into my overall vision for the space to keep it as simplified as possible. Keeping my goals in mind puts a little extra umph! to get me moving.
When you keep focused on your vision, you may even find tasks that are not important after all. Those can be crossed off your list without being completed. Relief!
My task was so small and actually didn’t take long at all but it is that getting started part that is the biggest hurdle. See if you can knock out tasks you may have been avoiding in your own 10 minute Tuesday.
What are your anti-procrastination strategies? Is there one task you constantly procrastinate on?
