Overcoming Procrastination

One of the biggest causes of disorganization is clutter, and a major cause of clutter is procrastination. Almost everyone procrastinates occasionally, and according to a recent article in Scientific American Mind, an estimated 40% of people have suffered financial loss because of it. Not only can it negatively impact your financial bottom-line, but it can have serious health consequences and adversely affect your relationships and employment. With our tax deadline fast-approaching and with the ever increasing need to be as productive as possible at work, this month I'd like to give some tips on how to overcome procrastination.

First, it's important to look at why we are procrastinating. The causes of procrastination include:

The task is unpleasant to us.
We need more information or resources in order to move forward.
We lack the skill (or believe we lack the skill) to complete what needs to be done.
We anticipate that the task will be harder or more time-consuming than it turns out to be. It appears overwhelming.
We are waiting until we can complete the task perfectly.
We think that the task does not support our goals.

The single most important thing to do in order to overcome procrastination is to break the task down into smaller, manageable parts and then set a time to take the next step. These steps should be physical action steps. Putting "Get the oil changed." on your to-do list is not a physical action step. "Finding the phone number for the service station." is. You can set a time limit on each step. Even spending as little as 15 minutes on one step will move you closer towards completion.

I use this principle in all aspects of my life. For example, when I am very tired and don't feel like washing the dinner dishes, I often start by telling myself that I only have to wash 10 dishes. At the end of 10, I give myself permission to stop or continue. Most times I continue until the dishes are done. It was the getting started that was difficult.

Another useful trick is to set a timer for what feels like a manageable amount of time. Do the task until the timer buzzes. At that point, you can either stop or set the time for another small period of time.

Sometimes you need to ask for help. Today I was on the telephone with another professional organizer. We are working on a project for NAPO-NY and I had been procrastinating! We laughed at the irony. I was procrastinating because my portion seemed overwhelming. As it turns out, there is a third person with the expertise to create a spreadsheet that will make my job much easier. In addition, we decided to create a monthly task deadline, so that each month I do a small portion of the entire project. Now it seems doable!

You can also combine an unpleasant task with something more pleasurable. For instance, you may dread going to the dentist, but if you follow that appointment with an espresso at your favorite coffee shop, you have something to look forward to.

Lastly, give yourself a time limit. During my conversation regarding the NAPO-NY project, we decided that I will mail this month's assignment by this Friday. Since it is already completed, this is a very reasonable deadline.

Mark Twain had a wonderful comment on getting things done:

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting with the first one."

THIS MONTH'S SPECIAL OFFER

Book a 3-hour organizing session and mention this newsletter offer, and you can attend my workshop, Organizing to Save Time and Reduce Stress, on April 16th, at the Hudson Valley Guild & Book Trader, free-of-charge. Please contact me to register.