I don’t know about you but I have a tough time…well…getting things done…There I said it. I have problems with procrastination. Not what you would expect to hear from a professional organizer, would you?
I was once told by a season professional organizers that when people expect you to be uber-organized, a fantastic time manager, a ‘never-make-a-mistake’ sort of person, you just need to turn to them and say:
“I’m a professional, I’m not perfect”
When my husband is asked if being married to a professional organizers means everything is perfect, he always says: “Not in our house but that’s o.k. because I think that makes her more empathetic to other people’s plight”. I appreciate him saying that because I honestly believe not having that ‘neat-freak’ gene helps me understand my client.
Today I want to give you some tips on how to avoid procrastination and how to keep yourself motivated.
- Pick your battle: make sure that the task that needs to be done will help your bottom line (whatever that bottom line looks like). So if the choice is do laundry or make the follow up phone call to a potential client– well – make the follow up call because it helps your bottom line. Maybe the bottom line is family related and you just need to get the laundry done because if you don’t there will be two ticked-off teenagers. Just make sure that picking your battle helps you achieve your overall goal.
- Set a time: my friend Melissa wrote a fantastic blog post about using a timer to get things done. I have done this more often then not because I
thinkknow it works. Set the timer for 15, 30 or 45 minutes and just ‘getter’ done! Read her blog post here. Use that time to write a blog post, vacuum the family room, input invoices, make a follow-up call, check your emails etc. When the timer goes off, move on to your next task. -
Photo Credit: Knock Knock Make a list: sometimes the simple action of creating a list and then the satisfaction of crossing the completed item off the list, is enough to help you stop procrastinating. That one small gesture of stroking the item off can be your reward for a job well done. Give yourself a pat on the back.(photo credit: Knock Knock)
- Find an accountability partner: I have recently been meeting with two fellow bloggers that are interested in what I do and I am interested in learning what they do. Together, we have discussed various projects that we are working on: proposals, developing FB content, writing blog posts. It is the kind of stuff that needs to get done but is not imminent. It may be urgent but not life threatening. It is, however, all revenue generating so getting it done is important. So when I have to write a blog post and don’t feel like it. I email, tweet, call or text one of my buddies and ask them to send me a good swift virtual kick in the pants…funnily enough, they are happy to do it.
- How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. You have heard this a million times. If the task is overwhelming, break it down and do what needs to be done: one step (or bite) at a time.
I hope this helps you with your procrastination problems. It helped me…I finished this blog post in 45 minutes didn’t I?
Margarita Ibbott is a travel and lifestyle blogger. She blogs about travel in Canada, the United States and Europe giving practical advice through restaurant, hotel and attraction reviews. She writes for DownshiftingPRO.com and other online media outlets.
I’ve had an accountability partner in the past, and I it worked, but for some reason, it’s not a regular practice for me. Do you have any tips for establishing this type of relationship?