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Over 8 weeks the quick declutter challenge has encouraged you to declutter your cosmetics, bedrooms, dining room, livingroom, office, clothing and holiday decorations. You can complete the challenges in any order and at any time. Schedule 15 minutes a day and start decluttering your home. The challenge is finishing with the most important declutter – your mind.
What’s on your mind?
One of the ways to realize how much is on your mind is to do a brain dump. Take a piece of paper/open a document and write down everything you need to do, everything you are responsible for and upcoming events. The list might contain:
Household chores – groceries, meal planning, making lunches, cleaning, laundry, lawn care, car care, house maintenance.
Your schedule – working hours, exercise time, picking up and dropping off children, meetings, social events, medical appointments, dental appointments
Yearly events – birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, vacations, visiting/hosting family events, graduations
Work schedule – travel, meetings, presentations, office hours, networking
Family’s schedule – homework help, music lessons/practice, chores to complete, picking up/dropping off children, bedtime routines, fun times, taking care of parents
Make your list and then sort it by what happens daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. Once you transfer all these thoughts to a document it will help to declutter your brain. You can plan for each week, month and year and not get overwhelmed by forgetting things, trying to remember everything or planning too many activities at one time. With all the regular tasks organized you have room in your mind for dreams, goals and aspirations. You can soar.
Expectations
There are 2 types of expectations. The ones you put on yourself and the ones you think others are setting for you. No one is perfect. Set realistic expectations that you can achieve. You have a limited amount of time and energy. Decide how you want to use it. Hire help for tasks you can’t do, delegate tasks to others, and decide what tasks are best for you.
Enjoy decluttering your mind
If you need help with time management book a virtual appointment with me. julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Getting over procrastination takes action. Of course that is easier said than done. Today I’m going to share a simple three-step process with you that will help you get started and get more done than you ever thought possible.
Set a goal
It all starts with a goal. You have to know what it is you want to accomplish. If you don’t know what your goal is, it’s hard to know what you should be doing first or what you should be doing right now to move in the right direction. So what do we do instead? Anything other than the work we know needs to get done.
Your goal is simply to put what you know you need to get done into words. A good goal has defined parameters and a set deadline. It doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s a simple goal we all strive to accomplish. We have to file our taxes by a specific date. You have a pretty good idea of what paperwork you need, what forms you need to fill out, and where you need to turn them in. You also know what your deadline is. In other words, you have a well-defined goal when it comes to filing your income taxes. And yes, I realized most of us still procrastinate when it comes to this particular task. That’s why the remaining steps are just as important as the first one. For now, I want you to think about one thing you need to get done and turn it into a goal.
Write it down
Write it down. I don’t care if you find a random scrap of paper, use your favourite notebook, or type a note to yourself on your phone. The important part is that you put your goal into writing. This does two things. First of all, it helps you clarify what your goal is. You have to get pretty specific when you try to put what you want or need to do into words. Secondly, writing it down gives you something to look back on. It serves as a reminder and as a tool that you can use when you are tempted to procrastinate.
Set an appointment with yourself
Last but not least, it’s time to get started. That’s often the hardest part, isn’t it? You’re tempted to skip your workout until you lace up your shoes and get started. Once you’re off and running, it’s much easier to keep going. Once you have your goal written down, think about something you can do right now to move you in the right direction. Go do that. Then come back and do something else. Each morning, start by looking at your goal and challenge yourself to take action. Before you know it, you will have made some serious progress. And you’re starting to beat procrastination.
A three-step process to stop procrastinating: set a goal, write it down, schedule time. You can do it Share on X
Need help setting goals? Book a 30-minute complimentary virtual appointment and let me help you get started.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading time – 10 minutes
Transitioning from a relaxed summer mindset to a productive routine can be challenging. There are several strategies you can use to regain motivation and boost your productivity. Here are some tips to help you get back on track.
1. Set Clear Goals
Define specific, measurable goals for what you want to achieve after the summer. Having a clear sense of purpose will give you a reason to stay motivated and work towards your objectives. Making a realistic list of tasks to complete helps to structure your workday.
2. Start Small
Begin with small tasks or projects to ease yourself into a productive work routine after the summer. Accomplishing these smaller tasks can provide a sense of accomplishment and build momentum for larger tasks.
3. Create a Routine
Establish a daily routine that includes dedicated work hours, breaks, exercise, and relaxation. Having a structured routine can help you transition smoothly from the more relaxed summer schedule.
4. Prioritize Tasks
Make a to-do list and prioritize tasks based on their importance and deadlines. Tackling high-priority tasks first can help you make steady progress and feel a sense of accomplishment.
5. Break Tasks into Smaller Steps
Large projects can feel overwhelming, leading to procrastination. Break them into smaller, manageable steps to make them feel more achievable.
6. Eliminate Distractions
Identify and minimize distractions in your workspace. This could mean turning off notifications, creating a clutter-free environment, or using website blockers during work hours.
7. Use Time Management Techniques
Employ techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, where you work for a focused period (e.g., 25 minutes) and then take a short break. This can enhance your concentration and productivity.
8. Reward Yourself
Set up rewards for completing tasks or reaching milestones. Treat yourself to something enjoyable after accomplishing your work, which can reinforce positive behaviour.
9. Visualize Success
Imagine the satisfaction and benefits of achieving your goals. Visualizing success can help you maintain focus and motivation.
10. Stay Accountable
Share your goals with a friend, family member, or colleague who can hold you accountable. Knowing that someone else is aware of your goals can help you stay motivated.
11. Seek Inspiration
Surround yourself with motivational content, books, podcasts, or videos that inspire you to stay productive and motivated. Post inspirational sayings in your work area.
12. Stay Healthy
Prioritize your physical and mental well-being. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and sufficient sleep can significantly impact your energy levels and motivation.
Send a variety of foods in small quantities for quick snacks throughout the day.
13. Reflect on Your Summer
Take some time to reflect on what you enjoyed during the summer and how you can integrate those positive aspects into your daily routine. This can make the transition smoother.
14. Adapt and Adjust
Be flexible with your approach. If you find that certain strategies are not working, be open to trying different methods until you find what works best for you.
Remember that motivation can fluctuate, so it’s essential to be patient with yourself. The key is to take consistent steps toward your goals and establish habits that support your productivity over the long term.
Do you feel burnt out after the summer? What do you do to re-energize?
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Did you think virtual organizing was about using online tools and technologies to get organized? Working at a task solving your organizing dilemmas on your own by listening to videos?
Organizing can be done remotely, via video conferencing, email, phone calls, or other forms of communication with a Professional Organizer. Instead of having an organizer physically come to your location, we work virtually to get organized, set goals, manage projects, and keep track of important information.
Why is it important to work with a virtual organizer?
Some people might think if the Professional Organizer is not in your home doing the work with you why not work alone? There are many benefits to having the expertise of a Professional Organizer available remotely.
- Increased productivity: A virtual organizer can help you set goals and prioritize your tasks, which can help you get more done in less time.
- Reduced stress: Receiving advice, steps and guidance that you can use immediately to organize your home or office with the organizer online with you, will provide a sense of control and reduce feelings of overwhelm. If you run into a stumbling a block, no need to procrastinate, the virtual organizer is there to help.
- Improved time management: A virtual organizer can help you manage your time more effectively by creating schedules and routines that are tailored to your needs. Imagine having your week, month or year in front of you to manage busy times of the year, know when all your household tasks are completed each week and by whom, plan fun parties and stop double booking your commitments. While working online with you a virtual organizer can prompt you to think about items you may have forgotten or never even considered scheduling.
- Better decision making: Some people are afraid to make decisions. They fear making the wrong decision or making a decision that will hurt someone’s feelings. They may not have built their confidence that they are good at making decisions. Working with a virtual organizer gives you someone to talk with about what to keep, what to do next, and how to allocate your resources. When you’re organized, you’re better able to make informed decisions about what tasks to prioritize, what items to keep and what goals to set for the future.
- Enhanced focus: A virtual organizer can help you stay focused on your goals by providing accountability and guidance. If you start procrastinating, your online organizer will notice and keep you heading toward your goal. The accountability and guidance can be at the time you are working or during scheduled mini organizing sessions.
- Virtual: It’s a convenient and cost-effective option for people who want to get organized but can’t meet with an organizer in person. It is a good option for those who prefer a more flexible and self-directed approach to organizing. You can work on your own schedule to suit your personality and lifestyle.
Virtual organizing is the process of organizing and managing your space and time with an actual live human offering you support and knowledge. Virtual organizing is a great way to stay on top of your tasks and responsibilities and make the most of your time and resources.
How to Get Started with Virtual Organizing
Determine your goals and priorities:
Virtual organizers can virtually organize anything. Everyone’s goals are different. You may want to have a room/ space organized so it functions better. You may need help with time management, scheduling or building routines that help to get the many tasks in a home or office completed quickly and on time without expending a lot of energy thinking about them.
Establish a routine and stick to it:
Scheduling time to work on your priorities is the only way they will move forward. Why am I writing this? Talking and planning about your project are important, the work actually has to happen too. Setting time aside helps you to be accountable and prevents procrastination.
Communicate with your virtual organizer regularly:
Meeting with your virtual organizer on a regular basis will help to get the tasks completed. Meetings can take many forms, including an email, text, phone call, 30 minute mini session or longer sessions while you are working on your task. Don’t think it is a one time conversation to get information and then you are on your own to struggle through the project. Most people are more successful if they use all the services and support the virtual organizer offers.
Track your progress and make adjustments as needed:
No plan is perfect. As you move forward on your project it is important to evaluate the progress and plan. You may need to adjust the length of time you schedule for working. Some people do better with many short sessions and others like one longer one. The length of the session may vary depending on the project and not only your style. A virtual organizer can offer suggestions, encouragement and information so you continue to complete your project successfully.
Tips for Successful Virtual Organizing
Stay motivated and focused:
Your virtual organizer is not the only person who can help you stay focused and motivated. Talk to friends about what you’re doing. This will help you to keep the project at the forefront of your schedule. They will ask how it is going and you will want to give them updates on your success. Use your technology to remind you of your work schedule and goals so you continue to see the benefits you are achieving.
Keep your virtual organizer updated:
Don’t avoid your virtual organizer. We are here to help move you forward. Lots of times life gets in the way and the organizing project gets derailed. Tell the virtual organizer exactly what is going on so you can work together to make adjustments. On the other hand, celebrating together on your success is enjoyable for both parties.
Celebrate your successes:
Whether big or small it is important to recognize the success you are making in reaching your goals.
Be open to feedback and suggestions:
Feedback and suggestions are a way to have a conversation to discover what is working well and what is not. Both parties need to understand this. I always tell my clients if they can’t get something completed then we haven’t found the best process yet. As a virtual organizer, I need feedback on how to best help my clients. They may want me to push them a little harder to get something done, be more understanding about their situation, be a motivating force to help them remember why this is important to them etc.
Conclusion
Although some people may prefer physical organizing, virtual organizing offers many benefits, including increased productivity, reduced stress, improved time management, better decision-making, and enhanced focus. Give it a try. Working with a human being is easier than navigating technology on your own or interacting with a robot. Almost everyone can use some help organizing something in their life. Whatever bothers you the most, start with that task and let a virtual organizer walk you through the steps, give you the knowledge and help you be accountable so you will feel less stressed, happier and more relaxed. If you’re looking for a convenient and effective way to get organized and stay on top of your tasks and responsibilities, virtual organizing is a great option.
I think I have covered all the reasons it is fun and not scary to work with a virtual organizer. I would like to hear your thoughts.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
My guest blogger this month is Sophie Perry from Arizona Moving Professional
People say that a messy home means a messy life. And while some may argue that is not true, no one can deny that a messy home is an issue that has to be dealt with sooner or later. And it‘s much better if it’s sooner, as a messy environment can negatively affect people. Studies have shown that our environment impacts our mental health and can lead to a person becoming anxious and depressed and making them lose focus. In order to avoid that, regular home organizing sessions are a must. But you need to know how to do it properly. People often make some home organizing mistakes, especially if they don’t have much experience organizing. We decided to help anyone struggling with this and share a list of the most common mistakes people make.
Most common home organizing mistakes
These are mistakes people make very often, and they make the whole process much more difficult.
- Being overly ambitious
- Avoiding decluttering
- Procrastinating
- Not asking for help
- Not utilizing storage
Biting more than they can chew
The first mistake people make when organizing their home is that they underestimate how much work that requires. They think organizing an entire house can be done in a day. That’s impossible. This is a mistake that people who just moved often make as well. They want to make their new home completely organized as soon as they get there, which requires time and patience. For example, organizing a kitchen after the move should be done first, and you shouldn’t start organizing another room until you are done with it. Then once you make your kitchen neat and tidy, you can move to the next room. This room-by-room approach is best for home organizing. If you start a new room before finishing the previous one, you are less likely to finish it and do it nicely and thoroughly.
Skipping decluttering
Another one of the home organizing mistakes people make is underestimating how important decluttering is. This is essential to a clean and tidy home, but unfortunately, too many people skip it. Before you can start cleaning and organizing, you must eliminate junk and stuff you don’t need anymore. This makes the rest of the home organizing a lot easier. And it’s a straightforward process. Just separate things into three different piles. One pile is for the things that you are keeping. The other pile is for broken and useless things that you will be throwing away. And the final pile is for the things you don’t want but are still helpful, and you can donate them. Once you declutter, you will immediately notice the difference in your home. It will be more spacious and easier to organize.
Putting things off
Successful home organizing will require you to be motivated and focused. As we said, it cannot be done in a single day, but that doesn’t mean you should drag it out for too long. People often procrastinate with home organizing, resulting in a home that is even messier than before. You may start all focused, but you start putting things off like “ I can take this donation box to charity tomorrow” or “I’ll throw away this junk later.” Slowly you will find yourself a month in your organizing process, and you are not even halfway there. The key to home organizing is not losing focus. Set a goal, and don’t stop until you are done. Don’t put things off; throw the garbage immediately, and take that donation box to charity. If you are motivated and focused, you will be done much quicker and then be able to relax.
Not asking for help
You might think you can organize your own home without help, but you’d be mistaken, especially if you live in a big house or apartment. That’s too much space for one person to take care of by themselves. Add to that most people have full-time jobs and other obligations they must take care of. That doesn’t leave much time for decluttering, cleaning, and organizing. Having friends and family help you is the right solution. An extra set of hands will make you more efficient, and the whole thing will be done much more quickly. And not just that, they might even be able to give you some helpful advice about home organizing as they have probably done it before.
They don’t utilize storage
One of your greatest allies when home organizing is storage. However, too often, people don’t utilize it. They think storage is used only when moving or doing an extensive home remodel. But that is not the case. Storage is perfect for those situations when you have items cluttering your house, but you don’t want to get rid of them as they are essential to you, or you need them but not immediately. You can rent a storage unit where your items will be safe until you need them again; in the meantime, they won’t take up space in your house.
In conclusion
These were the most common home organizing mistakes people make. As you can see, at first glance, they don’t seem so serious, they are actually really important for the success of the whole process. It is important that you are focused on this project and don’t stop until you are finished. Procrastination is the death of home organizing. And if at some point you get tired and overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to call your friends and family for help. Also, don’t underestimate the importance of decluttering, as it’s a crucial step in this process. Renting a storage unit is also very helpful for all those items you don’t have enough place for in your home. Home organizing may seem like a complicated process, you will be glad you did it once you see the results.
Click here to book a complimentary 30 minute chat to get started without any mistakes
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. She guides and supports you to be accountable for your time, to complete projects and to reach your goals. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading time – 2 minutes
Thank you for the question
“How do you recommend managing mechanical “mesmerizing” tasks like data entry that can literally put me to sleep?”
Distractions will always be around to keep you from focusing on a task. It may be boredom, people, technology, the list is endless. When you are able to actively focus on a task you get it done quickly with fewer mistakes. In the case of “mechanical mesmerizing tasks”, this means you don’t have to do it for as long. I think we all have tasks that we find difficult to concentrate on and begin to daydream.
Here are 8 suggestions
Let me know if any resonate with you.
- Use music with or without words, this may make the setting you are working in more enjoyable and help you to feel like working
- Do this task at a time of day when you are most productive and can focus well
- Break the task into smaller tasks (batches of data entry, invoicing etc) do a little each day instead of a lot all at once
- Add white noise to your working space so you are not distracted by other sounds that can draw your attention away from what you are doing
- Set a timer – agree to work until the timer goes off and then change tasks or take a break. Do this until the task is completed. Getting up and moving can really help to let you be able to go back to the task and concentrate again.
- Give yourself a reward, when it is done I can …….
- Change the place where you do the task, perhaps you need a cooler space, better lighting, an out of the way space, etc
- Make a game out of it. See how many items you can enter in 5 minutes. Repeat until the task is done.
I hope you find these suggestions helpful so you can focus and get the task done quickly.
If it takes less time because you are focused you will need to focus for less time.
In the comments share the techniques you use to help increase your focus on mundane tasks.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtuallythrough Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
There are many words that give the impression of good intentions. Having good intentions is not enough to get you organized. Let’s look at some words that you can remove from your vocabulary when you are setting your organizing goals to make the impossible possible.
Soon
When you say you will do something soon you have not assigned a specific deadline to the activity. As time passes you keep saying, ” I’ll do it soon”. Overcome this form of procrastination by scheduling an appointment with yourself, date and time. Setting a specific deadline for a task is one form of motivation that helps some people complete a job.
Try
You may have heard the saying, “try and try again”. It implies if you keep doing something you will get better at it. That is true. However, when people say they will try to get organized, there is no commitment to the task. After having tried they can leave the task unfinished. They tried no one helped, they tried they didn’t know how to get organized, they tried and ran out of time, they tried and they were too tired to finish. Using the word try gives you an excuse to explain the reason you were not successful at getting organized. When you are making your organizing plan be more specific. Set a goal of what you will do.
Want
The word want doesn’t help to differentiate the reason for keeping things. People want lots of things for many reasons. It might be pretty, a gift, memorabilia, affordable or belonging to you. When you are looking at your stuff develop a set of questions to help you decide if you should keep something or let it go. These questions will be different for everyone. Some questions you can ask are:
- Do you use it?
- Does it bring you joy, do you like it?
- Is it a legal or financial document, an important document?
- If you give it away what is the worst thing that can happen?
- Is it best of the best of all the ……… you have? Best purse, best casserole, best hammer, best book
- If you need it could you borrow it from someone?
You most likely want almost everything. Using the word want as decision criteria to decide what to keep and what to let go is a way of putting off the decision.
Could, Would, Should
What are the could, would and should in your organizing life? I could have decluttered before moving. I would get organized if I had time. I should have started this task much earlier. Examine what you think you should have done and compare it to what you have done. Are you satisfied with the way your home is organized? Is the “should “picture of how to organize a home someone else’s goals that you think you “should” do? Maybe the “should” voice in your head came from a parent, friend or co-worker. Look at the difference in the reality of your organized home and the should voice and decide what is really the way you want it to be. Attempting to meet other people’s expectations when they are not the same as yours leads to anger, anxiety and stress preventing you from continuing on your own path to an organized home.
Maybe
This is a very polite word. You are not taking any sides. There is no commitment to do anything. Maybe I can organize the garage on Saturday. Maybe I’ll take that course you suggested to learn how to organize. Maybe we can set a date and you can help me to get organized. Instead of thinking about your organizing situation in terms of maybe doing something to change it, be more specific about what you want to do. Remove the maybe from your sentence. It will make it a more powerful declaration of your intention. I’ll take that course you suggested. I’ll work on organizing the garage on Saturday. I’ll set a date so we can work together. Be bold if you don’t want to do something. I like the way my garage is organized it works for me. Thank you for offering to help me get organized, I like doing it on my own schedule. Choose the path that is best for you and avoid the maybe path.
Comment on what words or phrases stopping you from getting organized.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, in person and virtually. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
It’s hard to believe but we are coming to the end of our seventh blog to get off your butt and finally beat procrastination. I hope you’ve been following along and more importantly that you’ve been making progress on at least one of the things you’ve been procrastinating on. We end today with the most critical advice and the main lesson I want you to take away from all this.
Make progress every single day!
Of course, that’s easier said than done. That’s why I’m leaving you today with three simple hacks or strategies to help you. Give them a try and see if you can’t get into the habit of being productive every day instead of procrastinating.
Plan For It
It’s easy to make progress every day when you know exactly what you should be working on next. Make a plan and then decide what you will do each day of the week. Write it down in a planner and adjust daily as needed. In the morning, you can see at a glance what it is you should be doing. Then get to work on it first thing before the day gets away from you. I find it helpful to have my planner sitting right in front of me at my desk, keeping me on track.
Don’t Break The Chain
There’s something to be said about a chain or a streak. Record every day you don’t procrastinate on something. You can mark it on a monthly calendar, or create a chain of sticky notes, stickers, or even one of those paper chains you used to make in school. The goal is simple. Don’t break the chain. Once you have a few days under your belt, you’ll be motivated to go the extra mile and do that one thing you need to do to avoid breaking the streak.
Check In With Yourself
As you progress on the things you know you need to be doing, you should feel your anxiety reduced. Instead, you will feel your confidence go up. Don’t be surprised to feel proud of your accomplishments. Instead, use those feelings to propel you forward to more procrastination free days. Procrastination is a habit. It’s something you learned to do, which means it’s something you can unlearn. Stick with it, make progress every day, and enjoy those feelings of accomplishment.
Make progress every day, and enjoy those feelings of accomplishment. Share on X
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Something we haven’t talked about yet is that little voice in our head that either encourages us to go do something else – thus procrastinating, or the other one… the critical one… the one that tells us how much we suck because we didn’t get the things done we set out to do. Listen to your inner voices; the negative one, the fun one, change that dialogue and stop procrastination Share on X
Forgiveness
Why is it important to listen to those voices? Because they have an impact on your life both on a conscious and a subconscious level. Let’s start with that negative voice because I think it’s the most destructive of the two in the long run. Back on day one of this seven-day challenge to beat procrastination we talked about the importance of forgiving yourself. To quickly recap, it does you no good to beat yourself up over past procrastination and you should expect to “fail” by procrastinating again here and there. Nobody is perfect. We all have good days and bad days. The important part is to show up and try your best.
Negative Voice
That little negative voice in your head doesn’t help you do that. Become aware of it and when you hear it, defuse it. You can do this by responding to it out loud or in writing (via a journal). Or go up and do something else. Do whatever it takes to silence that voice. A great option is to prove it wrong by doing something productive. Over time that voice will speak up less and less unless you indulge it by paying attention to it and letting it ruin your day.
The Fun Voice
Next, it’s time to tackle the voice in your head that tells you it’s much more fun to do about anything other than what you should be doing. We all have that voice. It’s why we come up with terms like procrasticleaning and procrasticrafting. We can get pretty innovative when it comes to doing anything but the thing we don’t want to work on and that little voice is feeding us suggestions and cheering us on.
The best way to diffuse this particular voice into something more productive is with “yes, and” statements. “Yes, playing video games sounds like a lot of fun and I’m going to play for an hour or so after I get this task done.” Use the suggestions this voice gives you as bribes if they sound like something fun. Ignore them otherwise, or put them off until tomorrow.
Comment on which voice you listen to most often and why.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Beating procrastination can be hard. We do well for a few days, but then old habits set back in, or we get frustrated with our lack of apparent progress. Nothing goes fast enough. If you face a small setback at this point, it may be enough to stop working on what you wanted to accomplish in the first place. Thankfully there’s something you can do to greatly improve your chances of success. Accountability.
Procrastinating is a habit and you can get out of it and turn yourself into the motivated and productive version of yourself you want to be. Share on X
Track Your Progress
Start by tracking what you do. You can do this via a simple habit tracker. Use a box for each day of the week and check it off or fill it in when you do the thing you told yourself you would do. Keep tracking until it becomes a habit or until the project is done.
For larger projects that you may or may not work on a daily basis, it helps to write down your goal and then break it into milestones. Record your progress and how much closer you’re inching to each of your goals.
Make Daily To-Do Lists
Write out a list of everything you want to get done for the day. I find it helpful to do this the day before. Play around with how many items you put on that list. You don’t want it to overwhelm you, but you do want to challenge yourself to get more done. The list holds you accountable because you can see in black and white if you procrastinated or not.
Tell Someone About Your Plans
If there’s something you’ve been struggling to get done, tell someone else about your plans to finally tackle it. Call a friend, tell your spouse, or announce it on social media. Encourage the people you’re sharing with to check back with you on how you did. It may be the little extra push you need to stop procrastinating.
Find An Accountability Buddy
Last but not least, find someone else who’s procrastinating and start holding each other accountable. This could be as simple as checking in once in the morning to declare what you each want to get done, and then again at the end of the day to see what happened. Knowing someone else is right there with you can be super motivating.
Give each of these procrastination beating strategies a try and see which ones give you the best results. Like anything else, procrastinating is a habit and you can get out of it and turn yourself into the motivated and productive version of yourself you want to be.
Need help being accountable? Set up a complimentary 30-minute virtual appointment to help you stop procrastinating
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter in your, home, office, mind and time. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
