Win the Battle with Procrastination

People who procrastinate are avoiding something that needs to be done, even though it could make their lives easier, save money or further their personal or professional goals. 

Here’s an excerpt about procrastination from The Clutter Book: When You Can’t Let Go

You might feel stuck or ashamed because you let people down when you don’t follow through.  Just because you procrastinate about doing something doesn’t mean you are lazy.  Maybe you avoid doing something because you think you aren’t capable.  You might not do it because you don’t have the right tools.  You could put something off because you have too many other things to do.  Each of these reasons is valid for you.  The objective is to figure out what is holding you back so you can get the job done.

If you are putting off doing something, think about how much it means to you.  If it doesn’t add value to your life, consider not doing it at all.  If, however, it’s something you need to do for your work, your health, your family or your happiness, start by starting.  Take a small step toward completion and continue to take small steps, keeping the project at the top of your priority list until you finish.

People often procrastinate because they think a task will take too long.  What I find is that they spend more time dreading a task than doing it.  The energy you expend putting it off is usually greater than the energy it would take to complete it.  In addition, starting projects and not completing them may increase your stress level, along with creating physical clutter.

If you believe that a task is going to take a long time, you might set it aside until you “find the time.”  Unfortunately, many projects fade away because that “found time” never materializes.  There is no later; you only have now.  If you really want to do something, you need to put it in your schedule and make it happen.  This is true of projects, errands, even self-care.

Wednesday is Fight Procrastination Day.  Would you stop putting things off if you knew they were costing you money and opportunities?  Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by MarcieTM: Saving you time and money by helping you let go of what you don't need and find room for what you value

Follow me on twitter and facebook

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Win the Battle with Procrastination

People who procrastinate are avoiding something that needs to be done, even though it could make their lives easier, save money or further their personal or professional goals. 

Here’s an excerpt about procrastination from The Clutter Book: When You Can’t Let Go

You might feel stuck or ashamed because you let people down when you don’t follow through.  Just because you procrastinate about doing something doesn’t mean you are lazy.  Maybe you avoid doing something because you think you aren’t capable.  You might not do it because you don’t have the right tools.  You could put something off because you have too many other things to do.  Each of these reasons is valid for you.  The objective is to figure out what is holding you back so you can get the job done.

If you are putting off doing something, think about how much it means to you.  If it doesn’t add value to your life, consider not doing it at all.  If, however, it’s something you need to do for your work, your health, your family or your happiness, start by starting.  Take a small step toward completion and continue to take small steps, keeping the project at the top of your priority list until you finish.

People often procrastinate because they think a task will take too long.  What I find is that they spend more time dreading a task than doing it.  The energy you expend putting it off is usually greater than the energy it would take to complete it.  In addition, starting projects and not completing them may increase your stress level, along with creating physical clutter.

If you believe that a task is going to take a long time, you might set it aside until you “find the time.”  Unfortunately, many projects fade away because that “found time” never materializes.  There is no later; you only have now.  If you really want to do something, you need to put it in your schedule and make it happen.  This is true of projects, errands, even self-care.

Wednesday is Fight Procrastination Day.  Would you stop putting things off if you knew they were costing you money and opportunities?  Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by MarcieTM: Saving you time and money by helping you let go of what you don't need and find room for what you value

Follow me on twitter and facebook

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Extreme Couponing

I come from a long line of coupon clippers.  One of my favorite family photographs is a 40-year-old picture of my mother and my aunts sitting around our kitchen table, trading coupons.  My cousins, my sister and I are all couponers.  I am always amazed when people say couponing isn't worth the effort.
 
According to this article in The Washington Post,  78% of American shoppers redeemed coupons on a regular basis in 2010 and the rate is expected to rise this year.

I’ve learned techniques to maximize my savings and minimize time spent on clipping and filing coupons.  I get excited when I save a few bucks at the grocery or drug store, but I am an amateur compared to the people on TLC’s “Extreme Couponing.”  I haven’t watched the show, but I’ve seen snippets of it and I am amazed that people buy (and store) things they don’t need.

What causes these people to make purchases that they have no use for?  This goes beyond having multiple purses or pairs of shoes; one of the clips showed a woman stockpiling diapers and she doesn’t have any children.  Having a few extras of foods you use on a regular basis is smart shopping; stocking up on amounts of food that you will never consume before its expiration date is not.

What’s your opinion?  Do you think coupons are a huge waste of time or a sensible way to save money?  Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by MarcieTM: Saving you time and money by helping you let go of what you don't need and find room for what you value

Follow me on twitter and facebook
And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Extreme Couponing

I come from a long line of coupon clippers.  One of my favorite family photographs is a 40-year-old picture of my mother and my aunts sitting around our kitchen table, trading coupons.  My cousins, my sister and I are all couponers.  I am always amazed when people say couponing isn't worth the effort.
 
According to this article in The Washington Post,  78% of American shoppers redeemed coupons on a regular basis in 2010 and the rate is expected to rise this year.

I’ve learned techniques to maximize my savings and minimize time spent on clipping and filing coupons.  I get excited when I save a few bucks at the grocery or drug store, but I am an amateur compared to the people on TLC’s “Extreme Couponing.”  I haven’t watched the show, but I’ve seen snippets of it and I am amazed that people buy (and store) things they don’t need.

What causes these people to make purchases that they have no use for?  This goes beyond having multiple purses or pairs of shoes; one of the clips showed a woman stockpiling diapers and she doesn’t have any children.  Having a few extras of foods you use on a regular basis is smart shopping; stocking up on amounts of food that you will never consume before its expiration date is not.

What’s your opinion?  Do you think coupons are a huge waste of time or a sensible way to save money?  Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by MarcieTM: Saving you time and money by helping you let go of what you don't need and find room for what you value

Follow me on twitter and facebook
And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

The Last Word on When It’s Okay Not to Finish

I’ve written about not finishing something when you lose interest in it and when it has little or no payoff. I thought I covered all the reasons for letting go of a project.  Then I experienced my own challenge.

As I mention in my book, I love projects.  I don’t always like finishing what I start, but I have been better about taking on fewer projects and creating deadlines for completing or discarding them. 

I bought a really ugly cabinet (don't take my word for it, see the picture) for my kitchen,  because it had great potential (the favored justification of the hobbyist).  I took the doors and hardware off, primed it and have been considering paint colors.  Last week I gave the doors one more coat of primer because I had sanded rough spots and there was some bare wood showing. 

After the doors had dried, I stacked them to get them off the floor and came back the next day.  When I picked up the top door, it pulled the paint off the other.  I really wanted to get this done now so I can work on another project, but I have accepted the reality that there is no point in trying to finish while the weather is still so humid. 

 

I have given myself permission to stop working on the cabinet.  I have all the tools I need and I can pick up again in September, once the weather turns.  Now I can turn my attention to the next project and not feel distracted by multiple tasks.

I am delaying work because it doesn’t make sense to continue it now.  I call this behavior “productive procrastination;” putting off a task to work on another one that is equally important.  Weigh the consequences for not finishing something and decide whether you want to continue or postpone the work.

What have you stopped working on that you can go back to at a better time? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by MarcieTM: Saving you time and money by helping you let go of what you don't need and find room for what you value

Follow me on twitter and facebook
And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

The Last Word on When It’s Okay Not to Finish

I’ve written about not finishing something when you lose interest in it and when it has little or no payoff. I thought I covered all the reasons for letting go of a project.  Then I experienced my own challenge.

As I mention in my book, I love projects.  I don’t always like finishing what I start, but I have been better about taking on fewer projects and creating deadlines for completing or discarding them. 

I bought a really ugly cabinet (don't take my word for it, see the picture) for my kitchen,  because it had great potential (the favored justification of the hobbyist).  I took the doors and hardware off, primed it and have been considering paint colors.  Last week I gave the doors one more coat of primer because I had sanded rough spots and there was some bare wood showing. 

After the doors had dried, I stacked them to get them off the floor and came back the next day.  When I picked up the top door, it pulled the paint off the other.  I really wanted to get this done now so I can work on another project, but I have accepted the reality that there is no point in trying to finish while the weather is still so humid. 

 

I have given myself permission to stop working on the cabinet.  I have all the tools I need and I can pick up again in September, once the weather turns.  Now I can turn my attention to the next project and not feel distracted by multiple tasks.

I am delaying work because it doesn’t make sense to continue it now.  I call this behavior “productive procrastination;” putting off a task to work on another one that is equally important.  Weigh the consequences for not finishing something and decide whether you want to continue or postpone the work.

What have you stopped working on that you can go back to at a better time? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by MarcieTM: Saving you time and money by helping you let go of what you don't need and find room for what you value

Follow me on twitter and facebook
And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Find Your Productive Self

How do you get motivated to move your goals forward? You’re bombarded by things that seem urgent, but you don’t always get to do what’s important.  There are days when you need to filter out all the irrelevant stuff and just aim for your target.

Aby Garvey, of Simplify101, shares how going on vacation got her focused on tasks that needed to be done.

The day before leaving for Napa, I was very focused. If something came along that needed to get done but didn’t move me in the direction of pulling out of the driveway and heading to the airport, it didn’t get done. There was no debate. No second thought given. If it could wait until after the trip—it did.

Think about the last time you were preparing to be away from work. You probably had some of your most productive days. When you’re alert to a rapidly approaching deadline, you don’t waste time on insignificant tasks. While you can’t fool yourself into believing you’re going on vacation when you really aren’t, you can try some tricks that will allow you to get more done when you’re feeling overwhelmed: 

1. Create meaningful deadlines for tasks. If you’re going to get something done, set a specific time for completion. If your boss wanted you to do something by a certain date, you’d find a way to do it. Be your own boss.
2. Break larger tasks into steps and schedule them on your calendar. You may not be able to plan an entire event in one day, but you can make a few phone calls.
3. Ask for help. You can trade tasks with someone who doesn’t like to do the things you’re good at. Or you might simply need someone to help you determine what needs to be done next.

Tell us what you can do to stay focused and get things done when you don’t have a trip planned. If you really are going on vacation, let us know how you zip through your most important agenda items.

Organized by MarcieTM: Saving you time and money by helping you let go of what you don't need and find room for what you value

Follow me on twitter and facebook

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!

Find Your Productive Self

How do you get motivated to move your goals forward? You’re bombarded by things that seem urgent, but you don’t always get to do what’s important.  There are days when you need to filter out all the irrelevant stuff and just aim for your target.

Aby Garvey, of Simplify101, shares how going on vacation got her focused on tasks that needed to be done.

The day before leaving for Napa, I was very focused. If something came along that needed to get done but didn’t move me in the direction of pulling out of the driveway and heading to the airport, it didn’t get done. There was no debate. No second thought given. If it could wait until after the trip—it did.

Think about the last time you were preparing to be away from work. You probably had some of your most productive days. When you’re alert to a rapidly approaching deadline, you don’t waste time on insignificant tasks. While you can’t fool yourself into believing you’re going on vacation when you really aren’t, you can try some tricks that will allow you to get more done when you’re feeling overwhelmed: 

1. Create meaningful deadlines for tasks. If you’re going to get something done, set a specific time for completion. If your boss wanted you to do something by a certain date, you’d find a way to do it. Be your own boss.
2. Break larger tasks into steps and schedule them on your calendar. You may not be able to plan an entire event in one day, but you can make a few phone calls.
3. Ask for help. You can trade tasks with someone who doesn’t like to do the things you’re good at. Or you might simply need someone to help you determine what needs to be done next.

Tell us what you can do to stay focused and get things done when you don’t have a trip planned. If you really are going on vacation, let us know how you zip through your most important agenda items.

Organized by MarcieTM: Saving you time and money by helping you let go of what you don't need and find room for what you value

Follow me on twitter and facebook

And if you like what you've read, share it using the links below!