I suppose everyone procrastinates to some degree. We all have things we dread doing and will put off until we feel like doing them, or until it becomes necessary to do them. That's why procrastination is one of the major causes of clutter in our lives. You get mail and don't feel like going through it, so you throw it in your "I'll do that later" pile. You don't feel like talking on the phone when it rings, so you ignore it and claim you'll "call back later." Paying bills, cleaning the bathroom, folding the laundry, and going to get groceries are a few tasks that usually fall to the bottom of the "to do" list. Or is it just me? Clearly, procrastination rears its ugly face when there's a task to do that we don't particularly enjoy. Hmmmm...dishes or TV? Vacuum or play video games? Laundry or surf the web? Clean the closet or go out with friends? We are always motivated to do the things we love. For example, I don't have to be convinced to sit down to watch Grey's Anatomy and eat a bowl of ice cream. I do, however, have to convince myself to do the dishes.
So, how can we overcome this obstacle of procrastination? First, discover why you procrastinate in the first place. Is it to just do something more fun? Is it because you're afraid of failing? Do you like the pressure of doing things last minute? Once you've figured out why you procrastinate, you can then move on to figuring out what motivates you. When you've accomplished that, you can finally find that happy medium that helps you conquer procrastination.
For example, when I see my sink full of dishes that I have absolutely no desire to do, I stand there and look at them. Then I begin weighing my options. I could do the dishes now, and then sit down to relax, or I could sit down and relax now and get to the dishes later. I want the instant gratification of sitting down NOW. My inner child stomps her feet begging me not to do chores at this moment, but I know the dishes will be looming over me the whole time robbing me of true relaxation. I tell myself if I just take the 10 or 15 minutes now, I will be free of that chore, at least until the next meal. Then, I do it.
Being organized is a constant effort of self-control. Even though your jacket sits nicely on the back of the kitchen chair, wouldn't it be just as easy to hang it where it belongs? When you get home and kick your shoes off, isn't it really just as easy to place them neatly where they belong? All the cool organizing products in the world won't help you if you can't gain control of yourself and put things where they belong.
I challenge you to look deep inside yourself and find out why you aren't organized and how you can improve and motivate yourself to get the job done. January is National "Get Organized" Month. So you have about a month to do some real introspection and get to the heart of your organizing issues. Then, plan to start the new year out with a goal to get organized!
Add Comment
| 
| 
del.icio.us