With Time to Spare

Organize to Make Life Easier

Sue McMillin

Organizing Consultant & Speaker

719-352-5535
sue@withtimetospare.com

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You are here: Home / Life Lessons / Something we could do without in 2020

December 5, 2019 by Sue McMillin

Something we could do without in 2020

Read time: 3-4 min

As we face the New Year, there’s one aspect of our work and our lives from 2016 that we could certainly do without. Something that your go-getting professional organizer Sue struggles with.

It’s silent and insidious. It frustrates our hopes and dreams. It tempts us to avoid the things we feel incompetent in doing, to put off the things we’re uncomfortable with, don’t like to do, or simply don’t care to do.

Its name: Procrastination.

In this past year, how many work- or life-changing inspirations have we received but failed to accomplish because we believed Procrastination’s lies?

Here are 10 ideas that can help us defeat Procrastination in 2017: 

1. Put things away, not down. Ever watch the mail man at the post office? He takes your package and deposits it where it goes before he serves the next customer. So, put your groceries away before doing another chore. Put your keys in a basket when you walk in the door. Put your laundry away and don’t leave it out all over the house.

2. Establish deadlines. Give yourself plenty of time to accomplish the work. A realistic deadline will inspire you to finish the task. After establishing this deadline, stick to it.

3. Be a finisher. Complete one simple task before starting another. Proofread the paragraph in the report before you go to lunch. Break big projects into smaller, manageable parts.

4. Build in a reward. Reward yourself with some chocolate or a caramel-topped latte when you finish a project or a portion of the project.

5. Be accountable to your co-worker. Have them check on your progress when doing a long-term report or project. If they point out weakness in your progress, don’t begrudge them. Incorporate the good advice and push forward.

6. Say “NO” to less important duties.  Focus on your goals and priorities and don’t let less important requests interrupt those key moments when you are about to finish a critical task.

7. Renew yourself. Maybe it’s time to pause and gather yourself for the last, big push. Go to the local coffee shop and smell the coffee. Walk around the block. Sit in a beautiful park. Refresh yourself and then go back to wrap up that critical task or project.

8. Break the routine. Avoid tedium and do an end-around on boredom. Try to switch tasks with another co-worker. Or maybe you just need to take a few minutes to renew yourself.

9. Eliminate perfectionism from your thoughts and vocabulary. Perfectionism is deadening. The trap of perfectionism will sap your energy, kill your creativity and encourage procrastination.

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10. Plan your work and work your plan. Establish realistic milestones with deadlines. Identify the parts of your plan where you will be tempted to procrastinate. Start those difficult tasks when you are alert and have high energy. Build in rewards, encourage feedback from co-workers, say no to less important tasks and toss perfectionism out the window! And if worse comes to worse, step away and renew yourself.

Filed Under: Articles, Life Lessons

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Sue’s Story

I've been a professional organizer most of my adult life. Who I am and why I love my work comes from how I was raised and the mysteries of DNA!

From the most humble of beginnings in Kentucky to helping businesses and organizations across the U.S., I always try my best to share both practical and inspirational principles and techniques.

I hope you enjoy your visit here and come back often. And feel free to call or email anytime.

Even though you might reach me on my porch looking out at the Colorado Rockies, a born and bred Kentucky girl enjoys a good chat.

Order out of Chaos

Recent Posts

  • Finish Each Project Completely
  • Signposts to Success
  • In Order To Succeed
  • Unraveling, Uncovering, and a New Kind of American
  • Don’t Just Settle for “Stuff”

Quick Reads

  • A Holiday Tale with a Twist
  • Be Generous This Christmas
  • Sue’s New Year’s Riddle
  • Instead of saying “I don’t have time to organize,” say “I organize to save time.”
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