Stop procrastinating - tips for WAHMs

Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday

Napoleon Hill
(American Author)

OK, so you are a fully paid-up member of the Procrastination Club. But take heart. You landed on this page. You already know you have a problem. That's the first important step to solving it. This will make a big difference to your chances as to whether you can succeed in breaking your procrastination habits or not.

Take a look at the causes of procrastination, what it does and the various types.

Lack of clear goals and objectives - what exactly is it you want to achieve?

Underestimating the difficulty of the tasks - those tasks that you start and then you wish you had not. Perhaps you don't have the right tools or you need help, when you thought you could do it on your own.

Underestimating the time required to complete the tasks - how many times do you start a job, thinking it will take 20 minutes and you are still struggling with it an hour later?

"They always take longer than you think", said Rabbit. "How long do you think they'll take" asked Roo.

Winnie-the-Pooh's Little Book of Wisdom
A A Milne & E H Shepard

Unclear standards for what you are trying to achieve - you know the PC is running slow. But do you know exactly what to do to speed it up?

Feeling resentful about tasks you should not have to do - clearing up after the family is the one that comes to mind here!

Tasks that are too ambiguous - you have promised to do something for someone but you are not clear on what you need to do and you are not sure what their expectations are.

Procrastination creates:

Delay

Low achievement and low self esteem

Stress, stress and more stress!

Feeling guilty that you are not getting anything done

Problems meeting deadlines

Ineffective personal organisation

Unproductive planning

I moan and complain that I have too much to do, but if I actually sat down and did it instead of complaining about it, it doesn't take nearly as long as I think it is going to (unless I have bad computer karma and then it will take 4 times as long).

So, even if it's something I'm not looking forward to doing, I just remind myself that it won't take as long as I think it is going to take (most of the time).

Lensmaster TwinsMama

Procrastination can be divided up into various types:

Fear of failure
Are we going to be as successful as we want to be? Self doubt makes us put off tasks and then we achieve nothing.

Socialising
Unnecessary chatting to friends, neighbours, even customers is a waste of time. There are times when it is necessary and even beneficial, but you need self-discipline to keep to the point.

The Top Ten Reasons I Procrastinate
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Choosing the wrong priorities
We set ourselves minor tasks or the things that are easiest to do. Things we can be successful at doing but that means that the major priorities are neglected or avoided.

Daydreaming
Day dreaming? La-di-da-di-dah! Oh, just look at that red kite flying over the house. Oops, now where was I?

James Dean
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Planning
Often planning can take the place of doing the actual task. Constantly writing and re-writing lists of things to do or spending hours tidying the desk or the office, which means we are not getting on with the work.

Procrastination is the thief of time.

Edward Young
(English literary Critic, Poet and Dramatist, 1683-1765)

Identify the tasks that you keep putting off and try to avoid putting them off - pick one task you hate. Do it. Then promise yourself you will do one that you enjoy as a "reward".

Develop a DO IT NOW attitude - this may help you avoid putting projects on the back burner.

Create a To Do list - have start-by dates as well as do by dates. Tadalist.com is a website where you can create your own To Do lists that you can also share with others.

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I have settled down with a good list of to-dos this morning and trying to do by priority and in 10 minute segments, ie it was time for the dogs' monthly meds, and then hubby wanted cheese toast mid-morning, etc.

All the normal little things that are required in a household - so I have managed to get my Rocket Moms badge on my profile - and those are soooooooo cute!!! And I have visited about 20-30 lenses looking for lenses to bless. So that counts!

Lensmaster Joan4

Always do the most important (high priority) work first - think about what could do you the most damage if it is delayed and not done on time. In my case its three tax returns!

If you don't absolutely need to do the task, don't put it on your To-Do list - adding tasks that you don't have to do only makes the list longer and you will feel demoralised and overwhelmed. Then you will start the procrastination cycle all over again.

Decide how well a task needs to be done and accept the need for compromise - sometimes a job needs just to be done well rather than perfectly. So what if hubby did not clean every nook and cranny on the stairs, like you would do. At least he got the Dyson out and hoovered.

Substitute a less over-whelming task for the one you are thinking of putting off but make sure the outcome will be the same - instead of writing a letter, can you send a postcard or even make a phone call?

I have stopped typing up short notes to my girls' schools. Invariably I remember that they need a note at 8am, when the computer is not on and it takes what seems an eternity to fire up.

So I hand write them and just photocopy them if I need a record.

Lensmaster AJ2008

Check your e-mails only when you will have time to answer - how many times have you been distracted because you thought:"I'll just spend a few seconds checking my emails, to see what has come in." Then you think it won't do any harm if you "just reply to this one" and before you know it half an hour has gone by.

I had a client once who was always (and I do not exaggerate) late for meetings. The reason? He could not leave the office without "just checking my e-mails". He was a pain in the butt!

Answer the telephone only when you have time to talk - let it go to the answering machine. You will still be able to hear or check if it is an emergency.

If you hate doing a task, ask yourself if you are the one who really needs to do it - maybe someone else in the family could do it? Or you could even trade jobs with another mom/mum.

Just start it! The most difficult part of many tasks is getting started. Once you begin, the task is often easier than you expected and it is not as bad as you imagined it. And, just think when you have finished, how great you will feel.

John Lennon: Life
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I am big on getting the job done. For instance it's 9:46pm (as I write this) and I'd really like to get in bed and watch a movie but I know that if I do I'll just fall asleep!

So I tend to push myself in the evening (when it's quiet) to finish up e-mails, lenses and blog posts. Then I really sleep well because I get the satisfaction of knowing that I got everything done.

Trust me, that is a great feeling!

Lensmaster BDKZ

This Blog Post by Leo Babauta is a great read and has some great tips for "getting started" on something.

Babauta says:

Too often we get stuck in inaction - the quagmire of doubt and perfectionism and distractions and planning that stops us from moving forward.

And while I'm no proponent of a whirling buzz of activity, I also believe people get lost in the distractions of the world and lose sight of what's important, and how to actually accomplish their Something Amazing.

And so today I'd like to humbly present a few little rules of action - just some small reminders, things I've found useful but by no means invented, common-sense stuff that is often not common enough.

1. Don't overthink. Too much thinking often results in getting stuck, in going in circles. Some thinking is good - it's good to have a clear picture of where you're going or why you're doing this - but don't get stuck thinking. Just do.

Read the rest of The Little Rules of Action

Then subscribe to the Blog and add Power of Less, The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential...in Business and in Life to your Wishlist!

FREE download:
More Me Time by Heather Bestel

Heather Bestel is someone who I came across when I was the Editor of Imperfectly Natural.com. Heather says about the book:

"It's full of great advice, tips and strategies for making time for yourself in the busyness of your day. It supports you in giving yourself permission to give yourself more time, especially when you're really rushed off your feet."

It does exactly what Heather says and more. So treat yourself to an interesting and helpful read.

More Me Time

According to their Ning homepage RocketMoms is a gathering of the smartest women on the web, working together to make Squidoo lenses (and a whole lot more).

The group is specifically aimed at Mums publishing on Squidoo and the first cohort is working together for six weeks, starting on 20 April 2009.

In Week 1 our first task was to make an "About Me" lens, which is 10 things I want to do.

For Week 2, we had to make a niche lens, which is how this lens evolved. I had been planning a Time Management lens for ages - but I was procrastinating!

Then we got our task and I made a start. Then I realised that I had several modules on Procrastination and so made the decision to split the lens into two. I went off and did THIS lens before I finished the Time Management one.

Hmm........

May 15, 2011
This lens has been awarded a Squidoo Purple Star!
Purple Star?



According to the Purple Star lens,
they are awarded to Lenses that are:

"Masterpiece lenses. Lenses making a name for themselves.
Lenses trying new things."

What an honour!