From Procrastination to Progress

Procrastination is a part of our lives. We struggle with it in our personal lives and, more frequently, when we are working with someone else. Putting off difficult, mundane or even important projects is a typical response many people have, especially if the project is disagreeable, long, or complex. How can you conquer those undone "monsters" in a timely manner?

Start by thinking of one project you have been putting off that you would like to get started on this next week. Then, apply the following principles to your specific needs. And finally, make the magic happen as you move from procrastination to progress!

For example, you might have a jacket that needs shortening. It has been sitting in your sewing closet for two months. Why is it still sitting there? There might be several reasons. This project, like many others that you delay doing, has usually caused several concerns which keeps it undone. These concerns may include:

-The project may be too big to handle mentally,
-The project may require a tough decision,
-The project could easily be ruined, or
-The project requires an uncomfortable skill level.

No matter the challenges, let’s approach your undone project and make some progress.


Too Big to Comprehend
Sometimes a project feels too big to comprehend! A project that is put aside and left for another day often seems too overwhelming to conquer mentally. The secret here is to break it down, down, down until you have feasible mini-steps you can work into your schedule. It always helps to write down the steps you plan to take.

In the case of the jacket which needs shortening:

-You must first make a decision about length,
-You must cut the excess hem off,
-You must pin it up, and
-You must hem it up again.

Rule #1: Make a written list of the mini-projects necessary to get the big project finished. Begin the first mini-project as soon as possible!


Be Decisive
Often we procrastinate because the project ahead of us will take an important decision to complete! Any project that needs a decision for progress often keeps you strangled on “hold.” So, how do you make the decision-making process easier? One way is to duplicate someone’s success. In the case of the jacket that needs shortening, find another favorite jacket of a comfortable length, pin the project jacket to that length, try it on just to make sure, and count this “mini” project done.

Rule #2: Make the hard decisions necessary to get the project going on its way!


Mistakes Happen
Even then, we often procrastinate again because we are afraid of making a mistake. This means the possibility of ruining the project completely. Ask yourself an important question, "If I mess this up completely, what will be the worst possible result if I goof it?" In this case, you might cut the jacket off too short and then have to discard it all together. So how about cutting it off a little less and leaving a larger, more flexible hem? Is all this delay worth that worry?

Rule #3: Work through your fears until you can count the cost of failure and walk past it. Then, get going on the next “mini” project!


More Skill Needed
Another procrastination roadblock is comfortability with your skill level. It may mean employing a skill which may be difficult and/or tedious. How many times do we delay a project because of potential discomfort? In this case, hand-hemming is the skill that will be required. So, where would be the best place to begin hemming so that the initial attempts are most hidden? Maybe in the back? And, when would be the best time to approach this tedious process with success? You could put the jacket, once you have decided on the length and pinned it up, conveniently located to hem the next time your beloved Aunt Ruby calls. Then you could multi-task and get this project on its way!

Rule #4: Find the best time to do the next mini-project so it will not seem so laborious.


Let’s look at another procrastination example: filing paperwork. Usually, this project has been left so long it is, indeed, too big to comprehend. When I work as a professional organizer, I counsel people to work at an oversized project for a specific amount of time each week day, usually 20 minutes. This helps move people from feeling so overwhelmed. Just 20 minutes a day makes a lot of paperwork disappear in a hurry.

Even then, people really struggle with being decisive as they wonder if the paperwork should be kept and filed or tossed and forgotten. It is most helpful to actually have three piles:

-Paperwork to keep and file
-Paperwork to toss and forget
-Paperwork to set aside until I decide

Then, the fear of making a mistake with paperwork must be conquered. If the piece of paper is vital to your personal welfare, income taxes, or meets a known future need, it should definitely be kept. If it useful, but the information can also be found online or elsewhere, it can be tossed. If it proves you have made a purchase or is a contract or any kind, it should be kept and filed. Sometimes, when there is too much of a good item, it is best to just keep a representation of that item. For example, if you have three years’ worth of automobile magazines, maybe the current year’s issues might be kept, and the rest shared or donated.

Lastly, with paperwork it is best to tackle this project each day when you are going to be the least distracted. You will need to decide when that time will be for you, but focus when you work, set a timer to keep yourself on task, and then let the project go until tomorrow’s work cycle.

With these four rules in place, unkempt paperwork and any other project you have been procrastinating will soon be done.

Remember, the biggest challenge is simply starting. So begin right away eating one of those procrastination monsters in your life, one small task at a time. First, choose a project that has been sitting too long undone. Then, break the project down into manageable mini-projects. Make those difficult decisions which have kept the project sitting undone, work past your fears of failure, and then set convenient times for working on the mini-projects necessary to complete that giant challenge.

Get going now! It really isn't a very big monster once you start at it. You will be surprised and pleased at the momentum you gain once you get moving!