Procrastination – A Red Light to Your Progress
Are you ready to make a step forward to become Organized? Find a comfortable seat in your office and just take a look around. How does it make you feel? Do you feel stressed out? Can you physically feel the stress in your arms, legs, chest, neck or shoulders? Does it make you want to turn around and walk out the door?
Now, close your eyes and visualize how you would like your office to look. It is relaxing, stress-free, pleasant, peaceful? Do you feel any stress…I hope not.
Here is the best advice that I can give you….nothing will happen until something happens!
Has Procrastion put a red light in your progress? I would venture to say that it probably has. Here are three tips to get past the procrastination and move yourself forward to enjoying your office.
First – Have a daily routine. I know first hand that when your routine gets interrupted, it can, and usually does, affect your entire day. This is why it is important to prioritize your day. Your list of things “To Do” may have 25 things on it and that can seem absolutely overwhelming. However, the method of attacking your To Do list can make it manageable, make you more productive and allow you to see “the light at the end of the tunnel”. Spend a few minutes each morning assessing your “List”. There are probably tasks on your list that you “want” to do and then just as many tasks that you “don’t really want” to do. Typically, we will do those tasks that we “want” to do and procrastinate the other tasks to the point that they never get done. Or…don’t get done until you have reached a deadline that puts unneeded pressure, stress and anxiety on yourself. What I recommend is for you to make sure that you tackle at least one task that you really “don’t want” to do. Just step up to the challenge and get the task taken care of. It will change how you manage your entire day because the stress of not getting it done is actually more dibilitating than the stress of getting it done.
Second – Paperwork seems to be a huge issue for most business owners. It is one of those tasks that you just put off and ignore, hoping that somehow, magically, the paper fairy will come and take care of it all for you. It typically doesn’t happen that way, but you can take charge. A good tip to avoid procrastinating paperwork is to actually block out time on your calendar dedicated totally to spending time on your paperwork. Depending on the amount of paperwork that your business produces, I recommend spending just 30 minutes a week to get it done. When you dedicate and obligate specific time to your paperwork, you will be able to be more productive. A weight will be lifted off of your shoulders and stress will melt away!
Third – Stay on target. Dedicate just a specific amount of time to those things that are not productive (I call them time-suckers). They are important to your business, yes, but they should only be given a specific amount of attention during the day. Email can be one of those time-suckers. Technology is wonderful…it allows me to blog and give some great information, keep in touch with my clients, build business and it can for you too. It can also, however, become so distracting that you procrastinate from doing anything else. It is important to stay focused on what is important. My suggestion is to dedicate just a specific amount of time each morning and afternoon to email. No matter whether it is 15, 20 or 30 minutes each morning or afternoon that you dedicate to email there I have a tip to make sure that you stay on track. Set a kitchen timer on your desk. Set it for the amount of time that you want to dedicate and when your time is up, go back to work. Just like your “To Do” list, you can prioritize your emails too. As you scan through your emails, open and answer those that hold a higher value first. Respond to those that are actually related to your business first…you can tell just by the subject line. Dedicate and obligate your time in a way that will bring you the best results.
Following these three simple steps will help you develop the mindset that will take your business to a higher level. Stay focused on your ultimate goal and you will see results. I have Faith in you.
Until next time!
Linda Clevenger
540-220-5912
DON’T AGONIZE – ORGANIZE
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