I have so much to do and I just don’t feel like doing any of it!
Have you ever felt that way? Procrastination is a common struggle for me, but part 1 of this article will cover some practical suggestions I have found helpful to accomplish more tasks and to minimize how often I find myself procrastinating. I hope they can help you too!
Avoid The Endless To-do List
Address the “necessary & unnecessary” for the day. Many times we put off the tasks we do really want to accomplish because we are overwhelmed by the AMOUNT of tasks we have set before ourselves with intensions to complete in a set time span.
For example your day’s list may look something like:
All advantageous things to want accomplished but can easily cause you to feel overwhelmed especially after a shift. The only thing you may end up doing after work is going through the drive through of Taco Bell and coming home to crash. Why? Because all day you’ve been dreading tackling an unreasonable list of tasks to get done in a day, that you don’t even attempt any of them. And this leaves you feeling as if you are lazy and unaccomplished. The worst part is while you’re sitting there doing NOTHING you aren’t even relaxed. You’re going over in your head how this will only put you further behind and how you really should at least go workout or meal prep. A solution? Try to be reasonable with yourself. When creating a schedule or to do list avoid adding tasks that don’t need to be addressed that day or week.
Could you condense your previous list to look more like this?
Remove Unnecessary Tasks
Removing the unnecessary tasks or putting them on a separate list of things that need to be accomplished when you have the free time or motivation can help you feel less overwhelmed and prevent that “all or nothing” procrastination spiral many of us find ourselves in. You are much more likely to complete what NEEDS to get done and feel good about your days accomplishments instead of kicking yourself over things that truly can be put off and addressed at a later time.
*However, if you feel compelled to do something right then (organizing/cleaning garage/de cluttering/ meal prep/baking/sewing etc) and it won’t hinder other necessary tasks DO IT while you feel up to it. Don’t settle for “well I wasn’t planning on doing this right now” or “it wasn’t on my list for today”. Like Nike says “just do it”, you’ll feel better later about your accomplishment!
Be Practical
Ok so back to our endless list, now that you’ve identified things that can be removed completely from your list and be tended to another day so you aren’t overwhelmed, are there tasks in themselves you can’t avoid (like feeding your family) but can you simplify and make easier on yourself? In the previous lists for example I took 2 necessary tasks, breakfast & exercise, and I simplified or condensed them. Instead of making a more time consuming breakfast such as eggs and waffles, I served something quicker, overnight oats with fruit and pre-boiled eggs. Still nutritious but requires way less effort. The other thing I simplified was my workout. Instead of doing it by myself in the morning, I choose to do a family walk with the dog in the evening. This would encompass my personal exercise, walking the dog, and family time all at once.
Maximize Your Time
It’s not good to be on the go all the time, but one way to avoid procrastination is by getting things done in between scheduled shifts and appointments so that way your days off or down time after works is truly free time you can use at your leisure instead of running errands and cleaning house. For example: if I know I have to go pick up a prescription at the pharmacy, I may also drop off some dry cleaning, pick up a take n bake pizza for dinner and stop at the gas station to fill up my car up so I don’t have to do it later in the week.
*this would be an example of doing unplanned things that may be on your separate to do list if you have the time and energy, so that you can focus on other things later. But remember while it may be advantageous, it may not be necessary, and what is considered balance between the 2 may vary from day to day. That’s ok!
Do As You Go
Sometimes the things we dread and put off doing are things that were easily manageable but we allowed to get out of hand. The best example of this for me is combining out my hair. It’s very coily, long, and thick. I can’t stand combing it out and usually put it off until it’s almost too much to manage and takes me close to an hour just to comb it through. Not style it,not straighten it, just to comb it! So my new rule of thumb is to comb it out every 3rd or 4th shower I take, and braid it up before bed. 15 minutes here or there versus a whole hour- yes please!
This is just one example from my own experience. A few other good suggestions would be to: clean while you cook, rinse & stack dishes & toss trash….don’t let things pile up by taking care of quick tasks while you are next to them. The same goes for car and yard maintenance!
Break Up Tasks
Are you avoiding something on your to do list because it’s just too much to do at once and you won’t be able to finish in a set time frame or feel you don’t have the energy? Maybe just getting started on what you can and not expecting yourself to finish will be helpful. Or you can break up your large task into more manageable smaller tasks.
For example: Instead of deep Cleaning the whole house at once try breaking it up into sections
Daily- dishes
Mon- bathroom
Tues-kitchen
Wed- dust/vacuum/laundry
Thur- other
Set Limitations
In order to change old habits we must implement new changes. Who reading this has had days where you just stayed in bed all comfy and scrolled social media for for hours while putting off everything else we have to do?
Be firm with yourself, don’t even turn on tv or open any time wasting apps when you have a lot to do. Understandably we all need a break from time to time so If you’re really tired or stressed you’ll benefit more from taking a nap or calling a friend than scrolling down the social media rabbit hole. Keep these types of apps limited to times in your day when you don’t have an expectation of doing anything else. For example, on your lunch break at work, in the waiting room of a doctor’s office or mechanic shop, while your getting a pedicure, or at a designated time during your day after you’ve gotten some more important things accomplished.
Motivational Music
Just like having a great playlist can hype your mood and maximize a workout, listening to music while you cleaning and organizing is one sure way to find some motivation to be procrastination!
And if you’re in an environment where you may not be able to blast the speakers because of roommates or thin walls headphones are still a great back up option!
Additional Thoughts
** you may have noticed in my second list example “meal prep for week” was removed. And you may be thinking “ummm…that’s definitely necessary, especially in my house because I’m too busy during the rest of the week to have to worry about it and still have to feed my family”
Well first things first, you would be the one to know what is truly necessary for yourself and household. If you know meal prep is a NEED in your situation you will be less likely to procrastinate in doing that task. However if meal prep is more of an idea that sounds good but you feel overwhelmed by the thought of cooking 3-7 meals at a time to avoid cooking later in the week then that is an advantageous yet unnecessary task. It may be more beneficial to simply plan out a few meals for the week that are quick and easy (and maybe make enough to have some leftovers) Feel free to check out “cooking it up”, our food and drink portion of this site, for easy dinner ideas!
That’s All For Now
Well these are 7 tips I use and hope you find helpful to assist you in your struggle against procrastination! Stay tuned for part 2 of this article!
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