"Procrastination is the thief of time."~Edward Young c. 1742
For many of us, procrastination is exactly that. We find ways, excuses and other more important things to do instead of what we SHOULD be doing. For me, I spend a lot of time in forums or playing with photos or browsing ebay instead of listing, listing, listing like I should be doing. Either on ebay or etsy.
So here are some solutions. Writing this was a great reminder for me too!
First, understand why you procrastinate.
- Is it to create a sense of urgency, thus more motivation?
- To get that 'rush'...a feeling of excitement?
- Being overextended?
- Only do things when you feel like doing them?
- Lack of self-discipline?
- Fear of criticism or failure?
- Overwhelmed?
- Disorganized?
It's important to always think of the consequences. Pressure, anxiety, quality suffers or the inability to relax during free time. There's that nagging feeling that something isn't done.
But what can we do? How do we catch the thief?
Here are some suggestions from other people and some ideas of my own:
- Make a list. The night before, write down specific items you want or need to accomplish. You'll feel progress as you check things off. Prioritize the items and even mark what time of day is best to accomplish them.
- Figure out how to tell time. Be realistic on how long things take. Use a timer...(my favorite suggestion) Anyone can fold clothes for 15 minutes! When the timer goes off, you're done. Or you're on a roll and can keep going.
- Delegate. If you're truly overextended, try to share the load.
- Break down large projects into smaller. Instead of saying " I need to list items tomorrow" say.."I need to take pictures of 5 items tomorrow"
- Reward yourself. Plan on an uninterrupted stretch of productive work. Then when you've accomplished it, reward yourself...take a break, read a book, take a walk..check out the forums!!!
Anyway, just a few ideas that I hope will help! Now finish reading this and get back to work!
