Are you a great procrastinator? Do you say “I’ll just do it tomorrow?” And then tomorrow never comes and before you know it you are in the position that clutter is taking over your space? Well you are not alone! Clearing clutter can become a thing of the past by stopping clutter before it begins. Here are eight tips for clearing clutter before it begins.
1. Plan your day according to your most productive time. As a professional organizer I find working with women about mid morning is usually the best time. Most people I have found are highly motivated at that time of day and are not tired from doing a days’ work. But consider how you feel about morning or afternoons and plan accordingly.
2. Do you put off a project because you think it is too overwhelming and intimidating? Break the project down into smaller steps. I call it taking baby steps. Set your timer and allow yourself to work only that specific length of time. I recommend starting with 20 to 30 minutes at a time when you are working alone and just starting a task as then it isn’t overwhelming and you will be more likely to come back to the job rather than becoming overwhelmed and discouraged.Write down your goals and put a date by them when it will be completed. This is a great motivator and it makes us accountable.
3. Prevent distractions and interruptions from occurring. When you have something that needs to be done, turn off the phone. Let the answering machine pick up messages. Plan on a certain time to return messages, say at 10:00 and 1:00. Do not answer the door. Turn off the television. Remove whatever it is that distracts you from doing the project you have planned.
4. Eat healthy, exercise and get enough sleep. Exercising will help you to create more energy and you'll be less likely to procrastinate because you’ll have the energy to complete a task. When I start an organizing project I get a glass of water as water gives our body energy and I always have a healthy treat to snack on. Getting a good night's sleep will help you re-energize and you'll be able to maintain more energy during the day. Know your own body and get the amount of sleep your body requires.
5. Being organized can help you focus. When working in chaos and in a place that is disorganized with lots of distractions it is hard to focus and it wastes our time looking for things. Clearing clutter from our homes, desks and our lives will help us to focus on the task at hand and cause less frustration and stress.
6. Ask someone else to help you to stop procrastinating. Report to this person what your goal is and keep them posted on your progress. This can be a great motivator to keep going when someone else is interested in what you are doing and they are encouraging you through your clearing clutter journey.
7. It is perfectly fine to make mistakes. Isn’t that why erasers were made? Nothing is perfect, so it is not going to happen. The most important thing is to let go of perfection and start. Realize that perfection is impossible to obtain. It is important to do your best, but you do not have to be perfect. Praise yourself for what you have accomplished.
8. Reward yourself when you have accomplished your goal.
You’ll feel a surge of energy and enthusiasm when you finish the task or goal you set for yourself. Clearing clutter becomes easier and you will have less clutter when you stop procrastinating and start doing things a little at a time and keep on going until you are finished.
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