Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today. If it takes two minutes or less, do it now. Sound familiar? These little refrains are the voices inside that encourage us to do whatever it is that needs to get done. The more undesirable, the louder and more persistent the voice, for the things that cause us to procrastinate. What are you putting off?

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   The Thief of Time

We may all be guilty of procrastination at some point or another. It's so much easier, and fun, to watch TV, spend time looking at social media, or text with friends and family, than to hunker down and work on whatever it is that we've put off for so long .  Any distraction will do.

We may feel that we need to be inspired or motivated to do a certain task. We may feel uncertain or intimidated by not knowing how to perform a certain task. Or we may think we need to be in a particular mood to complete a certain task. So we procrastinate. It's a type of self-sabotage.

College students may have cornered the market on procrastination. As reported in Psychology Today, a studied group experienced increased stress, illness and insomnia over the course of a semester as a result of procrastinating school-related projects. However,  research indicates that approximately 20% of adults in the US are chronic procrastinators.
Halting the Habit 

  While there are many reasons why we procrastinate, there are a number of things that can be     done to help overcome this thief of time.

  1. Face the fear that's holding you back so that you can begin to move forward. Believe that you can do it.
  2. Make a list of what you need to accomplish. Estimate the time each task will take and assign a 'by when' date. 
  3. Break the task down into manageable sections - a staple in many an organizing project.
  4. Make a date with yourself to work on the task. Be sure to mark it on your calendar.
  5. Practice the 3 Rs: repeat techniques until they feel natural; replace the bad habit with a good habit; reward yourself for completing the task.
Sometimes just knowing what triggers procrastination is enough to get you moving in the right direction. Forgive yourself for whatever has kept you from getting the task done in the past. It's a new day, and there's no time like the present.

Happy ORGANiZiNG,

Nancy Patsios
everyday  ORGANiZiNG