by consistentlyprocrastinating | Sep 12, 2019 | Organization, Planning, Time Management
10 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Organized
I don’t know if you have problems with procrastinating like I sometimes do but here are 10 ways to stop procrastinating and get more organized! Procrastination is a bad habit that is hard to break and even when you are doing MUCH better it slowly can creep back up on you! So if that sounds familiar I hope these tips help you!
Procrastinating has always been a struggle for me. It actually runs in my family. I think back to when I was in school and I see just how bad I was at procrastinating. I would do anything other than my homework or clean my room.
Instead, I would, of course, choose things that were fun and put off the not so fun things until the last minute. Then when I had to rush and get things done I didn’t do my best work.
As I became an adult, wife, and mother, I have found that putting things off can end up really bad! You have to be prepared and use your time wisely if you want things to get done. I have learned as the years have gone by to overcome my procrastinating habits.
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Here are the 10 ways to stop procrastinating and get more organized that have helped me find time to be more productive.
1. Identify What Takes Up Your Time
What is taking up most of your time? If you were to stop and really think about any spare time you have what are you doing? Then decide if that is time well spent or not!
Do you spend too much time on Social Media?
Are you putting off important tasks to clean when you could do that later?
Are you overthinking and stalling?
Take a hard look at how you are choosing to spend your time and identify what is really take up your time and making you “too busy” to get your important task done.
Related Post: 5 Easy Ways to Find Time in Your Day
2. Reorganize Your Schedule
Instead of doing what you want first in your day, do the important task that you are putting off first. Or if you find that you are more productive during a certain part of the day then more that task to that time frame.
Rearrange your schedule to make it more effective for you to get your task done. If you move some things around in your schedule to different time frames then you may be more likely to get it done.
For example, if I decide to clean all morning then I am worn out in the afternoon and struggle to work on my computer. But if I work first then my important task is done and I have the rest of the day to catch up on housework.
I did the same thing during the day but in a more productive order that ensures everything gets accomplished.
3. Make a List
Make a list of the things you want to accomplish during the day and then map out your day. At the beginning of the day, I think about all the things that need to be done.
Between what’s for supper, is tonight gymnastics, what yards need to be mowed (we have a small lawn care company), have I billed everyone for said yards, where am I at on my blog etc. It can get overwhelming.
If I don’t write it all down then I forget and things don’t get done.
If I make a list and I see what all needs to be done then I just start chipping away at that list and I love seeing those things get crossed off! When I get to the end of the list I feel so good! I feel like I can relax a little and that I have earned it!
Also having that list you can see the order in which things need to be done. If there are things that need to all be done while you are in town then group them together. Things that need to be done at home then group them.
Then multiple things can be done at once and crossed off the list all at once!
4. Give Yourself a Time Limit
Allow yourself only so long to do each thing you need to accomplish that day. Set a time limit for each item. This sets a sense of urgency when you see you only have X amount of time left to finish that item.
This also keeps you from spending too much time on one item. I do the budgeting for our family so every Friday I like to see where we are. Payday Friday I map everything out and then the next Friday I see how we are doing staying on our budget.
Now life has a funny way of not caring about what you have planned so it never works perfectly but at least I tried! It shouldn’t take all day or even hours but I can end up spending hours planning ahead for the future.
This is when I have to set a timer. It should only take 30mins-1hour tops. Also, the time limit works great for cleaning because I see that oven timer ticking down and I really rush to get it done so I can be more productive with my day!
5. Pick Up The Pace
I have a very laid back personality so I can just mosey along with my day and get half as much done that I could have if I would have just picked up the pace.
So I have tried hard to pick up the pace while working on my to-do list.
It works great along with #4 and setting a timer. It just lights a little fire under you to get more done in your day.
6. Multitask
Now some people say this can cause you to be less productive but I’m not talking about talking on the phone while typing an email. I am talking about turning on the washer and dishwasher first so they can run while you are vacuuming type thing.
If you multitask and do things in the right order you will get more done during the day.
Maybe you listen to an audiobook or watch a training video while you are cooking supper or folding laundry instead of watching T.V. Maybe you answer emails on your phone while you are waiting for gymnastics practice to be over instead of scrolling on Facebook.
The other day I had to drive 3 hours to meet with my friend so instead of listening to the radio I listened to videos from my favorite blogger to help better myself.
We all multitask already but choosing better things to do while multitasking will make a huge difference.
7. Wake Up 30 Minutes Earlier
We all know this is a great one that is easier said than done. I am not a morning person so waking up earlier is hard for me.
Sleep is good for us so you just need to use your time more wisely and get to bed on time (instead of scrolling through social media).
I have always been a night owl and never an early riser but I have found that if I stay up 30 minutes later that I start my day off tired and grumpy and I get less done during the day.
If I go to bed on time but wake up 30 minutes earlier I still have that same 30 extra minutes but I am much more productive!
Related Post: 3 Reasons Why The Way You Dress Impacts Your Productivity
Download this printable to hang on your wall to remind yourself to stay focused! Don’t procrastinate, download it for free now!
Click here to grab your copy!
8. Meal Prep
I didn’t realize just how amazing meal prepping is! I knew to eat healthier that meal prepping made all the difference but what I didn’t know is how meal prepping saves so much time and headache period!
It has made a huge difference! Also, it has helped our budget extremely because my husband doesn’t just order something because supper is already ready when he walks in the door from work! (I started this habit while working a full-time job because I was too tired to cook after work. But with everything prepped it saved the day!)
I started prepping lunches too. These are what I used for my daughter’s lunches and these for my husband and I’s lunches!
9. It’s Okay To Say No
This one goes along the lines of the time-wasters. I am very bad about not saying no, I always get suckered into saying yes.
Every once in awhile it’s okay to say no.
I recently had a hard time saying no and I felt guilty about it at first but good about it later. My neighbor asked if I could watch her daughter and I told her no which bothered me at first but then I thought “Darn it, my life is important and my blog is important too and it deserves my attention!”
So it is okay to say no! Again, it is all about a healthy balance. You don’t want to always work and never enjoy life but you can’t always enjoy life and never work either.
10. Spark!
Spark is a complete LIFESAVER! If you haven’t heard of it then let me just change your life real quick!
Spark is an amazing healthy energy drink. I have never had a monster or any of those types of energy drinks and I was very skeptical about this one when I first heard about it. Spark is made by AdvoCare and isn’t sold in stores.
You can only get it from a distributor. My bestie had signed up and finally talked me into trying it and it is like liquid gold.
I am very stingy with it. I’m not gonna lie, I do not like to share….it is my “happy mommy juice” so no one takes it from mama! I will try not to go on and on about it because I most definitely could.
Spark helped me become the productive mom I had always dreamed of being. I would drag all day and drink coffee and Mountain Dew trying to have the energy to get through the day.
It’s just another amazing thing that changed my life and I would be selfish not to share that with you! I am beyond thankful my friend shared it with me!
I have been drinking it since 2012 and I don’t go a day without it!
There You Have It
I hope some of these tips help you kick your procrastination habit and get more stuff done!
My best advice to stop procrastinating and get more organized are these 5 simple words… MASSIVE ACTION SOLVES ALL PROBLEMS.
I wrote that on a note and stuck it on my fridge so I could see it every day. It would remind me that even if I didn’t know where to start, I just needed to start. I just needed to get moving and the rest would work itself out!
Keep moving forward!
Vanessa
by consistentlyprocrastinating | May 21, 2019 | Productivity Tips
3 Reasons Why The Way You Dress Impacts Your Productivity
Productivity and procrastination go hand in hand. If you suffer from procrastination then you probably aren’t very productive. So you have to overcome procrastination to become productive. Even a simple change in the way you dress impacts your productivity!
The best way to overcome procrastination is to work hard on becoming productive and your procrastination issue will take care of itself! Here is an easy productivity tip to implement right away. The way you dress. Here are 3 Reasons Why The Way You Dress Impacts Your Productivity.
1. How you feel about yourself impacts your productivity
Believe it or not, the way you dress sets your mindset for the day and impacts your productivity. If you walk around in your sweats all day you feel tired and well…lazy.
You may not be lazy and you may actually get some things done but your mindset is not 100% confident.
When you “dress for success” there is something magical about it and it impacts your productivity in a positive way! You feel good about yourself. Every time you look in the mirror you will see a professional that had confidence and stands up strong.
If every day you wear sweats then when you look in the mirror you will struggle to see a strong individual that is ready to take on the day so that impacts your productivity in a negative way.
Try it for a week and see how much better you will feel about yourself!
2. How others perceive you impacts your productivity
Others will sense the same feelings. Dressing professionally will get you more respect from others. It’s not their fault, it’s human nature and we all do it. If someone comes to your do dressed in their sweats with stains on the front, their hair a mess, and they look like they just woke up, you would be taken aback.
Thinking what in the world does this person want?! I would be scared to open the door! However, if someone that looks clean-cut and dressed nicely (not over the top) then I would feel much more comfortable opening the door.
Now we all know that isn’t always the case. You can’t trust everyone but I’m sure you see my point. If you are “dressed for success” you will put off the vibe that you are a professional, you are important and intelligent.
I have tested this theory out many times. I now have people give me a hard time for always being “dressed up” like I am going somewhere special when I work from home.
But I will say that…
A) It is usually just some makeup, curled hair, and a Walmart dress
B) It isn’t always but more often than not
C) I am always ready for those surprise visits!
I had a friend just FaceTime me last night and joked saying “Where you ready for my call you look like you just left the salon!”
But I felt great with that confidence instead of embarrassed at how I do look sometimes!
Ladies, when we see a well-dressed mom at school looking like she is rocking her life we tend to be envious and want to be like her.
That is our perception of her. Just like others have a perception of you. I am definitely not telling you to be fake or stuck up. DON’T BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE. I just want you to feel confident and comfortable in situations like that.
3. The universe goes in your favor and impacts your productivity
Do you ever have those days you just feel like everything clicks and falls together perfectly? Of course, we have the opposite too where nothing could go right no matter what we do.
But if you think back to the good days you may realize that those are the days you are “dressed for success”.
That is usually the start of everything falling together perfectly – you found the perfect outfit for the day. This goes all the way back to Middle School and High School.
You are excited to go to school to wear the new outfit you just got.
From there everything seems to fall in order. You knew all the answers in class. The boy/girl you like talking to you at school. The cafeteria served your favorite lunch. It all comes together and it all started with the way you dressed.
I am not trying to push you do go out and buy a whole new wardrobe but I am trying to steer you clear of wear pajamas all day every day.
If you are rocking at productivity and you wear PJs all day then you probably are reading the wrong post. This isn’t for you.
This is for those looking to improve their productivity right away and stop procrastination from taking over their everyday life.
Tips to improve the way you dress that impacts your productivity
I am not a fashionista. I choose comfort over fashion. Again if you are a fashionista you probably are reading the wrong post. You don’t need help dressing to impress. You already know that changing the way you dress impacts your productivity.
If you are still following along then you probably also like to dress comfortably. That’s why most of us choose sweats or our PJs.
Here are simple tips to help you dress better without sacrificing comfort!
1. Paint your nails
I always feel like a million bucks when my nails are painted. I never go without toenail polish (because let’s face it, it stays on longer and is much easier to touch up). But I don’t keep my fingernails painted all of the time because it is more upkeep.
That is why my husband bought me a gel nail polish kit like these. It costs too much to get my nails done and I hated how regular polish came off so fast but I loved my nails to be painted so he got me a kit!
I love that thing! I have had it for years and still have the same bottles I started with. Again I don’t keep my nails painted all of the time because I like to let them heal up since my nails are so weak and gel polish tears them up a bit.
However, it stays on for about 3 weeks!
There are other options out there as well like all those stick-on nails and nail polishes. I just feel much more confident with my nails done!
2. A little bit of makeup goes a long way
If I haven’t made it clear already, I am not one to spend hours on my appearance. I do get my hair colored every 5-6 weeks but other than that I don’t go all out on clothes, shoes, tanning, fake eyebrows or eyelashes, none of that.
Since I live in Coastal Georgia so that stuff would just sweat right off if I did.
I do fill in my normally tiny thin eyebrows, put concealer on my dark rings under my eyes, and wear mascara. That is about it. The days I don’t do that are because we are out on the boat or at the pool.
Otherwise, I will do those small steps and it makes a huge difference. I don’t contour, paint, or glue anything on and I still get told all the time how good I look. I am not saying that to brag because I myself don’t see it but hey at least I am not scaring people away.
3. Clothes don’t have to be expensive
A new outfit can make all the difference. Not a new outfit right off the runway but a newer outfit works just fine! If you have the finances to buy new fancy clothes and that’s your thing then go for it!
I am trying to help those who can’t but still are looking for ways to increase their productivity by dressing better to improve their confidence.
With that said you can find all kinds of cute clothes at garage sales, on the trader sites, at Goodwill, Walmart, Target, JC Penny, and so many more!
Here are a bunch of cute summer dresses you could have shipped right to your door! I love dresses! They hide and flaws (like eating too much pizza the night before), they are very comfortable and flowy, and they definitely make you look professional!
4. Self-Hygiene
Even making small changes in your personal hygiene will make you feel more confident! Besides painting your nails you could whiten your teeth, get a new haircut or style, try out a new perfume or cologne, apply lotion, take a warm bubble bath, or get a massage!
You would be surprised how much confidence you will gain by taking better care of yourself. My husband works so hard that he puts himself on the back burner.
Finally, I got him in to the dentist and started getting things fixed and back up to date. In doing that he loved how his teeth looked and have started whitening them and take better care of himself!
Another awesome product that I love so very much is Spark. It is a sugar-free energy drink. The fruit punch flavor tastes just like Hawaiian fruit punch juice to me. There are a bunch of different flavors though.
I started drinking it in 2012 and I don’t go a day without it! I love it because it gives me motivation, energy, and mental focus to tackle each day.
What does this have to do with hygiene? I added it to this category because since it is sugar-free and full of vitamins I lost weight after starting on it and some of AdvoCare’s other products!
And taking care of yourself and losing weight is definitely self-hygiene!
Disclaimer: Just because I and many others lost weight by taking AdvoCare’s products does not guarantee you will.
5. Earrings/Jewelry
Adding earrings to any outfit dresses it up. So just throw on some earrings or bracelets or a necklace to dress up your outfit quickly and easily!
6. Accessories
Accessories tie every outfit together. If you have a simple summer dress you want to spruce up all you have to do is add a fancy sandal and a purse! Or I love all of these hair accessories!
Well, I hope you were able to see how a few minor changes to your wardrobe can put a positive spin on your daily productivity!
Thanks for ready!
Vanessa
BONUS!
Sometimes just believing in yourself is all you need! Here is a freebie bundle of inspirational quotes for you to print off and tape to your mirror! Read them every day and remind yourself you are professional and productive. And that you will not let procrastination get the best of you!
This will help motivate you to change out of your sweats or PJs to look better and feel better. These tips will for sure impact your productivity in a positive way!
