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January Procrastination – is it the Weather or What?

January hump day has come and gone…we are over way through the first month of 2012 – yikes!

If you did set yourself goals and resolutions, studies show that you may already be struggling to be true to them.  If you have still not determined what new directions or changes you might make in 2012, you could still be struggling.

Either way, procrastination could be part of your problem, and it’s not until you understand what type of a procrastinator you are that you can do something about it. In the following featured article, I’ll Do It Tomorrow – If I have Time by Barb Friedman, one of the co-authors of 16 Professional Organizers Tell All,  you’ll learn about some of the different types of procrastination.

I’LL DO IT TOMORROW – IF I HAVE TIME!

Does this sound like you or someone you know? How many times do we find ourselves putting off tasks until another (as yet undecided) time? Do you ever hope that some of your “to-do” list would just evaporate with no consequences? Well, the good news is you are not alone. It took me two weeks just to sit down and write this article!

We know that being organized is a learned skill.

New Fact: Procrastination is a learned skill. That’s right. Throughout your life you have developed various ways to procrastinate yet still cope and get by. Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to worry about “getting by”? You can do it!

There are as many reasons to procrastinate as there are tasks to do. The key is to discover what your particular “style” is. What are the obstacles that are holding you back? Do you need more information to complete the job? If so, where and when you can access it? Do you know how to do the task? If not, who can help you? Do you have the necessary materials to work with? And the list goes on and on. As you begin to notice your style, you can begin to learn new ways to handle the obstacles.

One style of procrastination is the “over doer”. This is the person who can’t say “no”. They tend to take on too many commitments and feel quite overwhelmed and stressed out. The “over doer” needs to learn the art of decision making.

One reason they say “yes” to so many things is because they haven’t yet learned how to determine which commitments to take on and which are better delegated to someone else. In deciding whether to accept a task, think about if this is the best possible use of your time. Is this helping you to accomplish your goals? Is this what you do best?

Another style of procrastination is the “perfectionist”. This person cannot begin a project and complete the project until everything is perfect. For example, when creating a filing system – the “perfectionist” will need all the right folders, colors, labels, printers, etc. before they can put the system together.

In reality, although that is a great idea, the important part of the task is to develop and implement the filing system. The details can always be changed at a later date. It is the system itself that will help you to increase productivity, relieve stress and find more time in your day.

There are more styles of procrastination and ways to overcome them. They are covered completely in our workshops. The key is to monitor yourself and determine what your obstacles are. Then develop a few techniques to eliminate that behavior. Be proactive!!

Now is the time to learn a new skill. Good luck!

Professional Organizers DorothyTheOrganizer and Barb Friedman, (owner of Organize IT, Milwaukee, WI) both offer seminars, one on one consultations, coaching and teleclasses. Email Dorothy or Visit Organize IT at www.organizeitbiz.com

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