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Modern Definition of Procrastination:

"To voluntarily delay an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse off for the delay".

Here's another updated blog post for watchers of THV-11 Morning News Show on May 23rd.  I'm especially focusing on mothers (it's still your month!) who take on too much and sometimes get stuck .We all have goals, and young moms in particular have so many pressures coming from every direction.  In my work I see lots of folks (myself included) get sidetracked by that universal nemesis Procrastination.

For example clutter is very often due to NOT making a choice. Peter Walsh - that Most Famous Professional Organizer and Friend of Oprah - said: "each pile of clutter is a monument to a series of small procrastinations".

When you don't have a place for something and can't decide what to do with it, chances are it lands on a nearby surface. As soon as 3, or 5, or 12 of these things group together they become a clutter pile. I'm pretty sure - although this is not scientifically proven - that these piles then take on magnetic properties and draw more stuff into them while we sleep. Just a theory....

Below are my top 3 strategies to overcome the roadblocks and get on with your terrific life!

1. Set priorities and look at the ROI. Review your list of things to do and determine the return on investment for your life. If it's truly vital, then do it. If not, then just say "NO"!
The #1 cause of disorganization is chronic over committment. Every time you consider a new hobby, or sport, or group to join, or taking on that leadership role, step back a moment and ask yourself: Does this move me nearer my vision of my perfect life? If not, then vow to focus instead on the more important stuff.

2. Avoid the Perfectionist trap. Understand that for most areas of our lives perfection is neither expected nor necessary. An inspiring quote from actor Michael J. Fox: "I'm careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence I can reach for, perfection is God's business."

The endless amount of information available to us makes every project loom large - especially if we feel if must be flawless. Once anything becomes overwhelming in our minds we tend to put it off - finding any other activity preferable. (Full disclosure: I did 2 loads of laundry while trying to finish this article!)

Do your best, and wrap it up. Studies show that 50% of the effort used in any project is required to achieve only the final 10% of quality. You don't have to make 100 to get an A.

3. Break it down. Rather than pondering the entire project (studies again show that we mentally overestimate the time needed to complete something), bite-size it!
Decide to do a small portion now - write the outline, clear out a drawer in the kitchen, walk one block and back, etc.. Then do another and another using a timer if needed for short bursts of activity. I find I can do almost anything for 15 minutes. Completion and success then motivates you onward to the next step, and so on, and so on...

Kid's Rooms

 Organizing Tween Room

Here's an update to a prior post for my appearance on THV-11 Morning News Show on May 23rd.  Hope this helps some overworked and under-appreciated moms!

I'm now posting some of the questions that I get about organizing along with my answers. Here is one about a messy 10 year old's room - never a simple solution since "wait till they move out" does not seem to satisfy most parents. :)

I'm changing the name to protect the innocent (or otherwise), so don't worry if I post yours here sometime in the future!

Question:

My daughter, "Jane", age 10, needs some major help in her room. Her tiny space so messy and unorganized. If we get her room in decent shape, it doesn't take her long to wreck it. What's the best way to begin?

Answer: 

Dear "Frustrated Mom",

The biggest problem I see with most children's rooms is that they are just too full of stuff. You can put away once, but if everything is full and it's hard for THEM to put it away (cramming into drawers, moving things around to get to the proper storage area, etc.), the chances that they'll keep it up go way way down.

Also, parents sometimes set up a system that makes sense to them, but it may not to the child, so they must memorize where everything should go. Include her in the organizing process so she both understands it and takes some ownership.

The key is to make it super easy to put stuff away. Store like things with like (based upon their version of similar categories), with plenty of empty space. Think of resource vs. archive, and move out anything that is simply being stored there long-term. Box up the sentimental outgrown things and store them elsewhere if she can't yet put them "back into the Universe". Only the most used items should occupy "prime real estate" in her room.

Finally, understand that it takes discipline and leadership by example to keep it neat, and most tweens and teens struggle a lot with this. Keep expectations realistic, try for a few minutes a day of maintenance, and congratulate even very small victories!!

That's a quick synopsis of what I do for a client. Hope it helps some!

Becca