Procrastination & Productivity: My Own Personal Struggle With Both

You all may think because I run a successful organizing service, that I must have everything all together. I mean how can the owner of an organizing service not have it all figured out! Truth be told, I struggle A LOT when it comes to specific aspects of my business and personal life.

In a not so bombshell reveal, if you’ve been following me or a while, I have had anxiety for as long as I can remember. Anxiety is an ever changing, ever evolving part of my life that has been a driving force for me in both very positive and very negative ways. I fully believe, that its my anxious nature that has gotten me this far with Project Neat. This little engine that could started as a passion of mine that I cultivated because it always kept me happy and calm. Using my hands to create spaces of calm was, and still remains a huge part of my therapy.

I truly believe, had it not been for my anxiety issues, I would NOT be where I am today. HOWEVER, on the flip side of my passion for organizing, and the doors its opened, I also have issues on the flip side. Any task that I don’t love, or even like, I procrastinate. ALL THE TIME. Writing this article for example, its not that writing it is a struggle, its that I don’t enjoy it, and would much rather be doing something else. I struggle a lot with the back end of my business because of this.

As much as you may feel I’ve MADE IT, I feel that I hold myself back A LOT from achieving my full potential. Actually sitting down at a computer and doing the grunt work for my business is a HUGE battle for me. I literally have to force myself into completing tasks that I hate. Anything desk related, marketing related, outreach related, basic admin work for ME is a major problem.

I fully procrastinate it and the result is a huge lack of productivity. YES, Im busy, YES I have clients, but between my 3 kids and my hands on approach to my clients, the back end suffers. I write this, because I want all of you to know that your not alone, that I to, with all my organizing skills, STRUGGLE.

How can we fix this, or at least make it better? Well thats a question I think about a lot, and in my quest, have found some things that really help along the way.

1. CREATE LISTS – just the act of writing down what you want to accomplish is a huge win. Once its out of my brain and on paper, I immediately feel relieved. Seeing it in front of me, rather then ruminating it in my brain all day is a great way to start.
2.  BE SPECIFIC – aside from having a general goal oriented list, its very helpful to hone that in With a more detailed approach. Break down your goals into doable tasks. DO NOT try to Achieve everything in one shot. You will just overwhelm yourself and give up. Instead, baby steps. Pick a task , focus on ONLY that, achieve it, and schedule the next task. Which lead  me into my next step, which is having a routine.
3. ROUTINE – its def hard in the beginning but forcing yourself into a routine both for your Home life and work life is very affective. Creating a DOABLE schedule that achieves your important tasks, and then sticking to it is key. Even when you don’t want to. Getting over that initial HUMP of procrastination def takes practice. As with anything else, the more You practice, the better it gets.

And last but certainly not least…..

4. DONT BEAT YOURSELF UP – I do this to myself all the time. Being negative towards yourself over your flaws is not the path forward. Instead, focus on acceptance. Be accepting towards who you are, acknowledge your flaws and promise yourself to work on them. Remember that life’s a journey, and we have to do our best to enjoy the ride!