Stop Procrastinating: Make Decisions
Posted by Jan Wencel on Mon, Apr 26, 2010
Last week at the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) conference I thanked industry legend, Barbara Hemphill--Taming the Paper Tiger at Work author, for writing the statement: "Clutter is postponed decisions."
Simple, yet profound, this phrase is one I almost always include in my productivity training sessions.
When you thoughtfully examine the items cluttering your desk and office, I suspect you'll arrive in agreement with the sentiment--many items represent a postponed decision or action.
So why not make today the day you start changing your procrastination habit? Following are two questions to ask to make that happen:
What can I do in the next 15 to 20 minutes to move this forward? From The Now Habit author, Dr. Neil Fiore, this question propels many into action. No need to wait until you have enough time to complete the project. Do something now to prime the pump and maintain a forward motion.
By the end of the day, what do I want to accomplish in order to feel good about it? If you can make a habit of asking yourself this question, you'll make a habit of getting the critical stuff done. Use this daily empowerment form to capture your ideas in the morning...and to confirm they're getting checked off in the afternoon.
What questions do you use to prevent procrastination?