Too many projects are put on delay these days due to excuses. We say we'll do something, and we'll give it top priority, but it still never gets done. Mount Procrastination is the new Everest, and it's a tough one to climb for most of us. I can't do it today because I have to wash my hair, or I didn't finish that letter because the dog had to go to the vet. There are always millions of excuses for not doing something that should have been done, when we never wanted to do it anyway.
In order to function well in today's fast-paced world, we need to prioritize. Make a list of what needs to be done right away and of what can wait a little longer. Put off the tedious minutia until the important stuff is finished, then tackle the little stuff and before you know what hit you, the things you hated doing will be done. There's no need to make excuses for not doing something when it is finished already.
If you're like me, you get excited about some projects but not so much about others. This is normal because we all have likes and dislikes, and there are some jobs that just seem like way too much work, and others that we actually enjoy doing. Some people think they should do the fun stuff first, but then they take a look at the “honey-do” list and see only the stuff they hate, and they stop being motivated. A much easier way would be to do one “fun” project and one not-so-fun project, get two things accomplished, and still have the satisfaction of doing something you enjoy.
For example: If you hate gardening, but like mowing the lawn, do the job you dislike while the morning is still young, before the heat of the day drags you down, then , later in the day, do your mowing job while the sun is shining and get yourself a little tan at the same time. Remember, no matter what everyone is saying about getting too much sun, no sun at all is still too little. Get two jobs accomplished on the same day and feel good about your accomplishment, and be able to mark that hated gardening task off your list at the same time.
I've noticed in my own experiences that typically, the jobs we hate the most are the ones that are repetitive. In my case, I hate shoveling snow in the winter, a job that once finished usually grows back again within a day or two, sometimes less. There really is no cure for these types of repetitive jobs except to try to do them as easily as possible, without putting yourself through excessive work. Usually our complaint is that we just don't have time to do everything that needs to be done, but if we take one thing at a time, starting with the important stuff and work at it steadily, there should be little difficulty getting the job done right.
It helps, of course, to have fun stuff waiting for you at the end of all the tedium, a good book, a video you have been wanting to see, a favorite hobby, a night out with your friends or spouse, all of those things can make the work aspects of your life seem so much less time consuming and dull. In other words, giving yourself a reward after fulfilling a chore you don't really relish, can make the whole process more fun all the way around.
Organization helps too, of course, because it is so much easier to get a job done properly, on time and with enthusiasm if you have all the equipment you need to get it done, before you ever get started. If you are raking leaves, you don't want to be without a good rake, and you certainly don't want to be without a bag, box, bushel basket or wheelbarrow to put the leaves into in order to move them from one spot to another. Keeping order in your household helps you get your tedious little tasks done efficiently.
With enough thought and imagination, we can re-work our working habits and give ourselves adequate motivation and rewards. With a little attitude adjustment it should be easier to move ourselves to get jobs done well, and on time, leaving procrastination and our excuses, in our dust.
