One reason why you procrastinate is because you “don’t know how long a task will take and this creates anxiety, causing the thought of doing the task as more unpleasant than it really is.” In order to avoid this trap, try these three easy steps:
1). Realistic Estimates
It is very tempting to delay a task thinking you will have plenty of time to complete it and then end up missing your deadline or being late causing even more problems.
Try estimating how long a task will take. Remember that time in hours or minutes. For example, to iron one shirt it is estimated to take 5 minutes. Then do the task (iron the shirt), record the actual time (maybe it only took 3 minutes to iron the shirt), and compare the actual time it took to your estimate. In this example, it only took 3 minutes to iron the shirt instead of 5 minutes.
Now you have a better, more realistic idea of how long that task really takes. Next time you have to do this task, remember the actual time it took you last time. Now the anxiety of wondering how long the task will take will be eliminated/reduced.
2). One big project
If you see a task with many steps that is really a project. To make a project more manageable, break the project down into small “next” steps.
For example, if you were to do the laundry… Break it down into “what is the next step?” The following might be the steps to do laundry:
- Collect the dirty clothes
- Sort and separate colors and whites
- Put clothes into the washing machine
- Put clean clothes into the dryer
- Fold clothes
- Put clothes away
By breaking things down into parts that are easier to see and estimate (see #1 above), you will see that each task is doable and easier to complete. You may not get to each step but you would have made a good start in the right direction!
3). To-Do Lists
In order to remember to do a task, create a To-Do List. Be sure to only write on the to-do list what the “next” step is (see #2 above) instead of the project (“do laundry”). By doing this, it will help reduce the anxiety of wondering how you will get this project completed.
Then if you get interrupted on one of the “next” steps, write that “next” step down on your to-do list. Be sure to cross off each completed step from the to-do list so you will have that good feeling of accomplishing something during that day.
After a while, you will get better at just remembering what still needs to be done and what you accomplished by using your memory instead of having to do a to-do list. At the end of my days, I run through my mind all the tasks that I did that day and say to myself, “Wow, I got a lot done today!”
Written by: Teresa James, CPO®, ASP® with Organize and Stage Your Home
Certified Professional Organizer
Accredited Staging Professional
Call Today for help with Time Management at (901) 229-4570