Procrastination Elimination: Conquering My Biggest Beast

The biggest thing (and, technically, the only thing) standing in my way is me. It’s time for a little procrastination elimination.

Since I was a kid, I’ve always been the kind to put off doing things. Whether I didn’t like what would happen when I did those tasks, or just general laziness, simple tasks that wouldn’t take too long to do (or habits that wouldn’t be altogether too painful to develop) would be done tomorrow. Just kidding! Tomorrow for sure. Eventually! Right? Yes.

As an adult, I’ve grown somewhat! Granted, homework and essays no longer top the list of “things to do tomorrow.” I’m fairly good about packing before a vacation, but as I’ve stated before, I don’t always keep up with tidying!

With my newfound resolve and rededication to my every priority, it’s time to name the beast. Naming the thing, or identifying it, will help! They say that admitting you have a problem is the first step to solving it. What if I could solve it practically overnight? No sense in not trying!

Thus, a little procrastination elimination: name my biggest distractions, and how I can best conquer them.

PROCRASTINATION ELIMINATION: THE PROBLEMS

So, the big question: what things/ideas/desires lead me to put off doing the things I want/should be doing with my time?

1. The Problem: Cleaning. How funny! One of the things I need to improve is also one of the things that distracts me. My room? Messy. Bathroom? Messy. Closet? Messy. Dishes? Some sit clean in the dishwasher, but the rest need washing! My laundry basket currently piles up a mile high! How can I focus on work when the space around me sits so cluttered?
2. The Problem: YouTube. There’s no other way to say it: Youtube has become an addiction in the past year! I haven’t started shows, watched movies, or completed basic tasks, and Youtube is to blame. To clarify, the platform isn’t actually to blame, it’s my constant need for it! As well, similar to problem #1, my current “Watch Later” playlist has videos on makeup, style, foreign language hacks, and coding lessons! However, at the end of the day, I’m not sitting down to do an hour of a “12 Hour Bootcamp,” I’m sitting down to watch hours of true crime docs (I never learn, do I?).
3. The Problem: Lengthy. Typically, the things that I should do take time, effort and energy. Even watching movies require my full attention! Coding, writing, and reading all require the same amount of dedication. There are few things I can do absentmindedly! Folding laundry can take hours. Doing the dishes can take an hour. An episode of a TV show can be an hour, maybe even more! Some mornings, even 15 minutes of yoga feels like forever.
4. The Problem: Micro-excuses. What’s that? A message! Better respond, don’t want to be rude. Oh shoot, when’s the last time I paid my credit card bill? Better check. Did I get that email I was waiting on yet? I should look up vacation plans! No, I should look at Pinterest for recipe ideas.
   Was that fun to read? It’s not fun to live. And no, both my parents say I don’t have ADHD. However, they didn’t test me for it. Now that I think about it, I’m an adult with healthcare who could probably get tested herself, so… huh.
5. The Problem: Laziness. After my workday, on my weekends, all I want to do is relax! I want to watch Youtube, sleep, or play on my phone. Certainly, downtime and relaxation is necessary to prevent burnout. But ten hours of nothing in a day? Life’s too short!

PROCRASTINATION ELIMINATION: THE SOLUTIONS

I’ve named five of the culprits that lead to my procrastination. Now, solve for y (as in… yes? Solve for x, as in xcelsior? Math).

1. Cleaning, the solution: Pocket cleaning sessions. Saturday and Tuesday nights are for dishes. Sunday is laundry day. I have to spend ten minutes a day on SOME room (my workspace, the closet, my bathroom) tidying. That little will go a long way.
2. Youtube, the solution: Complete 2 – 5 tasks before Youtube. Getting things done doesn’t have to mean Youtube cannot happen in my day. However, less of it should happen! On weekdays (specifically, workdays), I will commit to two tasks before turning on leisurely Youtube. For the weekends, make it five! On the days when I have few tasks, I can be as lazy as I want.
3. Lengthy, the solution: Work in 15 minute blasts. None of this feels ultimately groundbreaking, but when’s the last time tried and true methods failed? I will start with 15 minute blocks of time for each task. 15 minutes is better than nothing. If it stinks, I stop at 15 minutes. If it’s fun, or I get in the zone, I stop when I want!
4. Micro-excuses, the solution: Write down my distractions. I don’t need to immediately Google or open a new tab when the thought hits me. What I CAN do is write down the passing thoughts that distract me while completing a task. Then, once the task is complete, I can circle back to those thoughts! I could also look for a doctor that could diagnose ADHD in adults. One crisis at a time.
5. Laziness, the solution: Get some flippin’ sleep. To be honest, I hate the term lazy. I’m not lazy, I’m exhausted! Tired! What does that translate to, truly? Not enough sleep. On the weekends, there’s nothing wrong with a 30 minute power nap. However, if I’m going to bed at midnight, waking up at 7, and feeling sleepy at 11 AM, leading to a five hour nap (which, in turn, will transcend into a night of dinner and Youtube), I’m setting myself up for failure. As a result, I need to ensure I get at least eight hours of sleep a night (truthfully, I think I’d do better with ten hours, but that doesn’t give me much time the night before to get things done).

Procrastination elimination complete! Sort of. All that’s left is to put these ideas into action. Yes! Excelsior!

A FINAL, PARTICULAR BEAST.

I’ve made my two biggest goals for the year clear at this point. Unfortunately, there are a great deal of levels to the health-based resolution. Procrastination might play a small role, but it’s not the root of the issue. However, it plays a big role in the second one. In the past year, I’ve let three books stand in the way of me focusing on my writing. They’re all manifestos on writing! As a result, my brain says “Actually learn what you’re trying to do first. THEN do it.” As a result, I’ve put off writing to read. Subsequently, I never read! However, this mentality actually lives counterintuitively to my usual modus operandi. I’m such a “learn by doing” kind of person! Certainly, I do want to read those books though. Reading makes you a better writer (thank you, Stephen King!).

I’m closing in on the second evening of a long weekend. This weekend, I need to make time to make a decent enough dent in “Save the Cat!” Maybe after I do these dishes, I can squeeze in a chapter. If not: tomorrow! Uh-oh.