Beat Your Procrastination by Releasing Your Clutter

“Procrastination is opportunity’s assassin.”

~Victor Kiam

If you want your “Done” list to be longer than your “To Do” list, you need to clear the clutter so you  can stop the procrastination. Is this really possible? Absolutely–if you put your mind to it.

There are many reasons why we procrastinate. Perhaps we are trapped in a circle of perfection where we keep going over and over the same thing but never finishing it. Maybe we’re overwhelmed by everything that has to be done so we throw up our hands in exasperation.

Similarly, there are many reasons why we cling to clutter. It could be that that’s how we grew up, so it’s  a comfort to be in familiar surroundings. Or, perhaps we grew up with parents who were clean freaks and we are rebelling against that rigidness as adults.

Maybe we create the clutter to subconsciously feed our procrastination. Why would anyone do that? Because finishing something may mean failing, and that’s just something we don’t ever want to deal with.

Have you noticed a common thread here? Procrastination and clutter are not only tied to each other, they can also be linked to emotional issues. Let me give you an example. If someone refuses to deal with their incoming mail, and is becoming lost in a sea of paper clutter, it could be a subconscious avoidance technique–they don’t want to open that mortgage bill because they’re in financial trouble, or they’re expecting some sort of “rejection letter” to be lurking in the pile of mail.

Whatever the reason, we have to separate our emotions from our clutter. Because when we release the clutter, we eliminate many of the causes of our procrastination.

Use the following S.O.S. steps to get rid of that clutter and be on your to becoming a “finisher” rather than a procrastinator:

Step 1: Simplify.

Choose a space around you where the clutter bothers you the most and purge what you do not absolutely love or need.  For example, if it is your messy desk that’s keeping you from getting anything done then tackle it first. Don’t overwhelm yourself by taking on more than one clutter offender at a time and don’t get caught up in your clutter. Everything should go into either a “keep” pile, a “recycle” pile, a “give away” pile or a “garbage” pile. Be ruthless!

Step 2: Organize.

Deal with everything that is not in your “keep” pile. Then, go back to that remaining pile and give everything a home. This is key to staying organized. If everything has a place, then you’ll always know where to put it. Sounds simple, but it’s effective and many people don’t do it. At this stage you may need to buy some organizing tools to help put things in their place, but just remember that you are trying to reduce your clutter, not add to it. Only buy the tools you absolutely need.

Step 3: Streamline.

Set up any systems or routines that will help you stay organized and thus prevent the area from becoming cluttered again. For example, if it is your computer’s desktop that you are tackling, get in the habit of saving only those items that you need to access quickly on your desktop. Everything else should have its own file within your documents.

Just remember, although decluttering can seem daunting, it is a huge step toward beating your procrastination and reaching the success you deserve.

Note: In this post I have only scratched the surface in dealing with your clutter. Don’t miss any future posts by getting FREE updates by email or RSS.

Related posts:

1. Invite Opportunity in by Organizing Your Paper Clutter (Part 1)
2. Organize Your Paper Clutter (Part 3): Streamline
3. Virtual Paper Clutter: Organizing Your Computer