How To Stop Procrastination At Home
Studies show that almost everyone (90-95% of people) struggle with procrastination at some point in their life.
BUT once procrastination creeps its way into our home — the organizing systems you’ve worked so hard to create become neglected + the evidence of your progress becomes diluted. #NoBueno
And so one might say then that the million-dollar question is… how to stop procrastination right in its tracks? And that’s exxxxactly, what we’re gonna deep dive into.
From what it means to procrastinate to 20 different ways we procrastinate at home + exactly how to stop procrastination… you ready?
What It Means to Procrastinate
Now you’re a smart cookie so you’re well aware that procrastinating means to delay or post-pone a task or a responsibility.
While definitions are great — what we ultimately want to focus on is how to stop it. To do so though, let’s take a look at “how it happens + really why.”
James Clear references a theory in science called “time inconsistency” which is the tendency of our brains to place a higher value on immediate rewards than on future rewards.
In simple terms, we procrastinate at home because it’s easier (in the moment) than maintaining an organized home is.
And so it’s obvious how it happens to so many of us right? Our brains are wired for convenience in the here and now — not for a frictionless or clutter free home that we truly desire.
So, procrastination is this deviation from what we ultimately desire (an organized home) to whatever is easy.
That explains why when you consciously catch yourself procrastinating you feel this mystic force of energy that saps you of your effort, motivation and drive in the moment. Right?!?!?!
20 Ways We Procrastinate (at home)
Folding Laundry
When it comes to folding laundry, I’m pretty sure we’re all guilty. You know, the scene with an overflowing basket filled with clean laundry that gets reluctantly push aside because — ‘i don’t feel like doing it right now.’
Incoming Mail
As you stare at the towering stack of mail (or if you’re John you’re avoiding eye contact with the mail-lady who brings it to the front door because she couldn’t fit it in the mailbox *wink*) you say to yourself — ‘if I move over here it’ll be out of the way for now but I’ll go through it over the weekend’ even though we both know that won’t happen.
The Junk Drawer
As you open the drawer to your home office in search of a pen so you can jot down a quick note on the back of an envelope, you think to yourself — ‘shoot, I know it’s in here somewhere?’ but truthfully what’s even in that office junk drawer? Instead of making a point to go through + empty it out, you toss a random rubber band, the extra battery from who knows what + a pair of scissors into the drawer + shut it. Shhh, I won’t tell but you need help with office organization *wink*!
Purses + Handbags
This one’s the worst. When you’re running out the door only to realize that you forgot to swap bags — are you kidding me? I’m already running late...I don’t have time for this! So, instead of grabbing the handful of things we need (i.e. security pass for work, medication, cellphone) we hastily dump it upside down shanking everything but the kitchen sink into a heaping pile on the floor, because we’re in a rush. Not to worry though, ‘I’ll clean it up when I get home tonight’ — ha! After a long days work that’s exactly the thing to put you in a good mood when you get home ;)
The Coat Closet
You know, the place where your favorite jacket from college is hiding along with a million pairs of shoes + dozens reusable grocery bags you never remember to take with you when you go. Instead of tackling it head-on we shut the door quickly while trying to convince ourselves that — ‘if only I had more time.’ you know ‘so, I wont get interrupted.’ A closet organizer is most definitely in need but perhaps a few hours with a personal organizer is too?
Luggage Leftovers
The grim side of every fun + relaxing vacation is… Coming. Home. After navigating people, fighting lines + the bumper-to-bumper traffic leaving the airport *yikes* by the time we get home most of us need to book ourselves a mini stay-cation just to recover.
The last thing have energy to do is unpack. Instead of putting things away, we tell ourselves — ‘No big deal, I’ll do it tomorrow. After all, I can live out of my bag a few more days...right?’ Fast forward to next week + our suitcase is still lying on the floor with clothes spilling out of it for gawd knows how long.
ToDo Lists
With places to go, things to buy + anything else that needs doing, we have a crazy amount of s-t-u-f-f rolling around in our brains. But instead of checking even the simplest task off of our to-do list, we turn a blind eye to everything on it because ‘I’m exhausted. Plus, it’s never ending + honestly, it’s easier to ignore it.’ — humm?
The Refrigerator
Gross containers of leftovers bounce from shelf-to-shelf. Stuffing more groceries + more leftovers into it until there’s no more room or we find ourselves saying — ‘ewww...what is that smell?’ Honestly though, other than me (the crazy Home Organizer) who likes cleaning out the refrigerator?
Dirty Dishes
Nothing drives me up a wall faster than leaving even a small pile of dirty dishes in the sink. Instead of giving them a quick rinse or loading them into the dishwasher because, ‘there are other things more important to do.’ — they pile up one after another. Now, the sink is overflowing + before we can make dinner we have to dig through gawd knows what in order to wash that darn pan.
Almost Empty Bottles
Lordy, Lordy. The almost empty shampoo, conditioner + lotion bottles that are taking over your bathroom. You see it. I see it but for whatever reason, a little voice inside whispers to you — “ that was expensive… there’s still a little bit left…. let’s not waste it.” Meanwhile, your counter, under the sink + every nook in your shower is overflowing with basically empty or unused bottles.
Your Clothes
You’ve looked everywhere + still can’t find the super cute blouse you bought last weekend + wanted to wear with your new jeans. Meanwhile the armchair in your master bedroom is being swallowed in clothes. So, instead of organizing your closet (or hiring a closet organizer) + making room for the clothes (so you can actually sit down + read a book in your chair) the piles keep growing because — you can’t remember ‘are these clean or dirty??’
Piles of Paper
Covered in paperwork… the system of where to drop action-items before filing them away is broken + there’s not a square inch of your desk that’s been spared. Fed up with the whole thing, you ponder the thought of getting rid of everything until the mere thought of accidentally making a mistake + shredding something you’ll need later stops you dead in your tracks.
#WayTooRisky
Instead of thumbing through EVERY paper to figure out what to keep because it’s important...you do nothing + the desk stays looking like a hot mess because — ‘it’s easier.’
Sentimental Belongings
Memories, keepsakes, photos, art + your kids old toys. Deciding what to keep vs. what to get rid of is a g-i-norm-ous challenge + you want to be in the right mindset to address this mess. Without a plan, you keep everything because — ‘it reminds you of (insert memory!)’ Now fast forward.
Year after year, you accumulate even more stuff. The anxiety continues to compound + every time you look at the jenga-sized tower of memories you shrug it off + say — “eh…I’ll get to it later” …but you never do.
Old Magazines
Holy leaning tower of magazines…do we really need that 2014 issue of Real Simple, Rue Magazine or Domino? Of course not, but — ‘I really like (insert excuse) + don’t want to forget about it.’ So, instead of finding it online or going out + buying whatever it is that got you so excited in the first place so you can get rid of the magazine... we keep collecting.
The Pantry
It’s a thorn in your side every night when you cook dinner + each time you make a list for the grocery store. Whether it’s a cabinet or an entire room, there’s no rhyme or reason + you — ‘have no idea what’s in your pantry.’ So when you get to the store you end up buying things you really don’t need. (psst…we keep no secrets! Here’s our go-to Creative Closet Organizers in Seattle for custom closet systems).
Outdoor Gear
Seasonal stuff like outdoor camping or snow gear gets tossed + thrown into the strangest most difficult to reach nooks + crannies of the garage because — ‘it doesn’t get used very often.’ So aside from being hard to get to, it’s also out-of-sight out-of-mind which means that before your next big adventure, instead of checking to see what we already have we’ll likely purchase all new gear when we need it. Hmm, need help with garage organization?
Things to Donate
Hi-5 sista...you stuck to your guns + made time to organize the entire house (after all, you’ve enlisted in the help of a fantastic Clutter Therapist *wink*) but when push comes to shove + you’ve finished your organizing homework in between sessions. So the question becomes… what to do with everything that needs to be donated? Instead of putting them in the car to take with you next time — ‘because it’s too far + I’m already exhausted’ you pile them next to the front door + convince yourself that you’ll grab them on the way out the door.
Projects
Be it gardening tools, lawn equipment or your binge-worthy craft supplies when we’ve finally finish a project but miss the mark in terms of cleaning up because — ‘there’s too much stuff.’ Unlucky you, the next time you go to work on a project it’s going to take longer to get started because we get to clean up first.
Holiday Everything
I love the holidays let along any other excuse to celebrate tremendous moments! To deck the house with holiday cheer + year round seasonal decorations but have you noticed that come time to put things away... excitement fizzles. Instead of packaging things up + putting them away the right way remind ourselves that — “the party was a whole heck of a lot more fun than clean up.”
The Drop-Zone
We grab everything we from the car + bring it inside but instead of putting it away, everything gets dropped.. literally in stride. We promise ourselves that we’ll empty our gym bag + put away all of the shoes when we get home (because what toddler wears shoes in the car...right?) But in all reality, after a long + exhausting day it gets de-prioritized because there’s million other things that we need to get done before doing any of that.
How To Stop Procrastinating
We’ve got a few absolutely amazing strategies that will certainly help you to stop procrastinating at home.
Predetermine Your Decisions
Each decision you have to make takes some level of contemplation + the way to ensure you’re not procrastinating in the moment is to predetermine your decisions.
In other words, you’ve already pre-determined for yourself what you have to do (so there’s no contemplating should or shouldn’t you do something).
Should I do the laundry?
Should I fold and put away the laundry?
Should I pack the kids lunch for tomorrow?
Should I do the dishes?
Should I scan/upload those bills to our digital filing system?
Should I clean out the refrigerator?
Should I take donations to the giving center?
The reality is that almost every single day you’re already inundated with “should I or shouldn’t I” and when you’ve predetermined that you will do something it’ll make accomplishing whatever the task is difficult to procrastinate on.
Prime Your Environment
Part of our organizing process is determining activity zones + in turn having what you need for that specific activity, where you need it to be.
When you make things easy + frictionless to complete in your home, then procrastination never really rears its ugly head.
In doing this, you build the habit of planning ahead… by
Cleaning up before bed
Packing your bag the day before
Picking outfits out ahead of time
Sometimes it feels hardwired into our dna.
Instead of creating the beautifully organized (+ stress-free) lives we crave, admire from afar + obsess waking up to everyday -- because there are certain things in life that fit for a queen!
We. Avoid. Dodge. Side-step. Ignore.
“Much of the stress [we] feel doesn’t come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what [we] started.”
Sound the alarms, if that’s not an eye-opener?!
Considering that we’re already living in a crazy stress-filled world, I challenge you to pay attention to your daily habits + routines.
Procrastination my friend (+ all of our clutter excuses) have a compounding effect that lead us down a path of feeling helpless, overwhelmed + embarrassed.
So, promise me…
The next time you find yourself making an excuse. When you’re spiraling full speed in the crazy cycle. When you recognize that you’re dragging your feet + putting things off around the house until later -- do the opposite!
Embrace the life-changing shift that happens by getting it done in the moment + don’t allow your future self feel the negative emotional repercussions of procrastination.
So there you have it my friend, a professional organizers real life strategies for how to stop procrastination.
And if you loved this blog post then without question, you’re absolutely going to go nuts for our FREE video course: 4-Days To A More Beautiful + Functional Home
Also, don’t forget to check out our amazing Free Resource Library or if you’re looking to start your home organizing journey, book a FREE 30min.Clarity Call and… let’s chat!