Introducing the ‘lunch time power iron’ – inside the mind of a productive procrastinator

My third blog was about planning for the year ahead – an anti-procrastination plan for the niggling to-do’s. A year is a long time though, what about the more pressing stuff? How does someone who is prone to putting things off, actually get stuff done on a daily basis?

Here are the tasks cycling around the procrastinating part of my mind right now:

• Cleaning the house (I’d rather spend time writing this)
• Getting Christmas decorations down from the loft (I don’t want all the boxes hanging around whilst I’m avoiding doing #1)
• Putting up Christmas decorations (I really need to complete #1, and obviously #2, first)
• Writing an online review that I promised a local business owner (just not sure what to say yet)
• Deciding whether to cancel a TV subscription (what if they bring something good out in January?!).

My iPhone / work calendar / notepad to-do list / remind me of my outstanding actions on any given day. I acknowledge them. I most likely don’t do them. I move the reminder on by one day. Tomorrow, I probably repeat the process.

My husband doesn’t get it. Any task which enters his sphere of awareness is completed within the hour. High level discussions about a place we’re visiting in 9 months’ time – then a restaurant gets booked immediately. Exhausting (yet useful).

Although I procrastinate, I’m a really organised person. I know what needs to be done. I’m reliable and punctual, I never miss work deadlines. I’m not lazy. I love the sense of achievement of getting stuff done. Over the years I’ve tried various strategies to try and kick the procrasto-habit. Here are the two I find most useful:

1, Imposing my own deadlines: I know that I ramp up the effort level at work when I have a deadline, because I simply refuse to miss said deadline. So, I’ve started to do it for other things. If there’s not already a natural deadline to complete something (let’s say paying a tax bill) then I impose one myself. Even if I invent something quite arbitrary, it generally works. I just add a consequence statement at the end. Recent example – submit tax information to the accountant before you go on holiday in September, so that it’s not on your mind whilst you’re by the pool. 100% worked, got it all sent two days before I even packed my case.

2, Acknowledging when my energy and motivation levels are highest – and leveraging it: I’m a morning person, quite often I wake up around 5:30- 6:00am. If I’ve slept well and feel ok then my mindset instantly switches to ‘get up now, it’ll be brilliant, you can get so much done’.

As an example: just before a recent trip I knew I had loads to do. I woke up early and felt super motivated. I showered, tidied around, did an hour’s housework, went to a gym class, came back, had breakfast – all before logging on to work. I felt great. It cleared my mind and gave me a confidence boost for the working day.

If I wake up and don’t feel so energised, then whatever: no big deal. I just shift things around to get stuff done when I’m feeling better. If you’re reading this in your twenties or thirties and are horrified – I hear you. The patterns for me have changed a lot over time. There’s no way that student me was getting up at ridiculous o’clock to do anything! Midnight was more likely my productive zone. The trick is in recognising your own patterns and blitzing the to-do list accordingly.

Find me at the other end of the day now, and you’ll get little out of me. I have minimal motivation for cooking, exercise, housework after about 6:30pm. I want to sit on the sofa and relax, I’d rather not leave the house – multiply this by 100 when it’s dark / cold / raining.

Hopefully by now you’re realising where ‘the lunchtime power-iron’ might come into things…

To be clear I do not love ironing, but the thought of spending hours on a Sunday doing it like I used to – makes me miserable. So, on some of my home working days, if the calendar affords me a lunch break – sometimes I iron. It’s surprising how much I get done in 30-40 minutes. On stressful days you can even iron extra aggressively and get it out of your system ready for the afternoon. Boom, it’s done, and no ruined Sunday.

How about you? Have you given it any thought? Do you know what time of day you feel most motivated? When have you got the most energy? Is there any way you can juggle your days around to help get the niggly to-do’s crossed off your list?!

Have you got any anti-procrastination tips to share that really work for you?

Get in touch and let me know!