Procrastination – the action of delaying or postponing something.

Lately, it seems like I’m busy all the time but at the end of the day, I’m still not caught up. It’s aggravating to say the least. I feel like I have this little gremlin sitting on my shoulder snickering at my lack of accomplishment. But surely this is not from procrastination – I’m always doing something!! Or maybe, procrastination isn’t delaying doing something it’s not doing what I think I should be doing – that was an, aha, moment.

Have you heard the expression “Procrastination via alternative productivity”? It’s when you do something to keep from doing something else that you don’t want to do.

Is it time to tackle the mess in the garage? I’ll check emails instead.

Dreading cleaning out the storage locker? I’ll go organize my clothes.

Tedious project at work? The dog needs to go for a walk.

Old magazines and newspapers piling up? I’ll start my grocery list.

You get the picture?

The result? I do a lot of little things that maybe aren’t as important as some of other things. And now it’s the end of the day and I feel frustrated with my lack of productivity. I haven’t even made a dent in one of the projects. I can’t enjoy my evening and I lay in bed worrying about how I’m going to get this project completed.

Then a little voice pops up and says, “But you organized your clothes”. And my gremlin snickers and I know I have once again procrastinated via alternative productivity.

So, how do I change this habit? I’ve started making lists and prioritizing projects. No matter how much I might not want to clean out the garage, if that is first on my list then that is what gets done before anything else. I try not to think about how much I don’t want to do the chore. Instead, I note how nice it will be to have the room to park my car in the garage on rainy days or when the weather turns cold.

When the chore is completed. I pat myself on the back and say that wasn’t so bad and go on to the next item on the list. After all, if I’m willing to work, I might as well be productive and snicker at my gremlin.

And don’t put off tackling the garage, attic or basement because you hate hauling stuff to the dump. Call R & R Container Service at 770-975-9554 for all your hauling needs. They are a professional company with friendly staff who are more than willing to work with you and your clutter!