Well, I haven’t done one of these Ask the Organiser posts for a while.
Since I’m retired I find that my needs have changed. I would like to see how to keep organized and stay on task and not waste time simply because I feel I can always do it tomorrow. How do I keep from procrastinating?
I have gotten myself too involved because I thought I could do more since I am retired but that’s not true. Believing you have more time can become a handicap for a retired person. You start to take on too many things and then try to figure out how to get out of some of them so that you can do the things you always plan on doing once you retire. It’s very easy to get caught up in clubs or other activities that you really should have said no to.
Many end up taking more of your time then you thought it would. How do I manage this and get out of things without feeling that I’m letting people down who depend on me?
Lois
There are two issues here that I think Lois wants me to address:
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Procrastinating when you think you have lots of time.
I have a few ideas for Lois:
Think about your ideal day. What does that look like?
Which 3 things might you want to include in your daily rhythm? Maybe that’s something in the home/ garden, something out/ with people/ family, something health & fitness, something fun/ relaxing for you, etc. Decide on those 3 categories.
Make a short list of a couple of projects for each of your 3 categories using the Master List (it’s in the Time management purpose pack) or a plain old notebook and pen, and choose one from each to do every day.
If you finish the day and find you’re making progress in each area, you’ll feel accomplished AND relaxed.
Once you start moving towards your goals a little bit every day, it’ll be easier not to procrastinate as you’re motivated going towards something meaningful.
(Lois, email me and I’ll send you a form you can use for your daily categories)
2. Overcommitment and saying no
Back to question 1. In your weekly rhythm, what % of your week or month could you comfortably do things like clubs, activities, volunteer work, etc? Maybe one morning a week? Or a morning every second week?
Decide what that comfortable time frequency feels like for you.
Keep that number in mind when you consider what your current commitments are.
Maybe you’ve committed to 3 mornings per week.
You now have to decide where you want to spend that time. Maybe you can attend one group but just as a participant, not as a volunteer, and that would be enough?
Maybe you want to volunteer in one and only one for all the time?
If you’ve already committed to these projects, and you want to get out of them, this time of year is perfect.
Tell the organiser that you’ve been thinking/ praying about your commitments for next year and while you’d be perfectly happy to finish out the year, next year you can only commit to ____ hours a week/ month. Or only help out at the annual ______.
How does that sound?
I know that the issue of overcommitting is not uncommon.
Do you have a problem saying yes first and then thinking through all the repercussions? Have you started thinking about your involvement in projects, clubs, groups for next year?
PS My one friend already told me what she’s getting out of doing next year 😉
If you have any questions you want answered on the blog vs in a virtual organising session, click here to send me an email.
Thanks for a great post, Marcia.
I really like the part when you talk about the importance of saying no. Every time you say yes to do something for someone, you say no to other activities. Being selective of what you say yes to, is key regarding your own time management and productivity.
Lois, I use the following time management tips so I can stay on top of my schedule:
My best tiny time management tips are:
1. An easy temporarily to do list
When I am in a hurry, I write notes on my phone, and I transfer those notes to my master to do list at the end of the day.
2. A master to do list
I use a excel spread sheet (which is my master to do list) – saved in dropbox (so I can access it from anywhere).
I Prioritize the tasks using the ABCDE method:
A :Tasks I must do – serious consequences if it doesn`t get done
B: Tasks I should do – mild consequences if it doesn`t get done
C: Tasks I could do – no consequences if it doesn`t get done
D: Tasks I delegate
E: Tasks I never do
Here is the kicker: you never do a B task before you have done alle the A tasks, and you never do a C task before you have done all the B tasks, etc.
Apply the 80/20 rule: you need to identify each day, which 20% of the tasks on your to do list will give you 80 % of the results.
My mantra is to help people work smarter, not harder – so they can achieve more by doing less.
Tor Refsland
Thank you for sharing your tips! LOVE THEM ALL!
I am actually quite good at not over committing. People know that I’m quite fierce with my quiet/weekend time and that I’m very busy during the week. I have learned that I can only do so much and I try to be mindful of how much time certain commitments take.
I am a serious procrastinator. I DO find that I procrastinate the things that are NOT fun. Like paying bills!
I love that you’re clear about your boundaries!
Try not to think or over-think about the bills too much and just do it. I do that with my month-end photo organising and it helps me to just get started!