I identified the computer as a potential time waster in our series on this topic. We even had a discussion about the computer and how people organize their time on the computer over on our Organized Life by Design Ning network. What we discovered is that the computer can be a thorn in the side of women (and men) everywhere. It is the way many of us make our living, communicate with friends and family and research important topics relevant to our lives. Yet, at the same time the computer can be a huge temptation- beckoning us to spend just a little more time surfing the net, twittering, blogging, answering emails, etc when there are other things to be done.
So what to do? In my opinion (humble of course) managing our time on the computer is all about priorities and routines. I have the routine of checking my emails in the morning, responding to the "urgent" ones (meaning those related to my businesses) and writing posts for various blogs/groups. Then as I have time throughout the day (meaning after all other commitments are fulfilled) then I get back on to check and reply to discussions on our forums, approving new members, etc. In the evening, while the kids are watching their hour of TV with hubby (this is usually the History channel- bores me to tears!!) I get on again to catch up on the other things that have accumulated during the day.
It requries a lot of discipline to not be on the computer- checking in/out. In fact, on days like today (Labor Day) I will probably be online more often than other days because I have less commitments. My kids are going swimming with family and hubby is working on his motorcycle so I will have time to spend a little more time with my chat friends, twittering (which by the way I am addicted to) and writing.
The danger of the computer becoming a time waster in our lives is when it begins to conflict with our priorities. If we are spending more time online than we are with our family, maintaining our household or managing our work/career than there may be a problem and the computer may be a time waster in your life. Allow yourself to honestly evaluate your time on the computer and as long as it has not become more important than the truly important things in life, you're good. If you feel that perhaps you have gotten off track a little then create a routine for computer time and enlist a friend or family member to hold you accountable to the new plan.
The computer has become such an integral part of modern day life- let's just not let it become the central part of our modern day lives.
Monday, September 22, 2008
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Monday, September 1, 2008
The Problem with Procrastination
Let’s face it. Procrastination is a problem- not always, but often. Waiting until the last minute can cause great anxiety and can affect the quality of work when it is attempted. If you have never taken a personality profile (such as the Meyers Briggs Type Indicator) it can be a very valuable tool in understanding yourself and why you do the things you do, including procrastinating. Visit www.multitaskingmama.mypersonality.info to see more about my personality and to take a test to understand yourself better.
I am a planner and am actually uncomfortable with putting things off in most situations. Except when it comes to writing or studying. I have always performed better “under pressure” when there are deadlines ahead of me. We are all different. If procrastination is working for you (meaning important things are getting accomplished in an acceptable timeframe) than you are fine. However, if there are things that need to be done and have needed to be done for awhile and you have consistently just not gotten around to it- then you have a problem with procrastinating.
Why do we procrastinate? For various reasons including laziness, lack of motivation, avoiding an unpleasant task, avoiding potential for “failure”, etc. I put failure in quotation marks because I believe that failure more about not trying in the first place, rather than based on outcome.
Sometimes, as women and moms especially, life can become overwhelming. There are so many demands on our time, our emotional energy, our physical presence, energy and our mind. Procrastinating can become a
crutch- if you don’t tackle a project than you don’t have to face what the task (or decision) is going to require of you, particularly if you are already feeling overwhelmed by life in general.
Sometimes procrastination comes from a place of self-doubt and overanalyzing. Again, this can be identified as an issue for you by better understanding your personality. Here is another test you can take online to better understand the motivations behind your behavior http://www.truecolorscareer.com/quiz.asp. I am a gold, blue. My personality is known as “the organizer” so you can see why this career is such a good fit for me. Understanding yourself, and what motivates you versus what overwhelms you is important in being able to overcome issues like procrastinating.
Procrastination is not always a bad thing, but if putting things off “until tomorrow” is allowing clutter to build up in your home and your life than it is time to confront the habit head on and try a new tactic. Break tasks into smaller segments that feel more manageable and not as intimidating. Give yourself credit for even small successes. Instead of writing clean the kitchen on your to do list, try writing clear/wipe off counters, do dishes, clean out refrigerator, etc. Then check off each task as it is completed. This may help you get a feel for becoming organized and empower you to continue conquering clutter and procrastination.
Happy Organizing!
I am a planner and am actually uncomfortable with putting things off in most situations. Except when it comes to writing or studying. I have always performed better “under pressure” when there are deadlines ahead of me. We are all different. If procrastination is working for you (meaning important things are getting accomplished in an acceptable timeframe) than you are fine. However, if there are things that need to be done and have needed to be done for awhile and you have consistently just not gotten around to it- then you have a problem with procrastinating.
Why do we procrastinate? For various reasons including laziness, lack of motivation, avoiding an unpleasant task, avoiding potential for “failure”, etc. I put failure in quotation marks because I believe that failure more about not trying in the first place, rather than based on outcome.
Sometimes, as women and moms especially, life can become overwhelming. There are so many demands on our time, our emotional energy, our physical presence, energy and our mind. Procrastinating can become a
crutch- if you don’t tackle a project than you don’t have to face what the task (or decision) is going to require of you, particularly if you are already feeling overwhelmed by life in general.
Sometimes procrastination comes from a place of self-doubt and overanalyzing. Again, this can be identified as an issue for you by better understanding your personality. Here is another test you can take online to better understand the motivations behind your behavior http://www.truecolorscareer.com/quiz.asp. I am a gold, blue. My personality is known as “the organizer” so you can see why this career is such a good fit for me. Understanding yourself, and what motivates you versus what overwhelms you is important in being able to overcome issues like procrastinating.
Procrastination is not always a bad thing, but if putting things off “until tomorrow” is allowing clutter to build up in your home and your life than it is time to confront the habit head on and try a new tactic. Break tasks into smaller segments that feel more manageable and not as intimidating. Give yourself credit for even small successes. Instead of writing clean the kitchen on your to do list, try writing clear/wipe off counters, do dishes, clean out refrigerator, etc. Then check off each task as it is completed. This may help you get a feel for becoming organized and empower you to continue conquering clutter and procrastination.
Happy Organizing!
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