Co-authored with Ronni Eisenberg, The Overwhelmed Person's Guide to Time Management is an indispensable and accessible tool for those who have too much to do and not enough time to get it all done. With dozens of sidebars, charts, and review sections at the end of every chapter, the advice shows readers how to set priorities and make realistic choices to regain control over their lives.
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Avoiding Procrastination
Several simple steps can help prevent procrastination:
Get organized. This doesn't mean spending days straightening out home or office; it means getting organized for projects you are about to undertake. You'll find that writing a list of the steps that need to be taken care of or collecting all documents in a file folder is often a good way to organize for a new task that awaits you. And remember, you don't need every detail to fall in place in order to get started.
Improve your work environment. People often procrastinate because the environment is not conducive to getting things done. Of course you hate filing if your drawers are so stuffed that you scrape your hand getting files in and out, and no wonder you're late paying your bills if you have to comb the house looking for what you did with them each month.
Break large tasks into small steps. If you look at everything as a series of small steps, it won't seem so overwhelming. Have you ever watched a child eat a piece of the single-slice cheese by nibbling around the edges? That's what you need to do when starting large projects.
Start your day with your most difficult task. If you get that behind you, the rest of the day will be a breeze.
Make appointments with yourself. Nothing gets done if you don't set aside time for it. If you've been intending to take up landscape painting and have procrastinated for years, it's because you never made an appointment to do it. Start now. While fifteen- to forty-five-minute appointments are ideal for whatever you want to undertake, you can use as little as five minutes to assemble materials or research a good painting class—pick up the phone and make a few inquiries.
Seize extra moments. If by chance you find yourself with some extra time (an appointment is cancelled or someone is late meeting you), take advantage of the unplanned-for moment and get another step or two of a project taken care of.
Plan for leisure time and use it for leisure. People sometimes procrastinate because they feel they "never get a break." By giving yourself a break and using leisure time for leisure, you'll find you have less need to play hookey when you should be doing something else.
The Overwhelmed Person's Guide to Time Management continues with an examination of different "procrastinator personalities" and how each can be helped. Buy it and see where you fit within the personality categories.
