A bullet journal is a great productivity tool – if you use it.
I have a love-hate relationship with productivity. I would love to be more productive, but I hate drudgery and uncertainty. And let’s face it, folks. We’ve got a lot of tasks that need to get done. As a daydreaming creative person, I struggle with getting things done. How can a veteran procrastinator become more productive?
I’m trying to juggle my day job, blogging, connecting with family and friends, getting routine tasks done at home and starting BIG home improvement projects. Sometimes I skip the most important goals because I don’t know where to begin. I’ve shared before how I struggle with disorganization at home.
Some days, I make a comprehensive to-do list in my bullet journal and cross most items off (Yay!!!). Other days, I’ve got a job to complete before noon, I rush to the store because we’re out of milk, and I pick up rotisserie chicken AGAIN because I’ve got an evening meeting and no real plan for dinner. On those days, I don’t even take the time to crack open my planner. If I really think about it, I’m overwhelmed because I wear so many hats. Can you relate?
Getting out of the cycle of procrastination
Let’s just get a little nerdy here with an equation:
Busyness + Uncertainty + Bad Attitude = Procrastination
“Procrastination makes easy things hard, hard things harder.” – Mason Cooley
Hello, my name is Sandra. I’m a procrastinator.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. I can make different choices moment by moment. Instead of avoiding tasks that carry the burden of uncertainty, I can choose to start them anyway. Rather than beat myself up over all the things that need to be done, I can decide to do one or two of them.
“Housework done imperfectly still blesses your family.” – The FlyLady
I love that quote because some jobs around my house, to do them right, would involve a major investment of time and money. Just because my kitchen sink is chipped and scratched doesn’t mean I should avoid scrubbing it. I don’t have time today to clean out the fridge, but I can grab a few “science projects” and toss them out. Then there’s room for tonight’s leftovers.
I need to learn to apply that idea to other areas. This blog post won’t be perfect, but it might make you laugh and freshen your sense of hope. I can allow the size of a huge project to paralyze me, or I can start brainstorming. What’s a positive next step?
Try something new
How about a new equation?
Busyness + Uncertainty / (divided by) Planning + Good Attitude + Action = Progress
You can’t figure out everything about big projects UNTIL YOU START THEM. Planning only takes you so far. I’ll take the next best step.
This week, I’m trying something new. Instead of writing my task list in the morning after I journal and exercise, I’m going to write my to-do list the previous night. Then, I will check it several times during the day. I have a lot I want to accomplish in the next several months, but I won’t make progress on some of my goals without focus.
If you could share one tip for a more productive day, what would it be? Seriously, I need all the help I can get!