Procrastination is dangerous. It can easily become a bad habit, which turns into a vicious cycle, then mushrooms into an unhappy lifestyle. It causes guilt and anxiety which sap energy and ruin self-esteem. But what causes procrastination?

1. Emotions. Procrastination isn’t neccessarily about avoiding work, but about avoiding the emotions that the work will trigger, like feeling overwhelmed, powerless, controlled by others, sad, angry and resentful. We use avoidance in an effort to delay these feelings, but unfortunately there’s an avalanche of other emotions that piggyback procrastination like guilt, anxiety, and feelings of being weak or lazy. Recognize that procrastinating saps more energy than the actual task requires and get a jump on it.
2. Willpower. This is really an issue with prioritizing. If we label something as “unimportant,” “not fun” or “tiring,” we won’t do anything about it. Prioritize a task based on logic and real importance in your life rather than emotion and realize not everything in life is fun.
3. Time. There are times when we’re too busy to accomplish everything on our To Do list, but be careful to not make yourself “feel” busier than you actually are. Don’t fixate on quantity — instead, be realistic about what’s truly important and focus on it. Also, recognize that most things take less time to complete than we think.
4. Perfectionism. Give yourself permission to allow low priority tasks to be “good enough” and move on.
5. Self-Esteem. Fear of failure, fear of success, feeling intimidated, and negative thinking can be self-defeating. You’re the one in control of these thoughts so it’s your responsibility to turn them into something positive. Pay attention to what triggers your negative thoughts then immidately stop them and replace them with new, positive mantras. If you can’t think of something positive to say right away, try focusing on how completing a task would help you or someone you love. It can give you the motivation to take action.

“I just don’t have the time, energy, or inclination to do it.” Ever said that before? Everyone has. It’s very common to feel stretched so thin that the thought of one more thing on your plate can threaten to shatter your life into a million bits and, well, who would clean THAT mess up?

But it’s important to recognize that this statement is actually an excuse to procrastinate. To combat it, you must declutter your “mental space.”

To begin, force yourself to sit quietly for 60 seconds. Think about everything you have to do and let the wave wash over you. Then take a deep breath, and focus on one thing at a time.

1. Categorize your high priority items. This will most likely be the first 3 things that popped into your head and where you should place your focus. Everything else can wait.
2. Identify what’s causing you to procrastinate. Emotions? Time? Trying to make it perfect? By labeling what we feel, we can begin to understand and counteract it.
3. Be clear on what you really want to happen. If you don’t have a clear vision of what your outcome will be, it’ll be difficult to get started. Visualize completing the task and feel the relief that comes with it, and realize that you can always change course once you begin.
4. Schedule time to do it. If it’s “Urgent,” schedule a specific date and time on your calendar. If it’s “Can Do Later,” start a To Do list and write it down, then assign a loose deadline for getting it done, like one week from today. Putting it on paper will act as a backup so you don’t have to remember it and will clear that mental space for more important things.
5. Start small. Break large or overwhelming tasks into smaller segments to make them manageable to fit your timeframe or emotional state.
6. Do it anyway. Even if your plan isn’t perfect or you’re feeling emotional, just get started. It’ll get easier once you dig in because the “mental dead weight” will be lifted and any negativity will dissipate.
7. Celebrate. Making “fun” part of the process will make you more eager to tackle the next task.

Sometimes just having a clear mind, a quick plan, and taking small steps can cause great relief and encourage us to continue making progress.

Lost your cel? Try this website: www.wheresmycellphone.com. Enter your phone number, and in seconds your phone will ring so you can follow the sound and find your phone. Very helpful!

In an effort to declutter your home and keep harmful items out of our landfills, Fox 50 is sponsoring an “E-cycling” event this Saturday June 27th from 10am-2pm in 3 locations around the triangle. And best of all…it’s totally FREE!!!

According to their website, they’ll be there rain or shine—in the parking lots of three Best Buy locations:

Durham – Renaissance Center
(7001 Fayetteville Rd, Durham, NC 27713)

North Raleigh – Capital Blvd.
(6101 Capital Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27616)

Cary – Crossroads Plaza
(237 Crossroads Blvd, Cary, NC 27518)

You won’t even have to get out of your car! Volunteers will unload your electronic items including the following:

• Computer Monitors – CRTs
• Tape Players
• Printed Circuit Boards
• Computer Monitors – Flat Panel
• CD Players
• UPS (personal & network)
• Televisions – CRTs
• Telephones
• Routers
• Televisions – Flat Screen
• Cell Phones
• Resistors Capacitors
• Desktop Computers
• Fax Machines
• Diodes
• Laptop Computers
• Electronic Games
• Terminals
• Keyboards
• Power & Network Cables
• Rechargeable Batteries
• Mice
• Network Hubs
• Peripherals
• Printers
• Switching boxes
• Military Equipment
• Scanners
• Controllers
• Medical Equipment
• Copy Machines
• Modems
• Telecommunications
• VCRs
• Docking Stations
• Commercial Equipment
• Stereos
• CD Roms
• Office Equipment
• Radios
• Hard Drives
• Banking Equipment
• Mainframes

They will not accept washers, dryers, refrigerators, car batteries, light bulbs, AC units, manifested hazardous waste, radioactive waste and/or biohazardous waste.
Visit their website for more info.

Or see my other blog posts for Where to Recycle Old Gadets and Where to Donate Strange Items.

Procrastination is a nasty beast that can suck all our time away, and fill us with guilt and shame, and even prevent us from doing things we enjoy because we feel that unless we “finish our chores first” we can’t go play.

So here’s the good news: Procrastination is something totally under our control, and can do a lot about to see immediate results. Here are four things you can do right now to get you on the road to conquering procrastination:

1. Use the “2 minute rule.” If it takes less than 2 minutes to complete….do it now!
2. Use a timer. Here are 3 great ways to use it:
• Time yourself as you do a task and to see how long it actually takes (usually a lot less than you think, so it won’t be so overwhelming next time!)
• Set it for 15-20 minutes and stop when it dings. This will keep your “chores” to a manageable limit and prevent burnout.
• Race yourself. If a task seems daunting, set a timer for 15 minutes and “speed organize.” Basically race yourself to get through it quickly.
3. Enlist help:
• Get a “body double.” Call one of your friends and ask if they’ll sit with you while you sort mail, go through a box, etc. It makes the time go faster and you’ll feel like there’s someone holding you accountable. And if they bring over a craft or organzing project also, you’ll both get stuff done!
• Ask. This one can be difficult to get used to, but ask friends or family to help out with chores, or pitch in on a big project. My mom always said, “Many hands make light work.”
• Delegate. Sometimes it’s necessary to hand out chores to your family members, or ask a friend to pick something up for you if they’re already headed that way, or hire someone who specializes in it. Just because something needs to get done doesn’t mean YOU have to be the one to do it. Especially if it’s something you really don’t enjoy.

4. Reward yourself. After every task, do something small to celebrate (take a quick walk, call a friend, have some tea, watch your favorite TV show, hang a picture in your newly organized room, etc.) It’ll keep you movtivated for the next time!

Try these out and I’d love to hear which ones worked best for you!

So many of my clients have issues with too much paper in their homes and offices and would like to go paperless and be “green”, but they aren’t sure where to start and don’t want to spend a lot.

So here are some cheap and easy tips, with special thanks to Chris Nichols, owner of the Nichols Law Firm, who provided much content for this article. Chris consults with Attorneys interested in going paperless, so please contact him for an appointment if you’re interested or check out his blog.

1. Scan it.
   

   For do-it-yourselfers, Chris recommends the Xerox Documate and PaperPort software that comes with it. They allow for bulk scanning of multiple documents by inserting a blank sheet of paper in between them. Chris recommends that before puchasing equipment, decide how much scanning you'll be doing, then consider the document feeder capacity, speed, and the ease of use of the software that comes with it. He also recommends scanning at 200 dpi for faster scanning. His other tip is to purchase a 2nd monitor; one for the active work you're doing, and a second for document scanning.

   Don't have time to scan it yourself? Shoeboxed.com will do it for you -- everything from documents, to receipts, to business cards and will even pre-categorize receipts for you so you can immediately run reports to see where your money is going. Get 2 months free if you sign up for 1 year of service!

2. Rely on software.
   • OpenOffice.org has everything Microsoft Office has and then some, and it’s FREE! Instead of writing everything on paper that will get lost, use your computer and software to get more done.
   • Zoho.com is another free place to get email, spreadsheets, databases, etc. for free.
   • Cnet.com also has a lot of free software you can download that makes life easier.
3. Voice to Text & Virtual Assistants. By recording your notes to your computer instead of writing it on paper, you’ll never lose papers and you’ll never drown in piles. Inexpensively turn your computer into a dictaphone and save as a computer file with:
   • Express Dictate
   • IBM’s ViaVoice
   • Dragon’s Naturally Speaking

   Or use a Virtual Assistant software which will covert your voicemails into emails:

   • jott.com costs only $3.95/mo and you can call your voicemail number, leave a message, and Jott will convert it to a text message or email. They also have iPhone & Outlook apps to get your messages on the go.
4. Use Smart Phones. Having a phone with the ability to access your calendar, surf the web, send and receive email, and have GPS directions is a great way to eliminate a plethera of other papers/notebooks, etc.

Remember the Seinfeld episode where George’s wallet was so fat he sat at an angle? Well, there’s even a tip for wallet and keychain clutter…

If you’re like most people, you’ve got a whole stack of club cards in there….a bulk warehouse card, a card for every grocery store, a Blockbuster card, etc. Or you may have a keychain that weighs a ton and is so crowded with mini-cards that you can’t get to your keys easily. Wouldn’t it be nice to carry only 1 card instead? Now you can.

Try these 2 sites:
www.justoneclubcard.com
www.keyringthing.com

Just enter the barcode numbers of all your favorite club cards, then print out one single card on your home computer or have them ship you one for every family member. Put that in your wallet and ditch the rest!

Or for those of you who prefer a more “high-tech” approach and have an iPhone or smart phone, try the CardStar app. Just enter the membership numbers and it’ll generate the barcodes on your phone for the cashier to scan. Amazing!

Ever wonder what to do with all your old eyeglasses, prom dresses, or electronics parts? Here’s a great article to help you donate and sell your used (and unique) items.

With all the new websites and gadgets out there to help keep people organized, here are a few of my favorites to help you manage your time and combine your calendars:

1. Use a calendar/contact management system like Outlook that has a:
   • Calendar
   • To Do list
   • Contact list
     You can print these and carry them with you if you’re a “paper person” or sync with your PDA or phone if you’re a technorati.
2. Try an Admin Assistant and Family Calendaring site like:
   • www.jott.com : Assistant plan – $3.95/mo to convert voicemail to text; has iPhone & Outlook apps
   • www.rememberthemilk.com – free but more complex to use
   • www.cozi.com – my personal favorite. It has a grocery list feature, printable coupons, syncs with Outlook & iPhone, has reminders; cost is free. Use the color coding it provides to clearly label appointments for work, family, doctor’s visits, vacations & reminders.
   • www.famundo.com
3. Meal planning, Grocery shopping lists, Coupons
   • Lowes Foods to go: www.lowestogo.com – purchase groceries online and someone at the store shops for you and you pick up in designated zone. Can repeat common shopping items.
   • Meal planning sites with grocery lists:
     • The USDA has a wonderful resource with shopping & food safety tips, planned meals, and shopping lists.
     • www.bigoven.com – $29.95/mo for recipe software or searchable database, calculate nutritional values, has calendar for meal planning
     • www.mealsmatter.org – cost is free
     • www.sparkpeople.com – great for dieting & fitness meal planning!
   • Coupon sites
     • www.coupons.com
     • www.couponsuzy.com
     • www.couponcabin.com
     • www.couponmom.com
     • www.retailmenot.com
     • www.smartsource.com
     • www.dealcatcher.com
     • www.redplum.com
     • www.fabuloussavings.com
4. Mail management
   Stop junk mail with one of these free or almost free websites:
   • www.proquo.com
   • www.dmachoice.org/consumerassistance.php
   • www.optoutprescreen.com/?rf=t
5. Password management
   • Use an electronic password organizer that you can print and carry in your binder, or sync to your PDA or phone. The Little Virgo Electronic Password Organizer is $14.95 and my website gives tips on creating secure passwords: http://www.littlevirgo.com/clutter-control/password-organizers/
   • Internet Password Organizer is a paper notebook and costs $19.95 http://www.internetpasswordorganizer.com/Where%20To%20Buy.html
6. Sending Cards & Packages:
   • www.sendoutcards.com – for the price of a stamp, you can import your contact list from Outlook, schedule cards, pick card templates and write messages (even in your own handwriting!) and they will be mailed for you. Saves money by not having to purchase stationary or cards anymore!
   • If you send a lot of packages, save yourself a trip to the post office by scheduling a free pickup online:
     • www.ups.com
     • www.usps.com – can schedule up to 3 months out
7. Track family medical records
   • www.healthvault.com – cost is free and you can track the whole family in one account
   • www.google.com/health – track one user per email address

In General

• Was it a purchase mistake? (if so, that does not make it better to keep it)
• Does it take more time and effort to manage than it is worth?
• Does it make others unhappy to see it? Am I putting things before people and relationships?
• Do I need it?
• Is it redundant?
• Do I love it? Does it make me happy or unhappy to see it?
• If I were moving, would I pay to have it packed and moved?
• Would I buy it again?
• Is it broken, and if so, am I ever going to fix it?
• Am I ever really going to finish this project (book, quilt, etc.)?
• Can I borrow or purchase another one, if needed, without spending a fortune or having trouble finding it?
• When’s the last time I used it (assuming I knew it was there)?
• If I knew that someone else would really benefit from having this (i.e. if we found a great place to donate it), would that make it easier for me to let it go?
• Is this adding value to my home or business?
• Is this item getting in the way of my ability to find what I need, when I need it?
• Will this help me make or save money?
• Does it take up valuable “real estate” in my home by being here? Is it worth the space I’ve dedicated to it? Is there another place better suited for it?
• If I keep it, will I remember I have it? If I remember I have it, will I be able to find it?
• Does it belong to me? If not, get it to the real owner and out of your space.
• Convince someone else that you need to keep it. If you can’t, then let it go.

Paper

• Am I legally required to keep it (i.e. vital & tax records), and if so, for how long?
• Will I actually use it/refer to it/need it?
• Is the information still current?
• Can it easily be duplicated or created if needed again (i.e. found on the web)?
• What’s the worst that can happen if I toss it?
• Is it a duplicate?

Clothes

• Is the item in good condition? Does it have stains or tears or is it too worn?
• Is the item still in style?
• Does it fit? If not, is it within a reasonable number of size ranges of my current size range to keep it?
• Do I love the item, or even like it? Does it make me feel great to wear it?
• When was the last time I used this item? Would I use it again now that I remember that I have it?
• How many do I currently own of this type of item? Do I have something similar I like better?

Memorabilia

• Do I have anything else that reminds me of this event/person/time?
• If I took a picture of it, would that make it easier for me to let it go?
• Am I keeping it because someone gave it to me and I’ll feel guilty if I get rid of it?
• Does the sentimental value exceed the practical value? If so, by all means, keep it!

Special thanks to the NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) chat group for authoring and compiling these questions!