Wednesday, May 28, 2003

Putting things off can add stress

Six tips to get things done

How often do we intend to do something, but end up putting it off another day, or indefinitely? If procrastinating is a routine practice, it's a pattern that can be changed, like any pattern or habit.

Cyndi Seidler, author, columnist and organizing expert, suggests that procrastination is the primary cause leading to stress. "When individuals put things off, they feel hurried, overwhelmed, and stressed. They try to buy time by extending it, but end up running out of time, and then rush to beat the clock."

Seidler says a person can change their style of living to obtain greater achievement, more satisfaction, and reduce the amount of stress they experience.

Seidler, who runs HandyGirl Professional Organizers in Burbank, Calif., offers these six tips in getting things done:

Make a list of all the activities you currently put off that you strongly want to complete. Prioritize these and write a deadline date next to them. Mark your calendar with these deadlines, and incorporate the "due" tasks into your daily To-do list. Make the decision to do the task that day.

Structure your day to get small tasks done and out of the way quickly. Control your activities using a routine agenda. You can be flexible, but be firm in your commitment to carrying out your scheduled activities.

Set clear goals of what you want to achieve. Make your action plans align with these goals, and focus on one commitment at a time.

Get organized, especially with finding ways to manage regular affairs such as bill paying, handling mail, returning calls, and so on.

Make decisions to keep yourself reasonably active on your goals. You can do this by identifying the purpose for the activity and establishing a good estimate for accomplishing them.

Identify your procrastinating patterns and examine them. Imagine yourself going through the steps to doing something, particularly the things you have put off. This productive stimulation helps you bring about change.

Making a goal to accomplish something is a promise to yourself to achieve it. It isn't a good thing to break promises to others, so why break them with yourself? If you intend to do something, make the decision to do it, then tell yourself to do it.