Discardia_ More Life, Less Stuff - Dinah Sanders [18]
The worst room. At home, what room is the biggest mess? Where's the core of your physical chaos? Give it 30 minutes of focused attention today. Maybe it's such a disaster that all you can do is write down the plan of all the steps that need to happen to recover that space. That's okay; just be sure you use all 30 minutes and get started on Step #1 as soon as you can. My friend, entrepreneur Mena Trott, was inspired when her husband was off on a trip. She surprised him on his return with a beautiful new sitting room that she'd unearthed under the stacks of boxes, junk mail, and random crud that had piled up in their spare room. A whole extra room in your home for the price of some cleaning up and maybe a couple of pieces of new (or new to you) furniture to round out the new look? That's a deal!
Getting fancy. Is there something about which you keep thinking, “Gee, someday it’d be fun to get all dressed up and go to that place?” Stop putting it off! Make time to make that daydream come true. Why delay any longer something that could be a savored memory for years? Catch that exhibit at the museum before it leaves town. See that movie with a friend. Eat at the great restaurant that you've wanted to try. Take that big walk through the park.
Optimize your daily suckage. Find the worst daily hassle and give it a nudge toward less awful. Maybe you need to replace or repair an essential tool, improve your surroundings for a tedious task, or begin a project to upgrade the whole situation that necessitates this activity. Whatever will make future occasions better, brainstorm to find options for yourself, improve where you can, and, whenever possible, dump the worst, soul-sapping suckage.
That long-delayed to-do. What's gotta get handled around your world? Maybe it's a chore, maybe it's a play you want to see before it closes, maybe it's a phone call you've been putting off, or maybe it's getting the hell out of the house and taking some time for yourself so you don't go stark-raving mad. Pause and see what pressure on you needs to be relieved, and then take care of it. Closure creates energy and unclosed loops steal energy. What can you finish next? On what would you really like to move ahead on with that fresh burst of energy?
If you can’t resist delaying something, procrastinate on procrastination. Say, “I’ll get back to putting this off in just a moment, but first a quick lap.”
Symptom #7: I Don’t Wanna!
Solution #7: A Spoonful of Sugar
Do whatever it takes to make your life more worth living. Anything at all. Just don't be mean.
—Kate Bornstein, writer and performance artist
Lure yourself into positive action
Sometimes procrastination is active and you find yourself internally kicking like a three year old and throwing a tantrum at the mere notion of doing things that must be done. How do you conquer this brat? The brat is nearsighted and pessimistic, so you need to pull back to a bigger picture and see your positive options.
Instead of beating yourself up with the “you must” stick, lure your most stubborn self into positive action with two carrots: the relief of avoiding unpleasant hassles in the future and an upgraded way of approaching things in the present.
For example, when you walk into the kitchen and are faced with a sink full of dirty dishes from the last few days, recognize that putting off washing them will make your house smell nasty, and they'll certainly be more unpleasant to deal with later. Before you do them, though, open a window to get a nice breeze in the room, maybe put on some music you like, or pour a nice beverage to sip as the dishwater heats up.
Now, glance at the clock and then do the dishes without looking at it again. As you do the dishes, figure out what you do like about this task,