My house is immaculate at the moment. If House Beautiful showed up for an impromptu photo shoot, we’d be all set around here. There is not so much as a crumb on the floor or a throw pillow out of place. The dishes are done, the beds are made, and the sinks are gleaming. Now, with a husband, three children, and a hectic schedule, you can bet your life that this is not the norm for my bustling house. And before you give me any credit at all for this heroic accomplishment, let me tell you why everything is so tidy.
I have a deadline. And when I don’t want to sit down and get to work, I clean. And organize. And then I clean what I’ve organized and organize what I’ve cleaned. It’s been my go-to procrastination technique for as long as I can remember. My house is never as clean as it is when I’m staring at a giant project on my to-do list with a big red circle around it.
When I don’t want to work, I clean. And organize. And then clean what I’ve organized & organize what I’ve cleaned.
Can you relate? When there is big-with-a-capital-B work on our plate, even cleaning can seem more appealing than actually doing that work. I sharpen pencils. Gather materials. Get more coffee. Plot my approach. And before I know it, I’m scrubbing the kitchen floor or organizing my sock drawer or alphabetizing spices as the work sits untouched.
Your procrastination habit may not involve cleaning and organizing, but I’ll bet you have one! As an entrepreneur, this is an especially dangerous behavior, because it can keep us from doing our most important work, the things that will really move our businesses forward.
Because I know how dangerous it is, I’m getting better at seeing procrastination as it unfolds and ending it with a few simple steps that I’ll gladly share with you. Read the rest of the post here.
Note: This post originally appeared on Best Kept Self, where I am a featured contributor.
