Coleen’s tips for a creative block or procrastination…do i have any????

I think we have all felt like this sometimes…We feel overwhelmed by stuff: the house is a mess,
you need to make a dent in a project, you need to finish something but wait…shouldn’t you make
a cup of tea first? what about calling a friend? or wandering about your place thinking about how to start!! and then 2 hours go by and then by god it’s time to make lunch and feed the cat.
Then it’s 1:00 p.m. and you must start…You sit at your computer and type a title…you write a few sentences..hey this going well! then you hear an email come in and you read it and you remember
you have to do something else..you write it on your to do list and then you go back to feeling
grumpy about all of these things you have to do! Ok..you so you get an hour’s worth of work done and then you decide you must exercise and so it goes…At the end of the day, you are no closer to getting what you need to get done.

When this happens to me I try the following and most of the time it works (no guarantees though)

1. Set the kitchen timer for 45 minutes and swear to yourself that you will not check email or answer the phone or do anything but FOCUS on the most important task that must get done.
It doesn’t matter that this task is unpleasant or difficult. Just try and get through it. If the 45 minutes goes by fast…reset for 45 minutes and then do the same thing tomorrow and the day after until it’s done.

2. Your most important task should be the thing that you have been putting off and you know
has to get done. Or it’s the thing that you know you should do to move forward on a current goal. Make that sales call, start writing that proposal, finish up loose ends on a project..which tasks are most overdue or urgent? You will know what you have been putting off!

3. Do a mini Feng Shui adjustment on your desk or office. Get rid of those dirty coffee cups,
water your plants and gently dust the leaves, untangle the phone cord, shred empty envelopes,
pile all papers in a neat file to go through later, wipe/dust your desk and computer, remove any unhappy, torn or broken items that may be around you. Take a deep breath, sit up straight and
get to it! Clutter blocks the good energy that could be coming to you and your work.

4. Remember what is important to you! If you know your work helps someone then how can you be effective if you are bogged down with paperwork or other unfinished things that prevent
you from doing your “real work”.

5. I just got back on a jogging program and I read a great quote to help me stay movtivated.
“One day I won’t be able to run…Today is not that day.”

6. When you have a few extra minutes, jot down your dreams/goals and a few things you should/could be doing to make them happen. Try and work on those things at least once a week.

I feel like i am always surrounded by too much clutter and i am going to tackle my office again
and my email in-box and try to delete old messages and organize my desktop on my computer.
Then I will read my motivational quote and go for a jog. But first i guess i should set my kitchen timer and tackle a paperwork task that i have been putting off for weeks.

i just laughed to myself because earlier i was going to put the kitchen timer on then i decided
to sign for this blogger thing and this is i wrote…that was an hour ago…funny how you find things to do when you are procrastinating!!

have a great day and if you need someone to nag you to finish something just email me i will
send you a kick in the butt. rajotte@mts.net