| The sky is blue and the grass is green and the | | | | care of short term tasks, while never losing site |
| beer patios are calling you. But wait - you're stuck | | | | of those longer term issues. |
| at your computer. You have a serious deadline to | | | | Imagine a parking lot - cars move in, park, and |
| meet. Or worse - perhaps you have to clean the | | | | then they move out. Less urgent tasks, that |
| windows, or put the kid's hockey equipment in | | | | might be prime targets for procrastination, are |
| storage. | | | | just like cars. You want to move them into your |
| And as if it couldn't get worse, what is really | | | | parking lot, let them sit for a brief period of time, |
| annoying is this: you could have done this last | | | | then move them out. Parking lots make more |
| week, when it was cold and rainy BUT YOU | | | | money when the cars keep moving in and out as |
| PROCRASTINATED!! Sound familiar? Read on if | | | | quickly as possible. |
| you want to learn a few tricks to keep you | | | | So here is how you do it. Pick 1 task that you are |
| ahead of the onslaught so you can get to that | | | | procrastinating on right now in your life. What 5 |
| patio for some great spring fun. | | | | SMALL actions could you do that would bring you |
| Sound scary? Is your to-do list the only thing | | | | 1 step closer to completing that task? For |
| keeping you from a core meltdown? If so, then | | | | example, if you need to go to the dentist, you |
| you are probably not using your to-do list in the | | | | could do the following: look up your dentist's |
| most effective way. | | | | phone number, find 3 possible appointment times, |
| To-do lists are more frequently used for short | | | | make an appointment, get your insurance |
| term, immediate tasks that MUST be done. And | | | | information written down, and find childcare for |
| you already know what these tasks are - feed | | | | your appointment time. Each of these small tasks |
| the children, have a shower, buy your metropass. | | | | represents a car in your parking lot. |
| Sometimes your to-do list gets so full of tasks | | | | Now back to your to-do list! Each day on your |
| that it can not be used for what it is really good | | | | to-do list, schedule in 5 - 30 minutes of time |
| for - scheduling in unexpected or infrequent tasks | | | | dedicated to moving a car out of your parking lot. |
| like going to the dentist, for example. Here, having | | | | Within a week, 5 items will be taken care of and |
| a to-do list helps to you look ahead to find a time | | | | moved out of your parking lot. You will be set up |
| when a trip to the dentist fits in. | | | | to visit the dentist when your appointment time |
| Procrastination happens when your to-do list gets | | | | comes. |
| so full of daily, predictable tasks that you can not | | | | If something remains in your parking lot for longer |
| accommodate an unexpected or infrequent task. | | | | than a week, consider that car abandoned, and |
| You put it off, or schedule very far forward. Or | | | | tow it to the dump. Clearly, it wasn't significant |
| just decide you will deal with it later. And later | | | | enough to warrant attention, so you probably |
| never comes soon enough. | | | | don't need to do it anyway. The trick to keeping |
| If this sounds familiar, don't worry. You can use | | | | your parking lot moving is this: keep your tasks |
| the 'parking lot' technique to help you deal with | | | | as small as possible. If a daily task is too big, you |
| procrastination. Combine this with your to-do list, | | | | probably won't do it anyway. You can think of this |
| and you will have an effective method for taking | | | | as preferring economy cars over an SUV. |