A few weeks ago, I posted about getting organized. I explained how the process of getting organized in my home helps me gain mental clarity and become more productive. Well, I think it is working. Not, however, without some difficult realizations as to why things get so cluttered and disorganized in the first place.
The Problem
Cleaning up the space that surrounds me has allowed me to make one huge discovery about myself that is completely counter-productive. I’m a scatterbrain! I never thought this about myself, and maybe I wasn’t always this way, but feeling scattered has crept into my life without me even noticing.
Working from home, always having a lot on my mind and dealing with typical, multi-tasking mom duties has led me to feeling overwhelmed, distracted and uncharacteristically scatterbrained. Sometimes, I think I’m losing my marbles. Quite frankly, I don’t like it.
The Solution
Thankfully, I have now identified the issue and am committed to putting an end to it. My solution is actually quite simple – finish what I’ve started.
Take this blog for example. Typically, I write a post in rough draft form then leave it to revise later. I’ll revise it, then leave it again to finesse and proof. I’ll leave it yet again to enter into WordPress and add photos at another time. There are times it takes me four days to finish one post from start to finish. To be honest, I feel like getting up right now and going off to do something else. Laser focused – I am not!
I’m not sure when my attention span hit such an all-time low, but my scattered thinking is really slowing me down.
My worst household offenses are dishes. Dirty dishes go into the dishwasher, but pots and pans that need to be hand washed are “left for later.” Bills; they get paid, but updating the household budget is “left for later.” Laundry, oh please, it’s never done. And the very worst thing I start and stop is getting ready for the day. I’ll shower and dress, but leave makeup for later. Why? Why not just finish?
This procrastinating habit is horrible and has left me feeling scattered and overwhelmed with an ever-growing to-do list, off which nothing ever gets crossed.
No more! From now on it’s focus and full steam ahead! In just about a week of forcing myself to finish tasks to completion, I am happy to report that I have accomplished a heck of a lot.
With so much more to do, I am happy that my life as a scatterbrain is under control.
A Quick Tip
One of the best things I’ve done to reduce feeling scattered and distracted is silencing my phone – especially when I’m writing. No more “breaks’’ to answer a call, check emails or glance at a text. From now on, I set the phone aside until I reach a reasonable stopping point. So if you are trying to reach me and I don’t answer, you can assume I’m busy getting things done.