Stop Procrastinating!

It’s the same every year.  We make our New Year’s resolutions and within two weeks we’ve already lost sight of our goals.  It’s January 21, so by now we are already making excuses as to why we can go to the gym, how we don’t have time to finish reading that book, or convincing ourselves that we can live with this job.  I truly want to make this year count.  I have my goals and am determined to make them happen. 

I’ve been searching around the internet and reflecting on my own experiences to find some simple ways to stop that cycle of procrastination. 

1.     Break it down.  Instead of telling yourself “I am going to write a book” break it down to “I want to write chapter 1”.  Which brings us to our next step…

2.     Reasonable deadlines.  I cannot stress the word reasonable enough.  I have found myself with long lists of to-do for a day that would take even the roadrunner 3 days to finish.   Take your final goal; break it down into small steps to give yourself time to do them.  If losing weight is on your resolution list, stress won’t help. 

3.     New environment.  This can be a fun one.  If you feel uninspired change what you’re looking at.  I am always moving furniture and adding decorations to my studio.  You’ll feel much better with a clean, fresh area in which to reach that final goal.

4.     Tell your friends.  Tell others what you’re striving for.  When you see them they are bound to ask how it’s going.  These reminders will help keep you on track.

I have a lot of goals for the year.  My main focus will be on my art and getting it “out there”.  I have recently moved from New Jersey to North Carolina so I definitely have step 3 covered.  Being in a new city and meeting new people has already inspired me to work harder. 

So far my progress has been great.  I finally listed some of my art on Etsy.  I’ve been working on another site, ImageKind, which takes photos off my art and makes prints to sell.  I’m hoping this will be a great tool for me.  My next step is to focus on craft shows and art galleries.  This could take a while- designing my display booth, choosing products, sending applications etc. 

I will keep you posted as I finish each step.  Now since I told you my goals, what are yours?