simple living

4 Steps to Conquering the Poison of Procrastination

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Are you a procrastinator? Do you wait until the very last possible minute to do things? 


“Ah, there are only 30 minutes left to get out the door; 1/4 of the kids are dressed, the baby still needs a diaper change, lunches aren’t fully packed, and my hair is still in a towel. Yep, we are going to be late, again!”

Can you relate?


I think it’s safe to say most of us at some point have been or are procrastinators. It makes for unnecessary stress and is usually a sure fire way to be unproductive. Yet, we all do it time and time again. As we work towards digging up our dreams, and uncovering the keys to living a purposeful life here on earth inevitably there is going to be some challenges along the way. However, small changes can certainly yield big results. 

So let’s start here; 4 Steps to Conquering Procrastination

–Have a daily plan of attack; everyone has the same 24hrs in a day; so, divide your day up into 30minute intervals and account for a minimum of 7 hrs to sleep. Sleep is on my “dream” list as my kids still wake frequently but clearly this is a season that will pass in due time. 

–Don’t do tomorrow what you can do today. How many times have we heard this one, but there is so much truth to it. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring a sick child, a terrible headache, or heaven forbid a real emergency hindering our ability to finish what should have already been done.

–Start with the things in your day you dislike the most (laundry, dinner prep, working out) check those things off your list and the rest of the day will all be up hill. 

-Lastly, Lead by example. We don’t want our kids studying for that big exam the night before or writing a paper the morning it is due. So, why do we do it ourselves? We need to model the behaviors we want our children to follow. Our actions really do speak louder than our words. 

The Power of Saying NO

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In my last post we started the journey of “discovering you” but part of this process and probably the most uncomfortable for myself is; saying “no“.

There is nothing I dread more than admitting to myself that I can’t do something or that it might not be the “right time“. It is as if there is a constant fear of letting  someone else down. Nothing can leave a pit in the middle of my stomach quite the same as saying “no“. 

Although trying to uncover Gods purpose for you, finding your passions, discovering your desires, and digging up dreams can be super exciting, there is certainly some dirty work along the way. To me, “dirty work” is saying “no”!. It’s digging deep, evaluating, and extracting those things that are not in line with our main priorities. 

Saying “no” might even mean saying “no” to things that are good; signing up for that new moms group, the latest book club, or even a new job opportunity. Yes, I actually turned down a chance to make a little extra money earlier this year. It was a cleaning job. Although, I desperately wanted to say “yes” and earn a few extra dollars I knew that saying “no” was the right choice. It was terribly hard, but in the end the relief of saying “no”was glorious and I had a little extra “saying no power boost” in my step. 

So, if you are like myself and saying “no” is hard for you to do, you might want to re-visit “embracing your call..” . Take a moment to reflect on where you are going and with whom? Common sense will tell you that if the stepping stone is going to hinder rather than help the process, it would be best to step aside and let someone else walk that road. We are, after all, modeling to our children the importance of making good choices, self independence, and the importance of family first. 

Make your family a priority and don’t just give them the left overs. (tweet that) Who really likes left overs anyways?


A Homesteaders Call to Action

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Every homesteader must have a plan, be prepared, and actively take part in a common good.

As my children get older I see just how quickly the years pass. I’ve never really been much of a goal setter as I often found they left me feeling empty and unaccomplished if I didn’t reach them. However, now that I see my life surely not evolving around just myself but the presences of many; setting goals is my foundation for survival. (Click HERE to see my word of the year and why)

Sure, I fail at times and don’t reach every last goal but it is all part of a process. A process in which stepping stones become building blocks. Goals are the very foundation that all else will be built upon. We have already discussed the importance of perspective. Having our mind in line with our heart so to speak.
Now, we will take the first steps towards setting your goals. I also encourage you to do this with your family as you see fit. They too will benefit greatly from being involved and having a voice in matters that directly might effect them.
In order to live a purposeful and simple life it is critical that we define who and what is of most importance to us.
This list should include only 3-6 things. As this my friends is where I in my past have dropped the ball; my list of what is/was important was much too long. In a sense I “dropped the ball” of goal setting long before it even started rolling. 
Here is an example of my current list;
God
My husband
My children 
Healthy living 
Homeschooling 
Blogging/writing 
I might add that my list is not an exclusive list of who or what is important to me, but those things rather that are of my top priority. The things you list should be of your “main focus” and/or “main priority” the rest will fall into place accordingly. 
Now, take that priority list and break it down smaller. For example if you too said God or faith you might make a list that looks like this. 
God/faith- go to church, volunteer, join a bible study
Lastly, turn your bigger ideals into bite size manageable pieces. The smaller we make a goal the more attainable it will become. 
God/Faith as a priority becomes;
A goal to go to church becomes;
Go to church weekly
A goal to volunteer becomes:
How much time do you have to give?
Call the church Monday:
Find a ministry:
Get started! 
We are not in full control of our situations and/or destination God alone holds that key but a life without a plan is a life only half lived. (tweet this)