Do you ever put things off for another day or time? I know I do. I usually put off the things I would rather not do at all. I tell myself “I’ll get to it tomorrow” and guess what? Unless I plan the time in to take care of this unwanted activity I never get around to doing it. Sometimes it doesn’t matter. Sometimes these are necessary chores. When the chores are necessary(bill paying, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping) I make sure that I schedule them into my day. Sure, it would often be easier to ignore the dust, let the laundry accumulate, or go out for a meal but I know that the longer I delay the more I have to do and the bigger the penalty. So, I generally opt to take care of things a little at a time. Let’s face it – one load of laundry is easier to do (wash, dry, fold, and put away) than 3 or 4 loads. If you have something you are avoiding ask yourself these questions. Will it be more or less onerous if I do this next week? What will the consequences be if I put this off for several days? Will my payment be late? Be honest. An organizer friend, Julie Bestry, makes a ‘to-do’ list and then sets a timer for 45 minutes. She then sees how much she can get done before the timer goes off. When the timer buzzes she takes a break and then sets the timer again. You could try a variation of this. Make a ‘to-do’ list, set your timer for 30 minutes and get to work. See how much you get done. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!