Article by Jan Bay

Are you sick of the dated wallpaper or the stained carpet in the hall but you can’t seem to overcome procrastination that has you bogged down long enough to get rid of it? Have you put your bathroom or bedroom makeover on hold even though you have money in your checkbook to cover it? If this is the case, you my dear friend may be a decorating procrastinator.

Why do we put something that is as pleasing as a home makeover off until the last possible minute? Most people will admit that they are just a tiny bit guilty of procrastination, but decorators and crafters at times seem to go into a slump and have trouble pulling themselves out.

For instance, awhile ago I began to take note of how very little I had on my list of completed jobs. Decorating books, upholstery swatches and gorgeous pictures of rooms I had collected were piled higher than ever before. I pondered the question as to why I had let myself slip into the habit of tossing work to the side until they became demons that haunted me both night and day.

After reading some self help books on procrastination that contained testimonies of other procrastinators, it became evident to me that the more I mull a decorating project over in my mind the less progress I make. The practice of pondering decorating decisions over and over in my mind was literally wearing me out even though I actually did no work. I needed to get back to the basics of not thinking a project to death but to get off my perch on the sofa and start decorating! I can testify as to my own mindset, but I am probably not that different than many other of my fellow procrastinators.

Here are 5 Easy Ways to Help You Stop Procrastinating and Get Some Work Done:

APPOINTMENTS WITH YOU Pull out the day planner and set aside a couple of hours to work on your home makeover. Pencil in designated times each day for specific parts of the project that need to be done. The purpose of this is to gear you up mentally and get you in motion.

JUST DO IT Ideas often pop in our heads when we are relaxing or just sitting in the den watching television. If this happens to you, make it a point to get on your feet and take care of it right then. Don’t add it to your to do list. You remember the dreaded “to do” list? The one that was so long that it was threatening your ability to breathe properly? Actually doing the work is often less tiring than putting it on a list to worry over. Enjoy the feeling of a job well done for a little while before you tackle something else. Revel in admiring that beautifully framed piece of artwork that you hung or the fresh paint that chose for the walls. SUPERVISE YOURSELF Get a time piece of some kind and pay attention. We procrastinators tend to daydream ourselves into a total lack of production. Setting yourself some boundaries as far as how many hours you can remain in a dream world will go towards freeing you up for doing the work rather than daydreaming about it. FIRST THINGS FIRST A triple track work method may not be the best plan of action for you. Decorating projects go faster if you the kind of decorator that can whip up a pretty window treatment while the paint on the furniture is drying, but I find that this kind of pressure is what causes me to shut down and retreat back into my dreamy little world of procrastination. However, if I get the walls painted and things are coming out nicely I might be inspired to devote some more time to get started on the draperies ahead of schedule. In these circumstances, the visual reward system gives positive results. FOCUS Keep your appointment in tact and uninterrupted by letting voice mail catch all incoming calls. Place a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door to avoid company to keep a high level of production. It will be crucial not to break your stride once you get into home makeover mode. Remember how difficult it was to get in the zone? Don’t allow anything short of an emergency to bump you out of it.

Procrastination seems to easily dwell in the minds of creative people. Once we break the hold that it has on our lives we can put all that creativity to work and see beautiful results. Now, if I could just find where I put those wallpaper books! I can never remember where I put things! But that will have to be addressed in another article. One thing at a time?

Related Home Makeovers Articles