Anti-Procrastination Challenge: Cleaning out the Clothes

Organizing my clothes has become a big ordeal lately.  It seems like my size is constantly change between having babies, nursing, losing weight, getting pregnant again and so forth.  Making sure I have the right size and the right season of clothing is becoming a challenge.  Right now I have plenty of clothes, but it's overwhelming to me to get them changed out at the beginning of a new season.  I have to try everything on, and I have to make sure I leave out some smaller clothes right now since I'm at the losing baby weight stage.  I've had a bin of clothes sitting in my bedroom floor for a couple weeks now, but I haven't felt up to getting myself involved in all that confusion.

I finally decided that I would just take a small bite out of it at a time.  The first day I went through just the skirts that were in the closet.  Those were the bigger ones that are now almost all too big.  I got out anything that was too big and put it in one place.  I'm hoping that putting all the similar size clothes in one place it will be easier to figure out what fits me next time I have a baby.  Next I need to get out the smaller skirts and find out what currently fits, what I need to put away until I lose more weight, and what I should leave out because it will probably fit pretty soon.  Ugh.  This business of gaining 50+ pounds with my pregnancies is annoying!  Hopefully now that I'm exercising regularly I'll be able to exercise through my next pregnancy and not gain as much weight.  (Or at least maybe keep myself toned up better.  I'd be happy with that too.)

I've got to keep working on those clothes a little bit each day until they're done.  I need to hurry up before my husband gets tired of having the bin sitting in the bedroom floor.  Actually, he's probably already tired of it, but he's being nice and not saying anything.

All right, it's your turn.  You may not have the same issues I have with your clothes, but you probably have some work to do on your wardrobe.  Whatever it may be – getting rid of stuff you never wear, mending stuff so you can wear it, changing out seasonal clothes, whatever – just do what you need to do.

And if you're just now joining our Anti-Procrastination challenge, you can read all the details here. Be sure you're subscribed to email updates or follow me on Facebook to receive each day's new challenge! 


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Anti-Procrastination Challenge: Getting Rid of Stuff

We have a pretty large yard sale every year, and it's so nice to get rid of the junk and make a little money too.  But inevitably there is a least one thing (usually quite a few) that I come across while we're pricing items that I can't bear to sell for only a yard sale price.  I convince my husband that we need to set it aside to sell on ebay or Craigslist so that we can get a better price out of it.  That's great and all, but the problem is that those items go right back into the attic where I forget about them until the next year's yard sale. 

I have thought about getting the stuff down to list on ebay a few times, but there is always a reason why I can't do it at the time.  “I need good lighting to take pictures, and that only happens when the kids are up.  It's too hard to try to take pictures while keeping the kids from ripping the tags off of items I want to sell as brand new.”  “Optimum times to list are at night around 9 or 10, and I'm too busy getting everybody ready for bed at those times.”

Dumb excuses, I know.  I finally got up there and just did it.  I have several auctions going right now that are doing pretty well, and a bunch of other pictures taken that I can use to finish listing my auctions while the kids are napping.   

So, my challenge to you is this – What is it that you keep saying you need to get rid of, but haven't yet?  Maybe you want to list things on ebay like me, or maybe you're needing to pull together a yard sale, or maybe you just need to be honest with yourself and realize you're never going to do the ebay or yard sale thing.  Put the box of “Someday ebay” stuff out at your yard sale and just be done with it.  Or put the box of “Someday yard sale” stuff in the car to take to Goodwill and just be done with it.

If you're just now joining our Anti-Procrastination challenge, you can read all the details here. be sure you're subscribed to email updates or follow me on Facebook to receive each day's new challenge!   


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Anti-Procrastination Update

This Anti-Procrastination challenge has ended up being a bigger challenge than I thought it would be!  My original intent was just to be able to tackle things around the house that kept getting put off.  But it has turned into so much more than that.

I've become trained to listen to myself (either audibly or mentally) saying phrases like, “Later”; “I can't because…”; “When ___ happens, I'll do ____.”  When I hear those, I can now recognize that I am making an excuse to procrastinate about something.  And you know what?  I was doing it a lot more than I realized!

At first I was adding things to my list like crazy, but after a while I started tuning in to something a little deeper than just cleaning or organizing.  This Anti-Procrastination challenge is turning from a challenge that's not so much about what I need to do, but about what I need to be. 

My thinking is receiving an overhaul.  The excuses that have been so subtly lurking in the background of my thoughts are coming more clearly to the forefront, and I'm recognizing things that have been holding me back from being who I ought to be.  This is not a result of my own efforts in the challenge, but rather a result of being yielded to the Holy Spirit of God.

You see, whenever I hear those excuses whispering in my ear, trying to convince me to procrastinate yet again, I have a choice.  I have a choice to either let the excuses win and allow what really amounts to laziness take over or to get up and get to work!  Something that in my mind is simple – such as determining whether to wash the dishes before bed or waiting until morning because I'm too tired – becomes not a matter of household cleanliness, but a matter of a clean heart before God.  Committing to a year of letting go of excuses has helped me see other things that I need to change…now.

I started exercising, and that was a huge step in the right direction.  But there was (and is!) a whole lot more that God needed to get me to change.  What about my mothering?  I needed to stop saying, “I need to do better about teaching my children God's Word,”  and just start doing it!  What about my witnessing?  I needed to stop telling myself “I need to do better about handing out tracts,” and just start doing it!  Every day, as God shows me things in his Word, the result in my life ought not to be an attitude of mental assent, but an immediate doing!  (James 1:22-25  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.)

I want to be transformed by the power of the living God!  But that is only going to happen when the working of the Holy Spirit in my heart is met with a response of action rather than assent!

I am excited to continue my Anti-Procrastination Challenge not just throughout the rest of the year, but throughout the rest of my life.  Don't get me wrong;  we'll still be working on getting things done in the house, but I hope that like me, you're beginning to see how much work needs to be done in the heart!   

What about you?  Have you been making excuses without even realizing it?  Have you been agreeing with what the Lord speaks to you about, but not actually putting it into action?  Use the Anti-Procrastination challenge to help you change not just what you do, but who you are.     

Anti-Procrastination Challenge

When I first started my Anti-Procrastination challenge I made a list of things around the house that were bugging me.  My plan was to work on something each day and one by one knock out all those annoying little projects that I never seem to get around to doing.  I've been pretty faithful to sticking with my challenge, but lately I've had some more long-term things come up, and I've been putting a little time into chipping away at finishing them rather than actually finishing one thing every day.

One thing that has been on my list almost since day one of this challenge was this pillow:

Yes, you can see why it's been bugging me, can't you?

But the problem is – I loathe sewing by hand.  I hate it.  I despise it.  I've done every other project on my anti-procrastination list without too much complaint, but I keep skipping over this one.

The thing is – wasn't this the whole point of my Anti-Procrastination Challenge in the first place?  To challenge myself to “just do it” whether I feel like it or not?

So, I finally quit procrastinating on doing one of the very first items to make it on my Anti-Procrastination list.  That pillow has been crossed off my list!  And I'm glad.  I'm glad I don't have to keep looking at that horrid hole.  I'm glad I don't have to keep dreading sewing that pillow.  I'm glad I accomplished something.

Your turn!  What is it that needs to be done, but you keep skipping it because it just makes you wrinkle up your nose and say “Ugh.” 

Do it!  I took my turn; you take yours!  You'll be glad when it's all over.

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Anti-Procrastination Challenge: More Inbox Organization

It wasn't been too terribly long ago that I posted the Anti-Procrastination Challenge to declutter your inbox.  In spite of doing a lot of cleaning out and unsubscribing, I've still felt very overwhelmed with the massive amounts of email I receive.  Many times things go unanswered just because I have too many emails to deal with.  I came across this post yesterday at Simple Organized Living about organizing email using Gmail filters.  Wow!  I attacked my inbox and started organizing it, and I feel about 10 pounds lighter!

Photo from Simple Organized Living

 I can choose specific emails to not even come into my inbox, but to automatically go to a specific folder.  I have already seen increased productivity in checking my email.  When I open my inbox, I don't have 300 emails staring me in the face, making me feel behind before I've even started.  Instead, I can open up the folder with the most important things and deal with those first.  No more wasted time sifting through and sorting emails every day!  The sorting is done for me already!

I will warn you, though, that if you start setting up your filters, make sure you stay focused.  There are lots of shiny gadgets on Gmail that I was tempted to explore once I started looking around at the settings.  Just follow the directions Andrea's post  to help you stay on track. 

If you don't use Gmail, your job today is to do some research on how you can keep your own email inbox more organized.  You'll save time in the long run!

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Anti-Procrastination Challenge: Company’s Comin’!

Inviting guests over may come easier to some of you than it does to me.  I always have some reason why I don't want to have anyone over.  I love spending time with friends and family, but it just feels like it's going to be too much work to make it all happen.  The excuses come flying through my thoughts at an incredible rate.  “I don't have time to get my house as clean as I want it.”  “Have you seen my living room?  It is in such serious need of re-decoration that I'm embarrassed to let anyone see it!”  “What in the world am I going to cook?  I don't have stuff on hand, and I really don't feel like going to the grocery store.”

Let me tell you, whenever I just go ahead and invite somebody over, all of the excuses seem to take care of themselves.  I suddenly have motivation to get my house clean; we end up with something to eat (maybe nothing gourmet, but food nonetheless); and my living room does not get re-decorated.  But, I am always so glad I decided to just invite somebody regardless of my embarrassing living room.  Time spent with friends or family is so enjoyable, and as a bonus I get a clean house and a good meal out of the deal too! (Maybe one of these days I'll also end up with a re-decorated living room.)

Are you procrastinating on inviting someone over because you're waiting on your house to be perfect or you've mastered gourmet cooking?

You're missing out on some priceless times with people you love.

Just invite them!  Once you've obligated yourself, you'll suddenly find yourself motivated to get your house clean and cook a decent meal.

Are you going to take the challenge?

I'm letting my crockpot do the work for me as I wait for my guests to arrive.  They'll be here any minute.

When are yours coming?

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