Are You Last Minute?

I’m a recovering procrastinator.
Thursdays used to be filled with much anxiety, why?  It’s because it was the last day of my work week, which meant that everything had to be done for ministry.  To be honest, I still have bouts of anxiety arise Thursday morning because I’m wondering, “Is everything done?”  Lately, the answer has been, “No.”
Why is that?
My Schedule Is Off Kilter
This usually happens in times of:

• Transition
• Busyness
• Rest

All which are good and bad, but regardless of how you view them, they are seasons and with each season comes change.  So if you are a recovering procrastinator or just someone looking to get organized here are a few things you can do:

• Take Back Your Environment – Clutter in your office (whether it’s your system or not) will slow you down.  Clutter means a collection of things in an untidy mass, what that means is you aren’t prioritizing.  When you don’t prioritize you’ll definitely miss the important things. 
• Take Back Your Schedule – Seems obvious if your schedule is off kilter, but easily ignored.  You need to re-prioritize your time to build momentum.  To do this examine the emotions you feel during the week.  Look at the best days to start projects and the best one to reflect on the past.  When is it most quiet and when does the intensity build?  When you can identify these emotions you’ll know when to write, meet, email, and do whatever it is you need to do.
• Eliminate The Unnecessary – What are you best at doing?  Why are you called to what you do?  Yeah there are tasks we have to perform that are not a part of the original job description, but what are you in control of that prevents you from doing what you have to do?  Focus on what you have to do, delegate and eliminate the rest.

We usually become procrastinators because of the obstacles we lay in our own path.  Yes, it’s easy to blame others for our busyness or lack of focus, but in truth we can definitely be our own saboteurs.  These steps have no deadline, it’s something we should constantly examining.  While a short list would be nice, there are probably more that we can do to prevent ourselves from being last minute.

What have you found helpful in better preparing yourself?

What other obstacles stand in our way to environment of productivity?