Ellen Hankes

Chronic Procrastinators Find Many Stop Signs

Procrastination is a challenge for many. Psychology Today says one in five people identify themselves as Chronic Procrastinators. Procrastination can be compared to a huge red stop sign that pops up every time there is a decision to be made or a task that needs to be accomplished.

While there are many reasons for procrastinating, or putting things off until later, here are a few reasons that might resonate with you.

• Lack of information. Janine delays getting a flu shot this year because she hasn't had time to research the most cost-effective place to get the immunization. Should she go to the drug store, her doctor's office or a new store that offers the flu shot? The months fly by. Janine never did get the flu shot. In this information-based world, we never will have all the information we need for every decision we need to make. There is simply not time!
• Inaccurate perception of time required for tasks.It's a fact that we tend to overestimate the time it takes to do the things we enjoy doing and underestimate the time to do the things we enjoy. Doug delays taking out the garbage because it will "take too long" but can spend "just a few more minutes on Facebook."
• Overwhelm. People who are chronically disorganized may find that it is difficult to find somewhere to start with big projects so they delay starting and finishing the task at hand.

If you want to make overcoming procrastination a priority, I recommend It's About Time: The 6 Styles of Procrastination and How to Overcome Them by Dr. Linda Sapadin. Learning more about how and why you procrastinate will help you become more productive and organized. 

Are You a Compulsive Shopper?

As a professional organizer, I continue to take classes and learn how to help my clients lead more productive lives through more effective personal and workplace organization. Compulsive buying was a topic of a recent telecourse I took through the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD).

Do you think you could be a compulsive shopper?  Take this brief seven-question quiz  published in the Journal of Consumer Research to help to determine if you are a compulsive shopper.

According to April Lane Benson, Ph.D. the compulsive need to overshop is often triggered by emotional needs that are unmet, It may not be a new shirt that is needed, but rather a relief from boredom or loneliness. It is easy for a person to become overwhelmed with the sheer volume of the results of overshopping. A professional organizer can help address the space issues but it is vital that the cause of the overshopping be addressed as well.

We are surrounded with countless opportunities to shop--malls and shops, glossy catalogs, the internet, shopping channels on television and fund-raising efforts for many organizations. If you suspect you or someone close to you may be a compulsive shopper, take some time to learn more about overshopping and its effects.