lazy bones

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I don't know if it's because I am inherently lazy or just curious but I have a lot of hobbies that I let become distractions in my life. Gaming, reading, films, TV, blogging, the internet in general. Which came first, the love for endless hours of gaming or the love for procrastinating?

It's not like I get nothing done. If someone is counting on me, I give it my best effort to come through. But if it's something explicitly for myself? Meh... it can come later.

This has left me with a messy apartment and errands that needed to be done yesterday.

So I've decided to start getting my act together (as I always seem to say as it's a pretty prominent theme on this blog) and put together some tips to nip my lazy tendencies in the bud.

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Kicking Laziness in the Butt

- Make lists. Start with three things you need to accomplish that day. You will probably do more, but it gives you concrete, definable tasks to start with.

- Subdivide tasks into managble ones. "Clean the apartment" is vague and daunting. Instead, break it up into small tasks like, "put laundry in hamper, clean dishes, vaccuum rugs"

- Create your own reward system. Finish the laundry? Play Xbox for 30min. Sweep and mop the floor? Watch your favorite TV show.

- Get a timer and don't do one thing for more than an hour, even if it's productive. You can browse pictures of cats online, but only for an hour, then it's on to something productive. This also helps so you don't burn out when actually getting things done

- Look at your apartment and think of yourself as a stranger for a minute. What would you think if you walked into someone's apartment and it looked like yours did? Would you turn around and run out the door screaming? It can also help to imagine people you care about stopping by unannounced. What would they think?

- Start doing things for "Future You". You might not want to do those dishes right now, but Future You would really appreciate it when she goes to make dinner later.

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What are some things that help you get stuff done? Do you write things down or have a favorite app on your phone for To Do lists?