Getting to grips with things

[Bink]

Was just having an archive search about procrastination (can you think of anything more ironic? - anyway) but didn't quite find what I wanted.

I don't generally have problems with organisation of day-to-day stuff. But when faced with something slightly out of the ordinary to do - sorting outgrown clothes, or more problematically an unusual sort of project at work - something that at the beginning I can't see my way to the end of - I get stymied and can't even start it.

I'm seeing exactly the same freeze at the starting line in my 6yo son, and I want both of us to be better at getting over these initial humps and hurdles.

Anyone suffer from the same, and any tips?

There's a sort of 'rabbit in the headlights' thing, isn't there? Being overwhelmed, without being able to think your way all the way through. Does that sound familiar? I reckon in my case it is about control, needing to feel I am doing it the best possible way, also feeling as I am always so short of time that I must do it the most time-efficient way, but which in fact means dithering and not doing it at all.
Would it work to teach your son to just start - do a bit- not necessarily to break the task down into components because that also involves too much conceptualising- and once underway to then do it in the most straight forward way possible. Don't know if that helps or is just undefined waffle.

I set myself a specific day for a task. For example, if I need to sort out the outgrown clothes, I say in my head, right, Tuesday is the day. and I make is a priority that day to do that job. Does that help at all?

I have just started reading a book called "first things first", great way to waste a few hours . It basicly says all the other theorys on time management aren't going to work and end up making us even more frazzled.

Oh god taht sounds familiar. My boss and I (yes unfortunately he noticed that tendancy) called it "middle tray syndrome". And now I don't work I still do it - I have been meaning to sort out insurance for the dog for months.

Break it down into little chunks? Write a detailed to-do list for the long project so that you can see exactly what you need to do and it doesn't seem so unmanageable. Or just wait until teh deadline and tehn do it in a mad mad panic.....

hovely, that's clever, hadn't thought of it as a perfectionist thing - and of course it is. (I have done the clothes btw, and I do get my projects done, but everything is always done in a 150% perfect way).

skribble, is First Things First good? Would you recommend? Does it help with this kind of thing?

poppies, yes, that is a very sensible idea, and would work with me because then I could plan the attack over a few days without fretting about not actually doing it (which is exactly what prufrock is getting at).

You are all clever!
And any more thoughts very gratefully received.

Definitely a perfectionist thing. Have noticed this in friends and family (as well as me!) it's the people who get distracted by planning the task perfectly, or who can't bear to do it unless they've researched the very best way to do it who stall. Always find it very comforting when I notice this trait among very successful people.

Will watch the thread carefully for solutions!

Bink - had to snigger. After I had last posted I went out on the school run the next morning and looked at my garden. "Mmmmm," I thought "The Autumn gardening still hasn't got done! I had planned to do that by the end of November!" So much for my methods!!

I will update you once I have read it, I am still at the bit when you realise how shit your life is and that you need to stop cramming everything in and doing it all, I think the basic principle is to do the best things and do them well and a bout getting a balance in life.