Procrastination is basically the act of putting off doing things when they could be done now.

I used to be a top-notch procrastinator until I realized it was a huge deterrent in my life. It was starting to cause a lot of problems. I believed that if I wasn’t getting things done, there must be a reason the universe didn’t want them done and who was I to challenge that? However, then there was the fact that I was a busy mom who was trying to plan to get far more done in a day than I had time.

I also had to deal with the concept of laziness and it actually means to me. I wasn’t really lazy, but I was (and still am) easily distracted and I let things like my phone and the television distract me. Do we wonder how people got so much done in the ‘olden’ days? They didn’t have little boxes they could hold in their hands with a myriad of entertainment options to distract them.

When you become a prepper, you realize you need to become proactive. The very core of prepping is the concept of being proactive – anticipating and preparing for what could happen before it happens. When you are a procrastinator, you are naturally going against the grain of prepping.

Now we all have things going on in our lives that keep us busier than we like. We have plenty of worthy and unworthy distractions to divert us from doing what needs to be done now. We all have plenty of reasons and excuses for why we don’t do what we need to do. However, those very things can really be our biggest enemy when it comes to prepping.

How do we fight against this? How do we stop procrastination in its tracks?

1. Put away the phone. Your phone can be a very useful tool for reaching out to people, taking pictures, and locating needed information quickly. However, you need to remind yourself it is a tool. Most people use them as a form of entertainment and a distraction. You should make a concentrated effort to put the phone down and use that time to learn new skills, read a book, and work on a project.

The same goes for the computer. Unless your job depends on the computer, you should limit your time on the computer. Some people set a timer for 30-60 minutes and then walk away from the computer for the rest of the day unless they need to do research.

There is nothing wrong with using your phone and computer for a little downtime, but you know they are time-suckers and should be limited to a certain amount of time.

2. Set some daily/weekly/monthly routines and stick to them. Every day, you should have certain things you are doing to be prepared. As simple as it sounds, having a routine that works for you takes time to figure out. However, you should be doing simple things to be prepared. Doing these things on a consistent basis means you are not going to be worried about what isn’t done.

Washing the dishes every day, making sure laundry is caught up, keeping the car clean, the driveway cleared out, the floors cleared, and more make certain you are prepared for tomorrow. If you have to leave quickly, the clean car and driveway mean you are prepared to leave at a moment’s notice and/or evacuate. Having the dishes washed and laundry done means you are not faced with a pile of laundry/dishes when you have no water.

3. Write out a to-do list every day and get done what you can. Having a to-do list saves me! I don’t make the list complicated and often it includes things I don’t want to forget like picking up more cat food. As a prepper though, you can include a lot of things on your to-do list. I like to keep mine short and simple. I usually only have six things written on my to-do list. When I get those six things done, I might make another list just depending on the time of day and what is going on that day. You can completely customize this for yourself.

4. Keep a journal of what you do every day. This is something I started a couple of months ago and already it is making a difference. I keep track of what happened on that day and anything I want to remember that I accomplished. I can see what happened when and if I am on track for my goals for the week/month/year. Often I know I need to be working harder and smarter. By having a journal, I can keep track and plan accordingly.

5. Remember that every day is a new day. We are all capable of beating ourselves up for not doing what we could the day before. However, that is not productive and will not help us in any way. Wake up in the morning asking yourself what you can do today and plan accordingly. If yesterday is still bothering you, tackle what you were going to do yesterday and move on.

6. Keep a positive outlook and always be moving forward. Similar to #5, prepping is a positive thing. You are looking towards the future and trying to be prepared for it. That required a positive outlook. Everything you do today will only help you tomorrow so always be moving forward. Worrying about “what ifs” and “what can happen” can be used as a positive motivation in your prepping as long as you do not let the fear paralyze you.

What do you do to combat procrastination?

Thanks for reading,
Erica

Related posts:
Daily Habits, Routines, and Prepping: Why Do They Go Together?
Ten Prepping Habits You Should Be Working On! 

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