I help overwhelmed moms declutter their homes, heads, and hearts. Decluttering coach and the host of top 1% globally ranked podcast Moms Overcoming Overwhelm.
STOP Procrastinating π with These 5 Hacks!
Decluttering Tips and Support Weekly Newsletter Vol. 23Dear Reader, I have always struggled with procrastination. I distinctly remember researching and writing two 10-page college papers due the next day by pulling an all-nighter. (I think I ended up getting an A- on one and a B+ on another, which I'm proud of in a strange way π). Even now as a mom and business owner, I find it hard to focus and do what I would rather put off - like decluttering, meal planning, editing podcast episodes, and cleaning the bathroom. In Episode 135 I dive into 5 ways that you can leverage the power of habits to stop procrastination in its tracks! 1. Make it easy - when it comes to starting anything - especially something you're dreading - you want to "make it so easy you can't say no". James Clear compares the activation energy required for chemical reactions to those of starting a and completing a habit. I love this quote from him: Similar to how every chemical reaction has an activation energy, we can think of every habit or behavior as having an activation energy as well.
This is just a metaphor of course, but no matter what habit you are trying to build there is a certain amount of effort required to start the habit. In chemistry, the more difficult it is for a chemical reaction to occur, the bigger the activation energy. For habits, itβs the same story. The more difficult or complex a behavior, the higher the activation energy required to start it.
James Clear, The Chemistry of Building Better Habitsβ
Decluttering? Start with one drawer. Meal planning? Start with one meal you know your family will love. Cleaning? Start with one bathroom. 2. Make it fun - make something that seems dreadful more enjoyable! Listen to a podcast (I know a good one) or an energizing playlist. Or pick a reward for when you complete the activity - just make sure the reward supports your goals and doesn't detract from them! 3. Start messy - as a recovering perfectionist, I frequently don't start something because I don't want to fail. There is a link between procrastination and perfectionism, because we put off what we think we can't do perfectly. Ask yourself - what is the worst thing that can happen if I start this messy and it doesn't go as planned? As my husband likes to say - Adapt and Overcome.
β 5. Don't break the chain - tracking how many days you do something can be SUPER motivating and keep you in momentum, rather than procrastination. BONUS TIP: set up your environment for success so it's harder to procrastinate - having this "on-ramp" routine will help you focus on what you need to do! If you want to be more productive this summer but you have kids at home constantly complaining, "I'M BORED!" - yesterday's conversation with Michelle Byrd from The Busy Vibrant Mom is just what you need. She's sharing 3 time management tips for the summer as well as screen-free activities for kids! Here's a snippet of this great conversation... In case you missed it...β I was thrilled to be a guest on these two podcasts this week! π£ SUMMER REVIEW GIVEAWAY ALERT! FINAL DAYS TO ENTER! π£β π€ Need a little extra cash this summer? π€ Have you left a written review for the podcast yet or shared it with a friend? I'm having a summer review giveaway starting tomorrow, Monday June 10th until Sunday, June 30th! Only 8 people have entered so far, so you have a VERY high chance of winning! And it only takes you 30 seconds! If you have access to Apple Podcasts and haven't left a review for the show yet, this is your chance! If you have already (thank you) you can share the show with a friend! Every share counts for one entry! Either way, you MUST send the screen shot to me at info@simplebyemmy.com between now and June 30th to be entered to win a $50 Amazon gift card! Good luck and thanks for your support! Emily P.S. Scrolled to the end? No problem! This week on the podcast I shared 5 habit hacks to beat procrastination and spoke to Michelle Byrd about her best time management hacks for the summer (with kids at home)!β *NOTE: Affiliate links may be included, which means I will receive a small commission if purchase using my link. Thank you!* |
Moms Overcoming Overwhelm + Simple by Emmy
I help overwhelmed moms declutter their homes, heads, and hearts. Decluttering coach and the host of top 1% globally ranked podcast Moms Overcoming Overwhelm.
Decluttering Tips and Support Weekly Newsletter Vol. 48 Dear Reader, One minute, your kids are enjoying the new-fallen snow on a sled. The next minute, this. Andrew's broken arm - yikes! Between Andrew's broken arm and 4 snow days in a row, I've never been more grateful that my house is decluttered and the basic systems I swear by (laundry, dishes, etc.) stayed in place. If you want to kick your clutter to the curb in 2025 - despite what else comes your way - I'm here to help! Let's work...
Decluttering Tips and Support Weekly Newsletter Vol. 47 Dear Reader, Happy New Year! π So grateful to hang out with you every Friday in your inbox, and looking forward to providing you with tons of decluttering and simplifying tips in 2025! On New Year's Eve I was able to stay up for part of the Penn State/Boise State game (Let's go State!) and then I crashed. My husband and two boys managed to stay up for the ball drop at midnight. It was the first time the boys stayed up past like 9:00 PM....
Decluttering Tips and Support Weekly Newsletter Vol. 44 Dear Reader, When it comes to meal planning, I like to think about a game of limbo. I could travel down a Pinterest rabbit hole for hours to find the "perfect" meals for my family, spend hours planning, shopping, and prepping...OR I can see "how low can we go" when it comes to much I can simplify our meals while still providing nourishment for the people I love. Lowering the bar doesn't mean we're giving up - it means that we're putting...