I looked at the mess in the office space. It appeared to be a little bit too much. Laughably too much. And my first thought was no way. Am I a hoarder?
Everyone has something in their life that they find difficult, whether it’s a task they don’t want to do, a goal they can’t seem to reach, or a mess that just never seems to get tidied up like me and my office.
It can be hard to face the challenge and pull off what feels like it’s impossible. At least for that moment, right? We can do it later or tomorrow, we tell ourselves. But tomorrow or next week never really comes. And then tomorrow never comes and next thing you know we’re living in all this unorganized clutter, quite frankly.
But with the right strategies and mindset, you can make even the hardest things achievable. Here are some tips on how to tackle these tasks and make them fun and easy.
Breaking Down Big Tasks into Smaller Pieces
When faced with a daunting task or goal, one of the best strategies is breaking it down into smaller pieces. This helps take away the overwhelming feeling of having too much to do at once, and instead makes it easier for you to focus on one step at a time. For example, if your goal is to clean up your messy bedroom, start by deciding which area needs attention first – maybe it’s getting rid of all the clothes on your floor – then work from there until you’ve reached your goal.
I like to focus on all the garbage first. Then I move onto other “objects” and compile them together.
Often I will get some post it notes. I make 4 of them into a square. And then I only focus on the objects that are in that area. And then I just keep moving the square. It can be socks as well! You just need to focus on these small areas!
I even have a small hose that that I’ve connected together so it forms a circle which I move around the house. It’s like a big donut. And I just clean within that hose.
Set Time Limits and Goals
Setting time limits and goals helps keep you motivated while also keeping track of progress. Setting deadlines creates urgency which will help push you forward in completing tasks more quickly and efficiently. It’s also nice to know that “it doesn’t all have to be done today”.
Additionally, setting smaller goals along the way will give you something tangible to celebrate each time you reach one of those milestones. It’s nice to step back and to see something clean.
Take Quick Breaks
Finally, don’t forget that taking breaks while working on tough projects can help keep your energy up and prevent burnout. Take quick, short breaks throughout the day so that you can recharge and come back with renewed focus. Just lying down and closing your eyes every half an hour for 5 or 10 minutes can do wonders.
This is because it’s a marathon, and not a sprint! And you are here just to focus on one small little section at a time. Don’t even look at the rest!
Reach Out for Help
Don’t be afraid to ask for help from others when you need it – whether they are friends, family members, or colleagues – because everyone needs some help every now and then! Reaching out for support is especially important if the task feels too daunting or overwhelming; having someone else encourage you along the way can make all the difference in helping you achieve success!
I love to ask my wife for help. “Hey can you help me just for 5 minutes on the bathroom?”
And we set an alarm and hit it. And we can’t believe we did so much in 5 minutes! Which makes sense, right, because this is how professional cleaners do it – in teams.
Focus On The Positive
When tackling difficult tasks or goals, it can be easy for our minds to wander towards negative thoughts about how hard it may be or how long it will take. Instead of dwelling on those thoughts, try shifting your focus onto positive aspects of what you are doing such as learning new skills or discovering new talents within yourself that may help you succeed in achieving your goals faster. Knowing that there is something positive coming out of what we are doing can give us that extra bit of motivation we need when times get tough!
For example, “Cleaning just a little bit each day actually gets my cleaning neurons going. And it makes it easy to clean the rest of the house and to stay clean.”
Conclusion
Cleaning can be a goal with tiny steps where you focus on small areas. Or, it can be a spiritual experience where you are just there to have fun cleaning. It’s almost as if “the gods themselves” are watching and they suddenly want to help out and meander in our lives when it’s clean because who wants to be in a dirty house? Especially if you’re a god?
It’s important to remember that big changes start with small steps! No matter how hard something may seem at first, breaking down those big challenges into more manageable pieces is key in successfully achieving them.
By setting deadlines, creating smaller goals along the way, and focusing on what we gain rather than what we have lost by taking on this challenge – we can make even the most difficult things fun and easy! So don’t let fear hold you back from attempting something new – remember that everything is more than possible. And remind yourself, “Hey I’ve been through worse. And if I can do that I can totally clean up this area of the house.”