Gentlemen’s Corner

The Art of Procrastination

If we look at the dictionary definition of procrastination we find “a noun, the action of delaying or postponing something.” Ben Franklin told us “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.’ Apparently, we have all been procrastinators since the beginning of time! So, are you or aren’t you? This week, we will offer a few suggestions on how to GIT ER DONE as we say here in the south. My hope is to get you all to think about that Honey Do list and ways to check the box on as many as possible.

It’s all about the list

When we find ourselves with a ton on our plate, I would argue the best way to eat that elephant is one bite at a time. Yes, I will be using as many clichés as I can this week. Why not? This topic has been covered millions of times; I won’t recreate the wheel. See what I did there?

OK, let’s dive into this. If you find yourself always having more to do than time to do it, here are a few ideas to help tackle them as quickly as possible:

1. Write them down. Sometimes, at least for me, visualizing tasks on a physical list helps me get my arms around them faster. It also helps me prioritize them so I can either get the easiest ones done first to feel accomplished or plan a weekend to get the larger ones done first. Seeing what needs to be done may actually relieve some of the stress if it turns out there’s really not as much to do as you feared.
2. Don’t start one before you finish one. The key here is not to have a half dozen partially completed tasks going on at once. Make sure you complete a task you have taken on before you move to the next one. This may take some of us more focus than others, but I promise you will feel better doing it this way. Remember, it’s not how it started, it’s how you finished.
3. Ask for help. If the task is so big that you keep pushing it off, maybe an extra set of hands will help. Guys, this is where using the Brotherhood comes in handy. I bet many of your brothers would be happy to come over, with the promise of a cold beverage, to help get it done. He may have a project he could use your help with as well!
4. Make your bed every day. A famous General made this statement at a military graduation years ago. Accomplish one thing to start the day. It may sound small, but it really is a great practice to get you in the habit every single day.
5. Keep your Inbox small. By this I mean, don’t keep 500 emails in your inbox. It’s hard, for many of us, to identify where we need to focus with too many emails in there. Make sub folders, make a rule for spam, do a weekly clean out of messages that you no longer need. I promise you; this will help reduce stress at work and make you more efficient as well. There’s nothing worse than opening your email on a Monday to 1000 emails!

Don’t forget to take time for you too.

These were all project and work suggestions, but you also need to prioritize YOU. Do you take time every day to just sit and relax? Is it exercise or reading for you? Maybe you use meditation to clear your head. Whatever your methods, we all need to take time to slow down, enjoy life and keep our focus. Too may times I hear, ‘I’m just so busy.’ I would argue we are only as busy as we allow ourselves to be. Most other ‘stuff’ can probably be replaced with good ole self-care. No, this doesn’t mean procrastination, it just means prioritization. We all need to take better care of ourselves, physically, mentally and spiritually. Will you make a point to get things done better this year? If you see me out and about, let me know!

Colin Furcht- BRO Beard Products CEO

Colin has been a long time Lake Norman resident and has been very active in the community. From Commissioner to founding the Lake Norman Lighted Christmas Boat Parade to now a featured Author and small business owner! His desire is to bring men together and encourage them to reach out. He has always said, ‘look out for yourselves and each other.’ All men need a Brotherhood. www.brobeardproducts.shop