Do you struggle to start big projects? Is your to-do list a mile long (and growing)? If so, keep reading for encouragement to get started… Even if it might not seem like the best time to start.
Wouldn’t it be fantastic if we all had unlimited time, money, and motivation to tackle our to-do lists each day? If we all resisted procrastination easily and never made excuses?
As it turns out, our days are filled with many wonderful (and some not-so-wonderful) tasks, routines, people, schedules, activities, and to-dos.
Whether it’s caring for our families, running errands, working, volunteering, catching up on laundry, exploring new hobbies, spending time with friends, housework, yard work, etc. there is always something else we could do, should do, or want to do.
It’s so much easier to put some of our bigger projects off until later…
Or maybe I’m the only one who struggles with this??
Do any of the following statements sound familiar to you?
- I’ll organize the junk room once I have a long weekend to work on it.
- I’ll clean out the garage once my spouse is ready to help.
- I’ll go through that pile of papers once I buy the appropriate file folders.
- I’ll make sleep a priority once I get ahead on my to-dos.
- I’ll write down my to-do’s once I find the perfect planner.
- I’ll look for the perfect planner after the holidays (or after summer break).
- I’ll start investing once I build up my savings account.
- I’ll start saving once my debt is paid off.
- I’ll pay off my debt once my income goes up a bit.
- I’ll start an emergency (or retirement) fund once we pay the rest of our bills.
- I’ll eat healthier after my upcoming vacation.
- I’ll exercise more once the weather gets warmer (or cooler, or less rainy).
- I’ll start meal planning next week.
- I’ll tackle my boxes of pictures once I have more free time.
- I’ll start my business once the kids move out (or go back to school).
You get the idea.
If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ve all made excuses like these at some point in our lives (sometimes on a daily basis!)
After all, it IS more efficient to tackle a big project all at one time. It’s more rewarding to pay down debt or build your investments with one big lump sum of cash. It’s more motivating to start AND finish an organizing project in one day. And everything is easier and less time-consuming once the kids are older!
However, what if you never have a big enough chunk of extra time or extra cash to get started? And what if the kids never move out? 😆
The truth is, there often isn’t a “right time” to get started… and by waiting for more time, more money, or more energy, we are essentially procrastinating indefinitely.
In my nearly 4 decades of life, there has rarely been a season when I’ve magically had more time, money, energy, or motivation. Rather, I work at my bigger projects little by little, in small pockets of time, with small increments of money, and with whatever extra energy I can muster up at the time.
Because I know there is rarely ever a “right time” to get started.
However, I also know that if I don’t start, I’ll eventually end up with a messy and disorganized home, piles of undone to-dos, debt, stress, weight gain, etc.
My simple solution = Start Now!
Now might not be the best time ever.
Now might not be the most convenient season of life.
Now might be a little messy.
But if you don’t start now, you might never start.
HOW to start NOW on a bigger project…
Time and time again, I’ve crossed off big to-dos by simply incorporating one or two small habits into my daily routine.
This works so well because the more often we do something, the faster it becomes a habit.
Doing something small every day forms a habit much faster than doing something huge just once or twice a year.
Let me give you a few examples:
- Start an emergency fund with $10 — then set up an automatic withdrawal to add $10 a month to a separate account you won’t touch unless you have an emergency.
- Set your timer for 15 minutes and fold laundry, file papers, or clean off a section of your kitchen counters.
- Make a goal to wake up 15 minutes earlier (don’t let yourself hit ‘snooze’).
- Make a simple meal plan for next week… right now!
- Put an extra $10 towards a debt you want to pay off.
- Take a 20-minute walk instead of watching TV or scrolling through social media.
Related Reading
Click on an image below to read more.
By starting now (even if it’s a small start) you’re taking the first step, building momentum, and making progress in the right direction.
You won’t see massive change overnight, but if you keep pluggin’ away, you WILL see changes eventually.
Plus, by focusing on small, steady changes, you’ll develop a new habit (exercising, saving more, eating more veggies, picking up after yourself) which offers life-changing benefits, instead of quick “bandage fixes” that only last a few months.
One more word of encouragement…
Don’t feel like you must start at the beginning.
So often, I hear statements like:
- But it would be so much work to go all the way back to when my kids were babies in order to digitize all their photos.
- But I’m already in my 40’s (or 50’s or 60’s) — I don’t think it would pay to start a retirement account now.
- But my house is so disorganized — I just want to move and start over because I don’t even know where to begin in this house.
- But my schedule is so crazy — I just don’t know how I could make any extra time.
My response is still “Start Now”.
You don’t need to digitize every one of your children’s pictures. Just start NOW and move forward with all future pictures.
You don’t need to be in your 20s or 30s to start a retirement account. Start one NOW and you’ll be better off when you retire.
You don’t need to organize your entire house in one week. Just start NOW and do one small area. Then do another area tomorrow.
You don’t need multiple extra hours to pursue your goal or work on your project. Just start NOW with 5, 10, or 15 minutes.
It WILL make a difference!
Related Reading
Click on an image below to read more.
The purpose of starting now is not to do it perfectly but rather to do something.
By doing something, you will start to change your behavior, your way of thinking, your routine, your mentality, etc. And after enough days of “doing something,” there’s a good chance your actions will become new habits — at which point you won’t need to think about them anymore.
You’ll just do them!
Imagine how wonderful it will feel to…
- Come home to a clean home or wake up to a clutter-free closet because you’re in the habit of picking up after yourself and regularly decluttering so you don’t have massive organizing projects to tackle anymore.
- No longer worry about an overdrawn check or saving for retirement because you have a system in place to put a little money aside each month.
- Have more energy and get better sleep because you’ve taken steps to reduce stress, improve nutrition, and move more.
- Enjoy more time for the people, things, and activities that are most important to you because you’ve eliminated distractions and learned to be more efficient with your time.
- Look through your first digital family photo book with your kids or grandkids because you finally got started and kept plugging away.
It won’t necessarily be easy or even always fun, but it WILL be worth it once you start to see the results.
What steps could you take NOW to make progress on one of your bigger projects or goals?
Feel free to share in the comments so we can all encourage each other!
Barb says
Happy Birthday Andrea!! I love reading your posts! I always come away with practical tips and feel encouraged that I can make progress toward my goals. Enjoy summer with your family!
Andrea says
Thanks Barb! Glad you’ve stuck around all these years!
JJ says
Happy Birthday, Andrea!!! Your blog has impacted so many areas of my life. I am currently listening to Eve’s Daughters, reading The Better Mom Devotional, and decluttering my kitchen thanks to you. If the store had dairy free cheese(not sure why the shortage), I would have made your pizza sliders. l will be cutting my husband’s and boys’ hair this weekend with the clippers you recommended. I started doing the kids’ hair before Covid due to your post, and I haven’t stopped. It DOES save a ton! We used to spend way too much when we went. Not anymore! I am also starting to put some baked goods into my freezer to prepare for the next school year. The biggest problem is that I have discovered I love frozen baked goods. Have fun with everyone home–more people to dote on Buster and occupy him!!!
Andrea says
Thanks for your kind words (as always!)
I’m thrilled you’ve benefited so much from my posts and tips over the years.
And yes, I like frozen baked goods too (especially frozen cooke dough!) I keep it in the basement freezer to make it more of a hassle to reach!
Julie Kaiser says
Happy Birthday, Andrea
Celebrate the years God has given
May God grant you many more years to share with family and friends
PS I really like reading your posts!
Andrea says
Thanks so much Julie!
JoDi says
Great reminders!
Your hair looks fantastic at this length. (That comment will only make sense to email subscribers! LOL)
Wishing you a wonderful, restful and restorative summer break. Summer break starts tomorrow for me, and I am looking forward to 3 weeks off before summer school starts!
Andrea says
Thanks JoDi!
Enjoy your summer break too!
Chris says
I have been cleaning out and organizing and decluttering my kitchen cabinets just one or a few at a time. Before you know it, the whole kitchen is done. I try to do this at least once a year. I work part time so this is a good solution for me. I also do this with other things. However, my weak point is sometimes I have too many little projects going instead of completing them. 🙁 Love your blog. I’m glad you didn’t quit blogging altogether. Enjoy your summer!
Sally says
Happy birthday! I have been thinking that NOW is the most important time of my life and your post reinforced this idea. Love your blog and also love that you give yourself a break. Enjoy!
Andrea says
Thanks Sally 🙂
And yes, I think we can often get so caught up thinking about “the good old days” or looking forward to the future that we don’t enjoy today as much as we could/should!
Andrea says
yes yes! This is how it always goes — just get started and you’ll get that motivation to keep going.
Kim says
Thanks for the great post!! Only problem is I’ve put off reading it because it’s quite long and needed more more time to devote to it with the many links. I did prefer hearing from you 2-3 times per week instead of saving it all up for one long post! Thanks!
Andrea says
haha — well I’m glad you finally read it.
I totally understand the allure of bite-sized content — however, I also have LOTS of readers who don’t want to be “bothered” with another email or post every day. So while many of my posts are still fairly short, some will be longer with links to additional resources within. Keep in mind that there is no need to read them all in one sitting. They will be there forever — so you may pick and choose one or two each day and sort of “self-pace” your reading! 🙂
Julia says
Oh my, what a great post with lots of info and motivation! I keep getting further behind on our photos this year since we had our daughter. We went from taking a few hundred photos a year to a few hundred every few months! Fortunately, I am finding the Blurb books to be much simpler to make than my previous Shutterfly ones, so that will help a lot. So happy I heard about them from your blog!
Andrea says
haha — I totally relate to this! Dave and I literally took less than 200 pictures TOTAL for the first 5 years of our marriage. Then Nora was born and we had roughly 200 that first month! LOL!!
Glad you are enjoying Blurb!
Rhonda says
I have gotten behind with our personal bookkeeping and my side business, and I WILL spend at least 30 minutes of focused work each day, starting today, until I am finally caught up. Thanks for the encouragement to just start; I keep waiting to have the time and focus and energy to get started. And we all know that will never happen!
Andrea says
Yes, little by little, you’ll get back on track again!
Amy Milani says
Andrea,
I enjoy your simple, down-to-earth approach to life…wish I’d discovered you earlier!
My goal is to reorganize/declutter my son’s room (which has become the “junk room” for everything from paperwork/lifetime family photos/deceased relative’s “stuff”).
I will start today! Goal is 30 minutes/day until finished. Thanks for the push!!
Andrea says
Aw, thanks Amy!
That’s a great goal — it always feels good to declutter the kids rooms (especially before the holidays arrive!)
Set your timer for 30 minutes and get to work!
Elaine Waters says
I teach High School in Western North Carolina. Due to Covid-19, to protect my 85 year-old Mom and my family, I am teaching virtually from my classroom. Those students who choose to be at school (about 20%) are staying in another teacher’s room. So we are teaching a “mini-mester” – two classes for 45 days and then the other 2 for 45 days, finishing the semester before Christmas.
It has been lonely, stressful, all-consuming.
My goal is to be ready for this second mini-mester before it starts! I need to be organized, technology ready and spiritually ready.
This Covid world of teaching and learning remotely is so awful. Every conversation I have ends with requests for prayer.
JJ says
Elaine, you are doing a wonderful thing! I will commit to pray for you daily. Andrea’s tips will definitely help!!! I have been setting my phone alarm while labeling what I need to do at different times. That has helped me stay on task.
Elaine Waters says
JJ, thank you. Can you believe I burst into tears when I read your comment? Wow. I rationally know that I am not alone in this, but somedays it feels like it.
I am starting a to do list on my board so I can’t ignore it and putting notifications on my phone. Thank you for that suggestion.
You’re in my prayers and you are appreciated!
Andrea says
Elaine — you are definitely not the only person feeling this way right now. SO many teachers are students (and the general population) are struggling with loneliness and overwhelm right now. I think in many ways, it helps me to have a little project to focus on at home — take my mind off the craziness in the world right now.
Similarly to JJ, I set alarms on my phone to remind me of different projects I’m working on — even things like taking 15 minutes to read. I get through SO many books that way!
You can do it. Get that “mini-mester” planned and then “reward” yourself with something fun or special!
JJ says
Elaine, your feelings are valid, and sometimes it just feels good to cry! You’re under a lot of pressure and stress, but you are doing an awesome job to make a plan and prepare ahead of time. So commendable!!! You may be the only bright spot in some of those kids’ day. Such a blessing!!! When I have hard times where the stress feels greater than I can handle, I watch Christian comedy. Chonda Pierce did a routine called Enough(on Netflix), and I ugly cried; I felt so much better though. Michael Jr. and Tim Hawkins are favorites too. Thank you for praying for me, too!!! Andrea, I love the idea to focus on a project or something. I have picked a project. You always inspire me!!!
Leslie Polokonis says
JJ, thanks for the names of Christian comedians. We all need good, clean laughter .
Andrea says
Thanks for this encouragement, JJ — you’re the best!
Laura says
At the beginning of this year, after reading a similar post from you, I decided to tackle my digital photos. My last printed pictures were from 2015 and my intention had been to do photo books for the following years but never came to it. I decided this year I would spend time at the end of every month choosing which pictures I would save for that month, and which ones I would put in the photobook for that year. If I had time, I would do the same for the same month in prior years (2016-2019), but I would not met myself get behind the 2020 pictures. Thanks to the pandemia, I have 2020 up to date, I have sorted all the pictures for the full year for photobooks for 2016 and 2017, and up to August for 2018 and 2019. I have also done photobooks for special vacations we took those years, and I have created templates in Blurb for the yearly photobooks. I want to start filling those in so that I can use the offers that usually come after year end. Thanks for being such an inspiration!
Gaynor Williams says
I love a quote from the Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope. “A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.” Trollope was criticised for writing to a schedule – he paid his stable boy extra to wake him up at 5 30 every morning – because critics felt he was treating his writing as a job, not as “art” or “inspiration”. He had the last laugh though: he wrote 47 novels which are still read and loved today! Anyway, I’m off to finally start tidying my junk room. Thank you Andrea!
Andrea says
That’s a great quote! and I TOTALLY AGREE!
I’ve accomplished so many of my “to-do someday list” by picking away a little at a time. And you know I’m a huge fan of early morning productivity!
Anna says
Just what I needed to hear! I really appreciate how you compiled all the relevant articles to this one as well. No reason not to get started. Thank you, Andrea!!!
Andrea says
Yay — I’m thrilled! And thanks for the feedback on the related reading articles. I wasn’t sure if that would add “clutter” to the post or serve as a helpful resource! Hopefully, it’s the 2nd for most people 🙂
Katie J says
I just had my fourth baby 3 months ago. The house is under construction. I stil have student loans and have been out of college for 15 years. Andrea, I am full of excuses! But every day I take the few minutes I have here and there to do even a few dishes (no dishwasher here), or DO something, anything! about the endless laundry catch-up game, or vacuum even just one room… every inch of forward progress motivates me to fo more! Thank you for sharing this encouragement!
Andrea says
just keep plugging away — seriously, it all adds up!
don’t stress out, you’ll get there eventually… and I know from experience that living in construction with babies is a pretty viable excuse for letting a few things slide 🙂
Susie says
Since retirement, I have put off doing the “Keepsake boxes”. They are overflowing and too many things in them. I have started now, and done one box at a time. I have organized them by “people and places” and trashed so much stuff. It is still a work in process, but progress has been made. Thanks so much for all of your wisdom for this 59 year old lady, with no kids. Despite our different stages of life, your advice and ideas are practical and simple. Just do it!
Andrea says
Sounds like a great retirement project! Progress is always good 🙂
Heather Ratliff says
Since we moved into our house almost two years ago, I’ve been trying to finish painting the trim (and finishing painting one room!). Not that I’ve been putting it off on purpose, but I have finally started working on it again. I get frustrated when I have to stop to work on another project, but I just keep re-starting. It will eventually get done and I will be so glad that I kept at it!
Andrea says
I know — I hate stopping in the middle of a project… but I have learned that if I just work on it a little every day (week, month, etc.) I will finish eventually! Happy Painting 🙂
Christine from The (mostly) Simple Life says
I 100% agree! I read something years ago that said something like “if you wait for the perfect moment and the perfect circumstances, you will never do anything.” I used to think I’ll start exercising regularly when I have more time, but it would never happen. Now I make time and do the best I can.
Andrea says
yup, exactly! I know Dave and I even felt like this when we were wondering when we should start having kids… there was never ‘right time’ or a ‘perfect time’
Good for you with the exercising too!
francie says
I suffer from procrastination!lol! This article is just what I needed.
Ania says
Dear Andrea, you have no idea how happy I am for finding your blog ! I decided to at least try to change a couple of things in my own / family life and your adiveices on how to organize yourself / stuff around the house are amazing. I’m inspired to enter the 2016 with new power to clean up the mess 🙂 greets from Amsterdam !
Andrea says
Thanks Ania!!!
Terri says
I read this yesterday and have already organized all of my folded clothes plus my linen closet! I was “waiting for things not to be so crazy” in my life so I could get organized. This advice was my “wake up call” to do …SOMETHING…NOW.
Love your blog and thanks!
Andrea says
yeah!! I’m sure it feels great to have a few things crossed off your list! way to go — baby steps!
Barb says
I love the simplicity of your advice! It makes the size of an overwhelming task more manageable by breaking it down into the small amounts of time you have available.
However, I also struggle with, the where to start. Specifically with cleaning out and reorganizing my file cabinet. Every time I start, I feel overwhelmed because I’m tired of having to go through my files every year to clean them out. It seems like such a waste of my time to file things, and then have to clean out an entire drawer at the end of the year. The lists of what to keep and what not to keep, are different now than they were twenty years ago. So, I struggle with knowing what to file and what to toss. Do you have any tips or suggestions on a good place to start with this project?
At this point, I’d be thrilled to start on this project even if I could only work on it for 10 – 15 minutes at a time. At least then the end would be in sight, and this overwhelming feeling would be gone, freeing me to take concentrate on all of the other things going on in my life.
Gillian says
Great post! You would love Gretchen Rubin who has written a number of books. She quotes Voltaire, saying “don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good”. She also cites Loophole arguments for not doing things, similar to your examples.
Jules says
I think of Andrea when I listen to Gretchen’s podcasts – they’re cut from the same cloth 🙂
Tracey says
AMEN!!!
Jen T says
Thank you for the smack upside the head first thing on a Monday morning.
No really, thank you.
Megan says
This is such good advice! The line about writing down the to do list once I have the perfect planner really resonated with me. I was also reminded of how this concept has worked for me in the past. I decided one night months ago to FINALLY figure out how to use my sewing machine. It didn’t take long to take it out of the box and read the instructions to thread the needle. I have had fun tinkering with little projects ever since! Thanks for the great tips on your blog!