140 - Make Procrastination Work For You: The Swap Trick

Summary

In this episode, Heather shares the trick she occasionally uses on herself, and with clients, to get a decluttering task started when it really doesn't want to happen. By pairing a dreaded decluttering task with another dreaded task that has a fixed deadline, she's worked out how to make procrastination work in your favour instead of against you.

Chapters

00:00
Introduction to Decluttering Strategies

02:48
The Letter of Two Evils Trick

05:52
Setting Up Your Projects for Success

Transcript

heather (00:00)
Hello, untanglers and welcome back to another episode of Decluttering Untangled with me, your host, Heather Tingle. So today's episode is going to be really short but sweet, I guess, because it's a little tip that I used with two clients over the past couple of weeks. And I thought it might be quite a useful thing for you to use as well. It won't work for everybody because everyone's brains different, but for some brains, this can be a really good way to do it. So

If you are struggling, getting on with a task that's decluttering, organising, that feels really difficult, you just, I don't know, you wait until you feel ready, you wait until you feel motivated, you wait to be in the mood, whatever, it's never going to happen because you keep putting it off and putting it off. I want you to try this. And this is kind of a way of being a bit sneaky with your brain. It's kind of tricking your own brain, but you know that you're doing it. Okay, so that's...

That's where we're at today. So the strategy is called the lesser of two evils trick. You probably do this all the time, but you've probably never done it with your list of decluttering tasks or organising tasks. So what you do is you take the decluttering tasks that you've been avoiding. So it's got to have a start and an end point and be quite a compact thing. So if you're going through my planner, if you're going through, I don't know, a type of category,

then make sure it's quite a short project. So I want you to call this project A. So this is the decluttering task or the organising task or the cleaning task or whatever that you've been putting off. You then find another task that you've been avoiding. It doesn't have to be decluttering, but this one has got to have a deadline that you genuinely cannot move. So things like your tax return, a form that's gotta be handed in, a piece of work with a client expecting it, something that you've got doing your job.

Like that's project B. So two very, very different tasks, but you don't really want to do either of them. You'll put both of them off, but it's a way to get them done. So the rule is simple. You are not allowed to start project B, the one with a deadline until project A is done. Now, the reason why this works, because it, let's face it, it's a bit cheeky. And for some of you, it will not work because you're like, well, no. But for people like me, it works really well because I know

myself and I know that I'm going to put off project B full stop. I'm going to wait until the last minute it can possibly be right up until the deadline as force my hand to do it. You've probably found a hundred other things to do instead and that avoidance time was always going to exist. So you either stay in paralysis doing absolutely nothing or you find other jobs that you probably don't want to do. So we do this in the untangled life.

membership all the time. So it's like, what's the job that you've been putting off? Let's get that done today. And then funny enough, I'm well, I'm going to do this, but actually I want to do this first. It's like, great, because then you get both done. Because that avoidance time is always going to exist. So instead of letting it disappear into scrolling online or reorganising something that's already been done, you're redirecting that.

procrastination. So you're making project A the only acceptable form of procrastination available to you. It gives it a timeline. It gives it a deadline. So you're using one deadline for two tasks. So suddenly the decluttering task isn't the thing I should do. It's actually the only thing standing between me and being allowed to do the other thing. And for a lot of us, especially if you're ADHD, that flips the task on its head. You're not motivated by doing it for doing its sake.

you're motivated by escape, like you have got to do this because you've got to get on with the next thing because that's already gonna be under pressure. And so that's why it kind of works. A quick caveat with this though, because it only works under specific conditions. Project B has got to have a deadline that is so immovable it is absolutely fixed and there's got to be a really harsh reason for not doing it because otherwise if you get to the end of...

project A and you don't wanna do project B, then you'll just move it. So it's got to be a deadline that you can't move. And also project A has got to be short enough that you're not going to make yourself panic too much about doing it. It's just got to be the right amount of pressure. So you've got to be aware of the start point and the end point of the first project that you need to do because you need to know roughly how long it's gonna take.

So because you've got that time that's kind of fixed, it means that it's not gonna be a, I'll do it when I get round to it. I should really do this at some point. It needs to be a proper deadline with like actual teeth, real reasons that you are gonna get in trouble if you don't happen, if you don't do it. So something with a real consequence if you miss it. And just as importantly, project B has got to be something you genuinely do not want to do.

Not something fun, not something satisfying, not like a treat task that you're secretly looking forward to. Because if project B is enjoyable in any way, you are just going to do that instead and decluttering is not going to happen. So yeah, it's going to be a reward, but the reward is it's horrible and you're doing it and you're going to get it done before the deadline. So it can't be a nice reward because you'll just skip straight to that point. So all you've done is move the avoidance somewhere else. This only works when both tasks are things you're avoiding.

So it's classed as like two evils. So not one evil and one treat in disguise, but two that are really bad, but one just has got the deadline and one that hasn't. So if project B is like as soft and movable as project A, or if it's secretly something you wanna do anyway, you're just gonna avoid both and then feel really bad about it. And then you've got two unfinished things instead of one. So how do you set it up for yourself? Pick your project B first. What have you got?

already laying around on your list in your email, on any diary that's got a proper external deadline. It might be you're going somewhere at a certain date and time. It might be that you've like dentist or something. It might be something from like government like HMRC stuff like work deadlines, school admin, anything someone else is expecting by a certain date that you've been putting off works really well. Then pick your project A, the decluttering task.

Be really specific with it. This is not our whole house sort out time because no. And this is not a upend, every single cupboard, get everything out, then feel really burnt out, then the whole house is a mess, and then you've got to go and do the other project because the deadline's looming. This is a really clear, I'm gonna do this, and then I'm gonna do this. And it's got to be achievable in a relatively short space of time. It might be something like.

I'm going to rummage through the freezer and get rid of all the random bits of fluff and rogue fish fingers and the random pea. Or it might be the, I need to clear the mold and the gunky bit from the back of the fridge, for example. Or it might be, I don't know, I need to sort out all the different shampoos in the bathroom and give the bathroom a clean. Like, what?

all the things that you put off time after time after time that will be quite short, quite a sharp do and will make you feel better at the end it and be a future you celebration. So set that rule out, write it down somewhere where you'll see it. So no project B until project A is done. Be really like ruthless with yourself because if you try and cheat it, because you will, you're gonna catch yourself only project B just to have a quick look, stop and ask yourself honestly.

Have I actually finished project A or am I just looking for a new way to avoid both? And let's face it, if the worst comes to the worst, you just get project B done sooner. So you've got more time, then you might get a reward. think, actually, I will do that decluttering that I've been putting off. So it kind of works even if it fails. So give this a try this week. If you've got a deadline looming over you, pair it with something on the decluttering list, see what happens and let me know how you get on.

So do come into the Facebook group, let me know if it worked for you. So until next time, remember you're not alone. Be kind to yourself and keep untangling.