Since dreams require lots of time and energy (on top of your day gig, home, family and social responsibilities) it can be really easy to put off dream work for something a little more relaxing, like watching television, online shopping, reading a magazine, playing a video game, organizing your closet…you name it. Since I struggle with procrastination frequently, I thought I would share a few of my favorite, tired-and-true methods to stop procrastinating and get down to business. Please share your own tips below, and then go do something you’ve been putting off!
1.) Procrastinate after the work. I tell myself I can do my procrastination activity of choice (reading food blogs, watching Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, baking chocolate chip cookies) after I’ve done what I need to do. This way I get the work ticked off my to do list and I get a “reward” for doing it.
2.) Do my “time to work” routine. My signals that it’s time to work? I make hot tea, sit at the kitchen table, turn on Pandora.com, pop my headphones in and get going. The tea and late nineties hits are my signals it’s time to focus, and help my brain switch into work mode.
3.) Get out of the house. Transporting myself to a coffee shop or the library automatically eliminates distractions like the television. Bonus: I can stay disconnected from the wi-fi for maximum concentration. If I need total silence, the library is my free workplace of choice, if I want a little background noise and a caffeine buzz, I head to the local café.
4.) Enlist a friend. If I’m really struggling, I give myself permission to call a friend for a pep talk. Sometimes a little outside motivation is just the boost I need to sit down and focus.
5.) Just start. If I’ve been contemplating a certain project, or if a task has been weighing on me, I drop everything, sit down and do it. I don’t make tea, I don’t change into sweatpants, I don’t paint my nails beforehand. I just sit down and go.
What are your top tricks to stop procrastination?
On the road again!
Last week we visited Mary Baldwin College and Ohio Wesleyan University where we had two awesome shows with lots of great conversations about dealing with procrastination, raising money for a dream and figuring out just what your passion actually is.
Mary Baldwin College put us up for the night in a lovely B&B, The Frederick House. The B&B was family run and operated, and very charming. We kind of wanted to move in there.
You can imagine our excitement the next morning when we saw the menu for breakfast printed on our coffee mugs.
After fortifying ourselves with ham and cheese pie and cheddar sausage strata (and watermelon hearts) we braved the roads for our seven hour drive to Ohio, for a screening at OSU.
On the drive we used Audible.com to listen to D.C. Pierson’s The Boy Who Couldn’t Sleep and Never Had To. The book was really funny and fast-paced, which made the drive fly by (which was good because Chip was driving in rain and snow for about five hours). We both wished that the older brother character was in our back seat, talking in his cheeky British accent.
Ohio Wesleyan University did lots of fun advertising for our screening and we had a great workshop with everyone.
Then, all of my icecream wishes came true when we got to stop at Jeni’s Splendid Icecreams in Columbus after our show. I bought Jeni’s book last summer (and made homemade icecream once….) and I have been waiting for the day when I could eat salty caramel icecream without having to whip out the light corn syrup and heavy cream.
Look how happy and cheerful it is in this place. Perhaps, this explains the lovely employees who offered us free samples and explained about the melding flavors in the Riesling poached pear sorbet?
Yes! When I found out the scoop shop on High Street would still be open after our screening at OSU, I knew it was time to seize my sugary destiny.
This was a three scoop bowl with brown butter almond brittle, brambleberry crisp and salty caramel. I even let Chip have a few bites.
Hands down, best icecream I’ve ever had in my life. And I’ve eaten a lot of icecream. If you’re in Ohio, do not skip out on Jeni’s!!
Last weekend we also got the chance to screen our film for the DelMarVa Roots Film Series in Milton, DE. Guess where the screening was?
The Milton, DE Firehouse!
Don’t worry, we didn’t block any firetrucks with our car.
While we waited for the screening to begin, we contemplated offering a price for this epic flag blanket.
Instead, we spent our pennies on some peanut M&M’s and had fun chatting with Lindsay Bane, the other filmmaker in the series. Lindsay’s short Red Shoes, had some crazy awesome animation and music. You can check out more of her work here.
And, super exciting, we also got a chance to see the first layout of our book this week!!!! It’s crazy to see everything start to come together!!
The Dream Share Project is back in action, coming to a college campus near you!
We kicked off our spring tour at University of Mary Washington last Tuesday:
What a great start to the tour! Oh, did we mention we got awesome neon T-shirts?
Chip loves them.
We made some neon drawstring and canvas bags too- SUPPORT DREAMS!
We’ll be selling the T-shirts and bags at our shows – word on the street is we have some water bottles too…
On Wednesday we headed over to George Mason University for a screening and workshop hosted by the Center for Consciousness and Transformation (and Career Services and the Center for Social Entrepreneurship).
Professor Todd Kashdan, an expert on positive psychology, (and he’s featured in our film) introduced us!
We were so honored he came out to the film – thanks again Todd!
The Center for Consciousness and Transformation also recently screened the movie Happy, directed by Roko Belic, another member of the Creative Visions Foundation.
On Thursday we took a trip to Bridgewater College where we had a great turnout and lots of fun during a Q&A session.
This coming week we will be at:
Can’t wait to meet everyone there!
In the past two weeks we’ve visited New York, Connecticut, Vermont and Massachusetts. Lots of awesome screenings, lots of long drives and millions of red and orange leaves everywhere. (I realize this picture has no red leaves, but it’s hard to take pics while driving…so use your imagination!)
In Connecticut we visited Sacred Heart University, Fairfield University, University of New Haven:
The University of New Haven has an awesome forensic science program and building. We we were scared by the police sirens and fake blood splatters.
After our time in Connecticut we headed back to New York, where we stayed in Woodstock for the weekend. We got to see lots of tye-dye and hippies.
Then, after our weekend in Woodstock and a screening at Syracuse University, we drove out to Massachusetts. We had some great turnout at UMASS Dartmouth:
and Newbury College:
And this past weekend we spent in Massachusetts and Vermont checking out some local attractions like The Publick House for mac and cheese:
a overflowing used book store in Hadley, Mass – Books, Books and More Books:
and the Yankee Candle Village empire, aka the smelliest place on earth:
the Bavarian village:
trying to reach a new market:
Chip was super excited about that scent.
This week we’ll be visiting:
This week we crisscrossed from New York to Vermont. We visited Saint Bonaventure University and had an awesome turnout.
Chip checking out SBU sweet chalking:
Then on Tuesday we visited Hamilton College where we had a great workshop.
On Wednesday we had an awesome screening and workshop at The College of Saint Rose.
And, oh heyyy, the school newspaper wrote about us before the event!
And on Thursday we visited Saint Michael’s College which wins the award for greenest school we’ve seen so far. They don’t use any bottled water on campus, so Chip and I got to drink from fancy goblets during our Q&A.
Then, on Friday we visited The Magic Hat Brewery and did a self-guided tour.
The discontinued seasonal beers graveyard:
Chip agrees:
and smelling HOPS!
The cascade hops are for #9 beer. Chip was entranced.
After our tour, we ate some Vermont cheese:
Wow. I wish I was back eating that cheese plate right now.
After our fun day of touring and eating cheese we stayed at the beautiful Button Bay State Park.
This week we are visiting:
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