Winter Blues, Where?
It’s finally snowing like the fluffy crisp snow that you’re supposed to see on Christmas morning, but you know global warming has made January the ultimate snowy month. It’s a beautiful Sunday morning and all I can think about is going outside to play in the snow, and I’m a full-grown adult. Something in me makes me want to call my sister and my friends to say, “hey, let’s slide down the hill or do something in this weather”. And I can do that, that’s not the issue, but for some reason what’s looming in the back of my head is my long list of to-do’s.
Since the fall I’ve been planning to declutter my apartment but for some reason I keep putting it on the back burner and on a chill day like today all of a sudden the gears in the back of my head are moving to chip away at something I was supposed to do months ago. Why is that? I want to go outside and play in the snow, but I have responsibilities, and I’m mad that I have not completed those tasks prior to now. So being the responsible adult that I am, I’m going to do some of these tasks and share how I make that possible.
The Problem
Why does it take a beautiful winter day for me to really buckle down on these tasks? For one reason it’s technically a snow day, so I feel excited to stay in the house and just chill, that’s what I did as a kid anyway. The cold winters allowed us to actually enjoy being cozy at home, and I’m tired of looking at this stuff some things I haven’t even touched in two to three years that’s why I want to get rid of it, but I will say something that has been holding me back is a cohesive plan, setting time to actually do the things, and a solution for what I do with those items once I have removed them. So I want to share with you a few things that are keeping me joyful about watching the snow instead of impulsively going outside to indulge.
The Approach
When I have to clean my mind immediately goes to cleaning every nook and cranny and crevice in one day, but I know that that is not possible. As much as I would love to do it all in one day, I know I’ll burn out, so it’s important to set limits also known as checkpoints for deep work and reward. This is how I do it.
Align your mindset:
- Before you can clean or organize anything you have to see the end goal. Write down a purpose for decluttering your place. For example: Minimize the amount of items I am responsible for and donate unused items to someone who needs it more. I no longer feel beholden to things I don’t use and want to have. Just like the seasons, things are transient and if I no longer use it why keep it.
- Also if you’re not fueled by the positive, be fueled by the negative, haha. If you feel disgusted at yourself, currently tap into your future through self-talk or meditation. It can be as simple as writing a letter to your future self about your current situation and writing back to your current self as your future self. To achieve this successfully, it requires little to no distraction. Try this in the morning or right before bed.
Create an approach:
- This is my favorite part. It’s almost like coaching or guiding yourself to the goal. The coach does it in sports, talent managers do it for entertainers, directors do it for movies and plays, and corporate officers do it for their staff. I’ve come to the realization that success of any kind requires strategy. Seneca said something like, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”. Luck comes to those who are ready for it.
- An approach can be something as simple as creating a calendar event with the room and corner you plan on working in. For instance, I’ve been chipping away at documents I need to shred so I will be separating the papers in my desk drawer into two categories shred and recycle. I have a “to be shredded bag” and a “to be recycled bag”. Once they go in each pile, I remove the recycled items the next day before the recycle truck comes, and I set up an appointment for the shredder.
- Writing this plan out made it much easier to picture and execute, this also goes back to the mindset part, if you play it in your head there is less resistance to it. Write the plan down as a list of to-do, calendar events, plaster a sticky note. Be as creative or as simple as you please.
The actual work:
Now this is the part where people falter. It’s ok we all do. What do people call it procrastination, delay, you know the part where you know what to do, but instead you choose to get on TikTok or watch a new movie everyone is talking about, or better yet find a way to play in the snow like me. It’s cool we all do it. We’re human! Sometimes you’ll look at the plan in writing and can still feel overwhelmed even though you know you are capable of doing it. So here is how to actually get the job done.
- 5-Minute Limit: Chip away at it in small sections of 5 minutes. This has helped me feel achieved even though I only spent 5 minutes on it. I give it attention and have an idea of what to do the next time I work on it. It removes the overwhelm, I feel accomplished, and I don’t feel like I spent all day doing the task.
- Timed Reward: Sometimes I’ll mop, or vacuum while a quiche or pizza is baking in the oven. The feeling of a reward at the end of a task is probably my favorite way to do chores. It’s exciting and somewhat relaxing, gives homemaker vibes. If you don’t cook, do this with food delivery or before getting ready for a night out on the town. The reward feels even more delicious.
- Make it fun: If you’re in the ambitious category and feel fulfilled getting it all done in one go, connect with something enjoyable. Listen to a new album, for me it’s the new Bad Bunny joint, highly recommended. Watch your favorite YouTuber, longer content on Youtube allows me to plant myself into a groove. Sometimes you just need something steady to keep the momentum going.
- For the deep focus folks: For tasks outside of chores or errands that require brain power like blogging, homework, studying, or creative work, video content may be more of a hindrance than a help. If you really don’t have the motivation to do it, but you know it needs to be done. Create an environment where everything around you leads to success for instance: studying at a library; coworking with others; drinking your favorite brand of coffee. Set time limits so you don’t get lost in the sauce and incorporate little joys to get you through. This allows you to easily structure your day for everything you want to accomplish but allows you to find and anchor into your creative work flow.
Allow that allotted time to lull you into a flow of curiosity, fun, and building knowledge of the task at hand. When you do something once, overtime it gets easier and easier until it becomes second nature. Think of the baker who knows all of their recipes off the top of their head, or the dancer who remembers choreography from 10 years ago. It’s not magic, but a mindset shift for a more refined you.