Have you ever avoided something or someone for a period of time, just hoping the issue, clutter, or person would go away? And, of course, it does – eventually…
In fact, by attending to the issue (that we finally acknowledge won’t “JUST go away”) we find out that it can be done and off the table in a set period of time. Think …homework, taxes, dusting, thank you notes, exams, oil change, Christmas shopping, etc.
I sat at my table this yesterday morning and took care of 3 huge tasks before 7:30 am. What a relief!
When I finished, I grabbed my taxes and put them on the table to tackle next.
For months, when I looked up at the ceiling fan, I focused on the rim of dirt that looked back at me with a smirk, yes, you heard me right… a smirk.
IN the afternoon, when the weather reached 69 degrees, I decided to water some trees (LONG overdue), wash some windows, mop the floor and yes, clean 2 ceiling fans. It took me less than 20 minutes to do something that was ‘hanging over my head’ for months.
Today I tackle the taxes. My comfort zone is resisting with everything in me to NOT attend to this assignment. I will dust, vacuum and iron clothes instead of gather my documents, numbers and items for this task. We all know that once I turn my attention to the task it will be done in a short amount of time. In the meantime, my house gets cleaned from top to bottom as a way to NOT do taxes. Ugh.
NO Comfort Zone Challenge this week: Taxes.
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A warm welcome to January to December who accepted the NO Comfort Zone 2012 Weekly Challenge!
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- My Comfort Zone
Happily ... after retirement 
My current no comfort task is to sort out the car file! It needs updating since the beginning of the year. Mileages, fuel purchases, all sorts to enter – and I hate it. I’m off to do it NOW.
I may be some time….. 😉
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I used to work with a professor who said her oven was always cleanest when she need to write an article for a journal because she hated doing that. I often used this example in my classes to explain how we keep one side of our brain busy to free up the other side. Just what you’re doing – you’ll get your taxes done and in a short period of time. Did mine on Saturday sitting in the sunroom. A necessary evil!
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LOL! Thank you for reminding me… and I would rather clean house, shovel snow, just about anything to avoid the taxes. At least you will have a clean house AND the taxes done. Good job! My NOCZ this week is raising $1000 to keep my truck from being repossessed and my internet on!
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So very true! And I hope someday to make myself ACT on it routinely.
Meanwhile – I’m not going to make a full blog post out of this because I really can’t go into details. But I spent most of Friday out of my comfort zone helping to interview candidates for a part-time secretarial job. I’ve been on the other end of the job interview dance many times, but being one of the people who has to make the decision is scary. You feel for the applicants, you know they all need the job, you know your organization can’t afford to hire them all and can’t afford to put money and time into someone who can’t do the work. It’s an unnerving amount of responsibility.
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Gretchen Rubin had a post on this recently. The biggest way to stop procrastination is to just do nothing. Don’t check E-mail, don’t clean the house, do nothing. Either get done what you’re putting off or be still, but don’t avoid.
I’m envious of everything you got done, although I’m having a good day of getting stuff done. Just not enough as always.
Nancy
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Hi,
I have learned it just doesn’t pay to put things on hold, just get in and get it done, and like you said it is amazing how quickly things can be done once we set our mind to the task at hand.
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I know what you mean about the car … it becomes a junk box on wheels! I hope you did the deed and everyone is smiling now!!
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I remember doing ANYTHING except writing a paper or studying for a test … and the end result was my house got cleaners and I eventually did the expected work! And I even passed…
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And now we’re at the end of the day and I’ve done all my prep work, located my forms, documents and other receipts! The rest is cake …
Keep me posted on how your fundraising goes!
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Ha, I’ve the one sitting at the table, dressed up and expounding on why in the world you should pick me. That will be coming up in the next few weeks so I’ll let you know how it goes. I already know I’ll soar if I’m chosen and I’ll soar if I’m not!
Good luck to you!
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Ok, I already love Gretchen for telling me to do nothing! I can do that… sort of! Well, ok, maybe it would be difficult – but I could try!
I did achieve quite a bit today but still have some clocks that didn’t get changed yet … maybe tomorrow?!
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This evening at 5 pm I decided to set my timer for 15 minutes as a way to get me started. I finished about 8:30 pm with a look of awe that I stayed focused for so long!
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OKAY!! I got myself to do something I’ve wanted to do and planned to do and failed to do for months, and I think this post helped nudge me into taking action. Baby steps, baby steps.
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