I had big plans before the New Year. I created a “20 in 2020” list, put together a brief Winter Snowbird Action Plan, started my new tracking lists (new things, books read, daily gratitude), and printed out my Release Workbook. I was ready to tackle our second snowbird season and really work on my Release self-development. And then we started The Move.
Our life plan shifted significantly this past fall. Instead of thinking about moving to Florida full-time “someday”, we found our perfect house in October. Someday came much sooner than expected. I’m taking the move in small steps with the first steps being: renovate what we need to renovate, get the garage built (for hubby’s toys), move over from our current Florida Beach Cottage, and sell that cottage. We started the move from the cottage the day after we came down for our second snowbird season, while the garage is under construction.
On the positive side, we woke up on New Year’s Day in our new home. We watched the sunrise over the water (inter-coastal bay) – New Year, new decade, new home. That felt amazing.
On the not so positive side, the house to-do list expanded exponentially as we moved over. While the list has only 35 items on it (of course I have a list!), some of the to-dos took days to accomplish. Many were physically demanding. I’ve lost track of the number of Home Depot runs, subcontractors engaged, and Amazon orders made.
Even when I took some needed downtime to allow for the body to recover, I’ve not looked at my Release Workbook at all. I was adamant to myself that I would do it this snowbird season! Winter, even in Florida, has cooler temps and is great for hunkering down for this type of work. Why have I not done what I intended to? Is it procrastination? Why can I not get started on it?
I need to reenergize myself.
I reviewed my “20 for 2020” and am happy to note I’ve done a few things on that list, even if I’ve not looked at the Release Workbook. I am doing Daily Gratitude as part of my morning journaling and finding it very up-lifting. Surprisingly, given the physical exhaustion I’ve often had the past 3 weeks, I’ve watched a number of sunrises. (My 20 for 2020 called out sunsets, but I’m thinking sunrises work too!) I did a Feng Shui review of our new home and am planning a few design décor mitigations. And I went to a jewelry-making event at a local wine shop, by myself. It was a bit of an artist date and a bit of wanting to boost my creativity. I made a pair of earrings with orange beads – the color I wanted to bring into my life more! OK, not as bad as I expected, given the time consuming move-in to-do lists.
So, as January comes to a close, I am committing to myself: As I shift from moving-mode to living-mode, I WILL pull out my Release Workbook and do the work. I will no longer procrastinate. I am putting it out here for accountability!
How do you stop procrastinating?
Picture Credit: Me – One of those sunrises over our new water view.
retirementtransition 
I suffer BIG TIME from this habit. I’m up at 04:30, Wim Hof Method stretching and breathing, exercise, cold shower…but then…ADMIN – PAPERWORK – WRITING!!! DELAY – DELAY- DELAY!!! Been the same since school, through uni and now in work. Hope there’s a follow up to this…I’ll definitely be writing on my struggles!! Great post!
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Hi Ralph. Sorry, I din’t really do a follow-up post. I did read recently about a method that’s 4 steps 1) get specific on the goal/task 2) thing about the why – how achieving/finishing that goal/task will make you feel, 3) think about all the obstacles in your way stopping you from doing the goal/task and 4) plan some if/then actions for those obstacles. I personally do think about my obstacles/barriers and try & create things to overcome them – establishing accountability is a big one for me. Tracking works for me as well. Good luck with your procrastination barrier busting.
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Loved this post. I hope you are enjoying your new place. For me how I try to combat procrastination is by just starting somewhere. I am very similar to you, I always have a list of things to do and sometimes I can look at list and get discouraged especially if I have not started anything as yet….so I try to do one thing on the list, even if it is something minor, it can help propel you to continue ticking things off that list.
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I agree… starting something minor definitely helps me feel positive about my to do list also. Unfortunately, this isolation has put many of the to-do things for the move on a slow-burner. Selling a house when everyone is stay-at-home is an issue! I’ve put timing out of my mind and am focusing more on just being in the moment… and doing some old to-do items on my list! Thanks for joining in the conversation.
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Hi Pat,
I disagree that this is procrastination. Moving is one of the biggest life stressors there is …give yourself a break! I hope you post pics of the new place – and NEW GARAGE when you are settled. It sounds fabulous to wake up with that view over the water. Putter is good! Don’t beat yourself up about not getting to all those tasks you have set up for yourself (I do this myself, so I can speak from experience). You will get to it in good time…
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Nancy, It’s been nice to hear from my blogging buddies to “not beat up” on myself…. which I do have a tendency to do.
I’m taking pictures of the garage as it goes up…. it’s a very basic design and just cinder block walls right now. I don’t think it’s going to look like nice until we have it landscaped…which could take a year. Combination of cash flow and time of year to best plant. But hubby will be happy with the space… basically a big toy shed!
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Hi Pat, sorry to be arriving late to the party. WP is wreaking havoc with my inbox lately and I am not receiving email notifications from your blog and several others I follow. Anyway, welcome to Florida. No more snow-birding for you! I love your view. Obviously West coast, may I ask where, or are you saving that for a reveal post later on? Re procrastination; it’s a seasonal thing for me. I am high energy in Spring and again in Fall through the holidays, but winter has a lot of gray days and summer is HOT, so I have very little motivation to take on new projects.
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We are near St Petersburg… on an island looking out on the bay. We are still snowbirds this year as we have to settle it all up north, but this is the house we will be moving into for full-time living. Interesting your seasonal energy. Up north, it’s gray all winter which often made me start projects! I’m quite curious how I will deal with seasons down here.
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Hi Pat, I have a dear friend who lives nearby in Clearwater. It’s beautiful over there. Your first couple of summers will be rough, but your body will adjust to the heat. Just work at it and stay hydrated. Welcome!
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It will be interesting. From my understanding the seasons in southern Florida are…spring, summer, hotter than hell, summer.😁 We are loving snowbirding in Naples this winter.👍
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LOL. I love the “hotter than hell” season name. One of the things about where we are, I’m literally 10 steps to the water. I’m thinking it’s time to find some nice floats this summer!
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You have a lot going on Pat and procrastination isn’t really what I’d call it but rather doing what needs to be done! I am impressed with your list making and wish you well. #mlstl
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Deb, I love my lists! Hubby even put up a white board to keep track of to-do’s. Luckily it’s getting to be a shorter and shorter list.
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I agree with Leanne as I don’t think you are procrastinating but rather life has taken over for the moment. Last year I learned that I just couldn’t juggle as many balls as I used to and so I decided this year to let go of what isn’t a priority and work on what is. We are currently renovating our apartment so I can appreciate your long ‘to do’ list. It is amazing how the list grows isn’t it? Enjoy your new home, take the pressure off and maybe just try to add one thing from your plan each day or each week. You won’t get overwhelmed and you will be moving forward. Thanks for sharing at #MLSTL. x
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Sue, Yes, the move & settling in showed us many things that needed to be done. I’ve got a short term list and a long term list! And I’m trying to be a little kinder to myself if everything is not getting done. I’m trying to enjoy the space as well as do the to-do’s!
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I think that is the key, Pat – enjoying the space as well as the ‘to-do’s’. Days can fly by and I make a point every morning of just standing on my balcony and looking at the ocean before my day starts. Enjoy your new home xx
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I wouldn’t call that procrastination Pat – I call it prioritizing. You had work that needed to be done and it was full on! Self-care and being kind to ourselves means that we can put some things on the back burner for a while if other projects are using all our energy. I think you did exactly that and you still have 11 months of the year left for your Release and 20/20 stuff.
Sit back, chill out and enjoy that amazing view and enjoy the fruits of all your labouring – you’re kicking goals everywhere and you should be high fiving yourself and not even using the word procrastinate! xx
Thanks for linking up with us at MLSTL and I’ve shared on my SM 😊
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Leanne, I so needed that pep talk! I know I can be hard on myself, and it’s helpful when others just tell me like it is. Oh, I did pick up my Release Workbook today…. I think because I put it out there for accountability! Another benefit of this blog-o-sphere.
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Whoa…what a view!! You lucky duck you! And life happens despite our best plans. Just go with the flow of this “season” and don’t beat yourself up over it. Your “season” of your 20 things and Release Workbook will come. Congrats on the move!
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I’m saying Whoa every morning… and many afternoons as I sit on the patio and watch the water. I never thought that we’d do this…it still feels a bit surreal. I yes, I need to believe it will happen when it’s meant to…thanks for the reminder.
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Procrastination doesn’t bother me. I have accomplished all I need to in this life. I will go happily to my grave even if I don’t master a second language, still weigh 15 lbs more than I should, don’t finish knitting the 10 knitting already packaged into project bags, etc. After nearly 8 years of retirement, I am still happily drifting through it. That said, I do use “to do lists” to get even the basics of “go to post office” done.😁
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Oh, it’s good to know others put the basics on to-do lists! Yesterday had “clean the toilets” on the list! Hah. If I didn’t have it on the list, another day would have passed with me going “gross” when I went in there. OK, not that bad, but nice to know getting the basics on the list is not just me.
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I am glad to read your commonsense take on being almost old.
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Moving ranks pretty high on the stress meter as does renovating and selling another place. I’m quite certain that what you’ve had on your plate is enough. You’ve still managed a significant amount of other items. I think once you get both places dealt with things will fall into place.
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I keep telling myself everything will get done when it needs to get done…. but then I ignore that and beat myself up for not doing it all, right now. Hah. Even today, I’m not doing the Workbook, finding other things to putter on instead. Hmm. I wonder if there is something else causing the procrastination!
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I can definitely be a procrastinator. I think it’s my desire for perfection which keeps me from starting. If I don’t start, I can’t fail, right? I sometimes feel I excel at planning but fail at execution. But then I can also be hard on myself. I say, don’t worry about it. You’ll do what needs to be done and be just fine. Relax and enjoy the sunrises and sunsets!!
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I am also hard on myself. Why do we do that to ourselves? But I am enjoying quite a few sunrises…. and I’ve never been a big morning person. But this view continues to amaze me.
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I hear you re: procrastination! I’ve started making a daily to-do list (as I did when I was working) in my little journal/diary/planner. It’s helping keep me on track, which I need as I have a tendency to putter and flit around in these early days of retirement. 🤣
Love the photo. I try to partake of as many sunrises/sunsets as are still allotted to me!
Deb
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Ahh, the joys of puttering! I’m doing a daily to-do list as well…in my not-quite-a-bullet daily diary. But the Release Workbook stuff seems to just moved from day to day. Even this week! Ack. But I do get satisfaction in checking-off things… as I putter.
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