One of the concepts I talk about in my workshop forums (especially the Paper Clutter workshop) is the concept of moving projects forward. This is a tip I picked up from Mark Forster’s book Do It Tomorrow, and I find it to be extremely powerful, especially on Monday mornings.
My take on the concept of moving things forward is this. When you encounter a task (or project) on your to-do list that you resist doing, just decide to move it forward. Instead of feeling as if you need to do the whole task, simply do one step that will move the project forward. I do this on Monday mornings quite regularly. I use a weekly calendar, and on Monday mornings I carry over projects that are still in process from the week before. (Wouldn’t it be great if all projects were just a week long, and every week we could start on something new, and finish it by Friday?) Maybe that would be nice, but then again, maybe not. Some projects are fun and it’s nice to have them hanging around for weeks at a time. Others, it’d be nice if they could be wrapped up in about ten minute’s time. Regardless…there are simply things that we have to carry forward from week to week.
Do you find this, too—left over projects from last week that you need to carry over to this week? If so, instead of simply copying the tasks from one week to the next, make an attempt to move forward some of the lingering projects, especially those that didn’t see much forward momentum last week. Projects get done one step at a time. So today, see how many projects you can move forward, and see how this helps your momentum all week long.
Before I wrap for Monday, how about a quick weekend check-in? My weekend was much more about moving things forward than it was about finishing. Our quilt arrived for the master bedroom makeover (hooray!) so this weekend I picked up paint and fabric swatches. I’m hoping that next Monday I will be reporting the finish of a bedroom painting project…oh that would be so very exciting!
Because I wanted to keep the spirit of Finish it Friday alive, I did finish up the laundry last night. It’s always a great to start the week with laundry all caught up…even if it does only last for five minutes. 😉
So, let me know. What do you think of this idea of moving things forward? And what did you finish this weekend? I’d love to hear!
Happy Monday!
I did lots of ‘move it forward this past week. Purging of my closet, two trips to goodwill, cleaned out the garage. I cleaned out my car, vacuum, windows, etc.
For the move it forward, I did a little of that too. I’ve been wroking on an accordian, portable file to keep our important family info (birth certificates, ss cards, copies of credit cards). I’ve been dreading it for weeks. This weekend I put the docs into. That was my move forward. Next step is to do labels for the tabs. Then, I need to burn a CD of all photocopies and put that in too.
Anyway, I like the move it forward concept. I’ll keep that in mind as I procrastinate things I don’t enjoy doing. Good tip Aby!!
Hi Aby,
Well it was a crazy weekend with a 50th anniversary and bridal shower. Didn’t get as much done as usually. I was happy to get the bills done. My hubby did the wash for me so that is out of the way. He painted the dining room. We’re doing one room at a time and it’s getting there and shaping up. I need to start on my closet and get that done next.
I like the move it forward and I break down things in small chunks of time when I do a project. I enjoy your blog and all the tips. Thanks so much!
I reorganized/decluttered my kids’ playroom, I organized my stamps, and reorganized/decluttered my bonus room closet. I was very excited to cross those things off my to-do list but have much more organizing to do to!! Felt very accomplished after doing those things!
This was the garage sale weekend. We did not make a ton of money, but the payoff was that very little came back into the house. It felt like a really big purge! That finished up the declutter workshop I took because all of the unneeded items are out of the house, gone, not coming back! On Sunday I did some yard work in preparation for that season which is not very warm. I do not expect to finish that in one day so little chunks still feel like accomplishments.
I am trying to understand the move it forward concept. It almost sounds like procrastination.
Hi, Barb,
Let me clarify the move it forward concept a bit more, because in many respects it is a technique to help combat procrastination. What you’re doing with your yard work is moving it forward. Instead of waiting until you could do *all* of the yard work in one sitting (or putting it off until you felt you could do all of it), you’re moving it forward in small chunks of time.
Aby
Daer Aby, thank you so much for the moving it forward and finish it concepts, I have gotten so much closer to getting my office/craft room setup all thanks to this, This weekend, my project was getting a system that will work to house all the alphabets I have.
I think I finally have found something that will work!
Thanks!
BRenda