Stop Procrastinating and Start Prioritizing

How Prioritization & Trello Can Help You Accomplish Your Goals

Life is filled with many things we don’t want to do, but we do them anyways.
Studying for a test, putting together a presentation, public speaking, making important decisions; these are all things that require preparation and have consequences if not done well.  They are also things I tend to procrastinate.

When I was in fifth grade, my dad gave me the advice to study a little bit every day, so I wouldn’t have to stress and cram before a test.  No matter HOW HARD I TRIED over the years, I couldn’t get myself to do this. 20 years later, I still think about this advice.  It sounded simple, but with a due date so far in the future, I always waited until the last minute.

When I couldn’t procrastinate any longer, my brain would go into hyper-focused mode and I would always get things done. I wasted a lot of time overthinking and stressing, rather than actually doing.  For the majority of my life, I assumed I operated “better under pressure” and identified myself as a procrastinator.  Something about that didn’t feel right, because I am also a planner and list-maker.

A few months ago, I started thinking about this topic, in-depth.  I started reading articles and listening to podcasts and audio books, and quickly noticed a trend: procrastination often goes hand-in-hand with perfectionism.  MIND. BLOWN. Maybe you already knew this, but for me, it was like a lightbulb went off in my head.  The things I had been procrastinating my ENTIRE LIFE had negative consequences if they weren’t done well, and therefore, I was putting off doing them because I subconsciously knew the amount of time and energy I would have to put into them to gain a PERFECT result.  I would overthink, over-prepare by making lists and planning out a schedule, and would attempt to line everything up “just right” before actually starting - but what I was actually doing was procrastinating.  By the time I needed to take action, there was no TIME to overthink, I just had to DO.

A few weeks ago, I listened to an audiobook called “Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time” by Brian Tracy.  I highly recommend reading this book if you can relate to being a procrastinator, as this book has completely changed my mindset and the way I operate!
​He recommends beginning your day with your most important, biggest, hardest task first, as those are the ones we tend to procrastinate.  

If you complete that task, not only does it feel good when your biggest task is done for the day, but you will gain more momentum to get the rest of your tasks and goals accomplished!

I’m sure you’ve heard that “a goal without a plan is just a wish.” Thank you Antoine de Saint-Exupéry for this wonderfully accurate quote!

Having a plan will give you peace of mind, a sense of structure and stability, and direction, even during uncertain times like the present.

Since my job as a professional organizer is primarily done working inside clients’ homes, I have had to make a massive pivot in what I’m focusing on and where I spend my time.
Over the past year, Trello has been the single best tool I’ve found to help me manage that.  It completely has replaced my paper planner, random to-do lists and functions alongside the calendar on my phone!

Trello is an excellent tool for business owners, but is also an amazing tool for managing your LIFE, even if you’re not!

I operate off of several Trello boards, but have one board in particular that I call my Life-Management Board.  On this board, I include every task relating to my personal and work life that I need to accomplish so I can see it all in one place.
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You can add due dates, checklists, notes, links, and pictures to your boards, prioritize and categorize them as needed, and keep track of everything from your computer or phone.

I have also used Trello to plan trips, study, organize social media content, create shopping lists, to-do lists, and manage projects. Overall, I use it to maintain structure in my days to make sure I’m accomplishing everything I need to.

I want to provide a few basic Trello functions to get you started, because over the past year it has become the most essential tool that I use to keep my life organized (and as a bonus, it's FREE!)

Once you create an account you will:

1. Create your first “board”
2. Create your first “list”
3. Add “cards” to your lists
4. Enhance your cards

• ​Color Code & Categorize with Labels
• Add images and attachments
• Add a description and include important notes
• Make checklists and track progress
• Add due dates

I created a life management board template HERE that you can save to your own account to get you off to a good start.

To save this template so you can use it, select the button at the top that says “Create Board from Template,” select your settings, and Create.

Once you’ve done those steps, the template is ready for you to use!

My hope is that this wonderful tool can help you the same way it helped me.  With all of my “thoughts, tasks, and reminders” living in one place, I spend significantly less time wondering what I have to do, searching for lists, and second guessing due dates.  The drag and drop feature helps me adjust my priorities into a timeline so I can time-block and move my “frogs”  earlier in the day, serving as a reminder for me to get those done FIRST.

If you use Trello, I'd love to hear about how you like to use it, too!