Put Off Procrastination

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Boxing Day

Holidays

26 Dec

Former procrastinators, I hope you thoroughly enjoyed Christmas Day! The pressure’s off. Take a break! Maybe crumpled gift wrap, stray bows, and toy parts litter the floor. Maybe the tree is listing a bit to port. Just prop your feet up and watch the kiddos play or start the new book.

Maybe you are one of those women who can’t wait to take the tree down pronto and return the house to “normal.” Whenever you do it, the task looms large. But when the time comes, no delay!

I’ll call it “Boxing Day” – not to be confused with English Boxing Day, December 26 which has another meaning. My “Boxing Day” means corralling the decorations, putting them in their boxes, and returning them to storage.

These tips make returning to “normal” lots easier for me. I can clean up without being wiped out.

  • First, take care of food. Be prepared to meet the need to eat and others’ expectation that they will be fed. Pull out the slow cooker or plan ahead for leftovers.
  • Use color coded boxes. My husband had this idea and started buying one or two plastic storage bins each year. They are red or green with good fitting lids. Since they’re stored among other boxes, it simplifies finding all the Christmas ones. You could do the same thing with a swath or two of red or green duct tape on any box.
  • Box up room by room. I read this hint in a magazine. It has made decorating – and undecorating – MUCH easier, faster, neater. Whatever decorations go in the living room go in boxes labelled “living room.” At decorating time, each room’s box goes right where it’s needed. When I boxed by categories – all the garlands in one box, all the candles – odd items were a hassle. Plus, it took a lot longer to go around the house placing things. This way, the garland that best fits on the mantle is always in a living room box; I don’t have to sort through the whole lot. It’s easier to decorate a room at a time – and easier to pack up. If I want to change things around, I can do that while still having “staples” in their proper room. My husband really likes room-labelled boxes.
  • Label boxes – “Christmas” on all sides especially if you are not color-coded. Label by room if you choose to. I also label key things like ornaments, manger scene.
  • Take pictures of what you’d like to repeat, print them, and box. I’ll reuse this year’s dining room centerpiece idea.
  • Pack seasonal items with decorations – napkins, dish towels, place mats, etc. Avoid giving them valuable shelf space or working around them all year.
  • Host an UNdecorating party. No, I’ve never done this, but it sounds fun! It might work with good friends and advance planning – an UNtrim the Tree Party! Exchange the favor.

What tips do you have for “Boxing Day”?

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4 Comments

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Comments

  1. Missy JOnes says

    December 29, 2016 at 9:08 am

    Great ideas for an easier cleanup and ‘put-up’ next year! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you, Beth!
    xoxoxo

    Reply
  2. Beth Sterne says

    December 30, 2016 at 9:52 am

    Thanks, Missy! Wish I could’ve seen your beautiful holiday house! A friend and I are talking about sharing UNdecorating efforts. Happy New Year to you, too!

    Reply
  3. Linda Willows says

    January 4, 2017 at 3:52 pm

    these are brilliant ideas and I love that you have wrapped everything in God’s word and wisdom! This is a gift to everyone for every season, Thank you! I look forward to reading through the blog for Inspiration!

    Reply
    • Beth Sterne says

      January 5, 2017 at 7:50 am

      Linda, thanks! So happy to have you with us! Happy New Year!

      Reply

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BETH STERNE
Welcome! It's great to have you here. I'm a follower of Christ and a learner of new ways. By His grace, I am gaining victory over procrastination. This is where I share struggles I face and lessons I'm learning. Join me and other sisters as we put off procrastination and put on peace.

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“Beth’s presentation on procrastination was truly eye-opening. I knew I had a problem with procrastination, but never thought twice about how it impacted my relationships and showed God that I wasn’t onboard with His plan. I began to see each instance took away from being fruitful; I was living for myself! After this revelation, I have been working on procrastinating less. I can see places opening up in my life for more peaceful moments, more time with and for friends and family, and more time for God’s plan to unfold. It’s amazing to know there’s more to life for me than a life full of “should haves” as a result of procrastination.”

Carole S.

Beth Sterne - Put Off Procrastination
2018-08-16T14:42:59-04:00

Carole S.

“Beth’s presentation on procrastination was truly eye-opening. I knew I had a problem with procrastination, but never thought twice about how it impacted my relationships and showed God that I wasn’t onboard with His plan. I began to see each instance took away from being fruitful; I was living for myself! After this revelation, I have been working on procrastinating less. I can see places opening up in my life for more peaceful moments, more time with and for friends and family, and more time for God’s plan to unfold. It’s amazing to know there’s more to life for me than a life full of “should haves” as a result of procrastination.”
https://putoffprocrastination.com/testimonials/carole-s/
“After Beth came and shared about procrastination, many realized that it is possible through the Lord's power to stop putting off what God has called us to do. One mother finally started a blog and another posted a ladies; tea for her church months in advance so that ...she would not put off having it. Although I thought I was not someone who procrastinates, I realized I had some relationships that I needed to work on. Procrastination, I learned, is not just about getting things turned in on time, it's about listening to God and doing what He says to do when He tells you to and obeying God's Word.”

Rebecca F.

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2018-08-16T14:43:28-04:00

Rebecca F.

“After Beth came and shared about procrastination, many realized that it is possible through the Lord's power to stop putting off what God has called us to do. One mother finally started a blog and another posted a ladies; tea for her church months in advance so that ...she would not put off having it. Although I thought I was not someone who procrastinates, I realized I had some relationships that I needed to work on. Procrastination, I learned, is not just about getting things turned in on time, it's about listening to God and doing what He says to do when He tells you to and obeying God's Word.”
https://putoffprocrastination.com/testimonials/rebecca-f/
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"I realized [procrastination] ... hindered my relationship with Him."
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“I never saw myself as a procrastinator until her talk – I just thought of myself as productively busy! She helped me to gain new focus on what my priorities really are.”

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2018-08-16T14:41:59-04:00

Christine B.

“I never saw myself as a procrastinator until her talk – I just thought of myself as productively busy! She helped me to gain new focus on what my priorities really are.”
https://putoffprocrastination.com/testimonials/christine-b/
"Beth’s procrastination talk led me to understand procrastination as a heart issue in need of God’s restoration not just a change of my ways. Beth’s personal experiences helped me discover practical ways to attack my own procrastination. As a result I have become a more loving wife, mother and friend who is able to use the gifts God has given me more fully. I highly endorse this talk and would love to hear it again and again."

Julia F.

Beth Sterne - Put Off Procrastination
2018-08-16T14:42:31-04:00

Julia F.

"Beth’s procrastination talk led me to understand procrastination as a heart issue in need of God’s restoration not just a change of my ways. Beth’s personal experiences helped me discover practical ways to attack my own procrastination. As a result I have become a more loving wife, mother and friend who is able to use the gifts God has given me more fully. I highly endorse this talk and would love to hear it again and again."
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Beth Sterne - Put Off Procrastination
Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise! It has
no commander, no overseer or ruler,
yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.
Proverbs 6:6-8
... you have put off the old man with
his deeds, and have put on the new
man who is renewed in knowledge
according to the image of Him who
created him.
Colossians 3:9-10

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