Put Off Procrastination

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Pushed Out of the Plane

Goals & Priorities

12 Apr

Former procrastinators, maybe you’ve done this yourself, (Please tell me!) but my “experience” comes from watching movies. You’ve seen guys suited up to parachute from an airplane, each jumping when it’s his turn. Then somebody balks. That’s when somebody else pushes him out the open door and he is forced into what he feared. I just got pushed out of the plane.

When we recently cleared overflow office materials out of the workroom, I was compelled/inspired to tackle the eight boxes of photos I brought home from my parents’ house when we cleaned it out four years ago. Yep, four.

I wasn’t sad; I was scared – overwhelmed by the prospect of figuring out what to do with the pictures and doing it. But last week I jumped. It was “Go there!”

First, I asked the Lord to show me what to aim for and how to organize a process for handling. Goals: 1) Reclaim space 2) Make one album each for my two brothers and myself. That limits the number of pictures I can keep.

I made a file, dividing it into sections according to what I’d begun to find: Before Marriage, Immediate Family, Friends, Extended Family, Family History, etc. I also made a small “Look at and Toss” portion for pictures not making the album cut but fun to share briefly.

I handled only a chunk of photos at a time to keep it manageable. I discarded everything possible, then filed remaining pictures for easier handling later. I’m not able to make the albums at this time. However, paring the eight boxes down to one file and one stack of oversized items gives us 1) much clear space in the workroom now (Hallelujah!) and 2) sets me up for making the albums when I can prioritize them.

When one box was empty, I was driven to the next. I’ve had a laughing good time with memories and progress. I’m learning “elimination criteria” – and hitting some snags.

Eliminating excess is critical. I am committed to just 3 albums. If a picture is the only record of something important, I’ll keep it. Otherwise, I’m learning to discard unnecessary duplicates, pictures that are blurry, have unknown people or people that are too far away, are not good memories, are nearly the same as another (pick one).

Of course there are many very old pictures in this collection. In addition to the above criteria I have found many photos too tiny to keep or I cannot remove the heavy backing.

Any album-making ladies out there? Do you know how to flatten pictures that have curled – without cracking them? Do you have suggestions on how to find elderly relatives whose names I don’t know who might want beautiful pictures that belong in their part of the family?

What photo or other project do you hesitate to jump into? Go! Ask the Lord to show you what your goal should be and how to take the first steps.

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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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“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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“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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"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."
https://putoffprocrastination.com/testimonials/julia-f/
“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.

Beth Sterne - Put Off Procrastination
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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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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