You’re sitting in your house when evening sets in, along with the familiar feeling of guilt. 
Another day has passed that you have managed to “waste” accomplishing nothing relevant to your goals. Sound familiar? You are not alone. Avoidance is easy. Working on your problems, projects, and issues is not. There are countless ways to be busy without really getting anything done. We spend hours online reading, searching, chatting, and playing games. We fiddle with things in our homes that we try to convince ourselves are worth the time and effort, though they really have little effect on our lives. We go to the store to pick up that one item we need, and come back four hours later just to escape the chaos for a little while. It’s easy to procrastinate; but it is also depressing, isolating, self-deprecating, and wearing.
The New Year is always filled with articles, shows, blog posts, and such encouraging everyone to make and keep resolutions. Each is filled with advice on persistence and technique. The most important of all is that any changes you want to see through to fruition must be executed by putting yourself first. If you go into any major life alteration for someone other than yourself, resentment and anger may follow. If you are not 100% ready, your chances for success are limited.
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Start by writing down a list of all the positive outcomes that will directly affect you should you realize your goals.
The only difference between a dream and reality is a plan. You cannot expect to reach a destination without a map and a means to get there. Break down your goal into smaller “mini-goals” and continue to do so until you have manageable steps. Then, make a plan to accomplish each one. For example:
Clean house. (BIG GOAL! WAY too broad!)
Clean bathroom. (Next step, break it down by specific rooms or tasks.)
Remove clutter. (Continue to add more defined tasks to reach your mini-goal.)
Declutter medicine cabinet on Monday. (Assign clear, attainable, time-based objectives.)
Declutter vanity on Tuesday.
Declutter linen closet on Saturday and Sunday.
Sanitize
Wipe down walls on Monday.
Scrub toilet on Tuesday.
Scrub sink and vanity on Wednesday.
Wash fixtures and accessories on Thursday.
Pre-treat tub and shower on Friday night.
Scrub tub and shower on Saturday.
Wash floor on Sunday.
Maintain.
Spray down sink and toilet each night.
Spray shower after use and squeegee.
Wash floor with sponge mop after shower on Friday.
Get the picture? If you take this approach over the next year, you can and will be successful. If you give yourself smaller, more realistic goals you set yourself up to achieve them rather than to constantly fail. By forcing yourself to do ONE SMALL TASK each day toward your goal, you will find that your spirits improve and your motivation increases. There is nothing you cannot do with the right tools and knowledge. Need some help breaking it down? Give me a call, email, message or post! I am here to help!
NJDespres Enterprises™ 
Hi NJDespres,
I think once someone starts organizing his/her time, then s/he’ll be able to really enjoy the time off, because s/he’ll feel that they deserved it.
The thing is if you fall short behind your goals or targets for the day, don’t try to make up the next day, otherwise, you will always be stuck with the “clutter” that you described.
PM Hut: Thanks for stopping in and commenting. You are right. If you miss a day, the important thing is to pick up the next day, without guilt, with that day’s goal. If you keep the daily tasks manageable, it helps you to not feel overwhelmed by them. A common mistake when taking on new projects is to overestimate your time and abilities. If you give yourself an assignment that requires hours per day, you are less likely to be able to keep up that pace. Likewise, everything takes longer than we initially anticipated. If you give yourself less time consuming goals each day, you are more likely to stick to it, and may find that you have the energy to do more than you had originally planned. Accomplishment feels good!
All my best-
Nicole