This weekend I finally started painting a dresser that I’ve had for almost 15 years as a “project piece”.

The back story on the dresser: it was in my mom’s childhood bedroom and upon the passing of my grandparents, the dresser was among the things being divided to the surviving family members. I wasn’t there when all this was going down in a tiny town in Iowa (apparently there was a lot of drama, I’m glad I wasn’t there), but I had mentioned wanting furniture, if at all possible this specific dresser.

I ended up with the dresser, a quilt made from leftover fabrics from all my mom and aunt’s old outfits from the 50’s & 60’s, and my grandma’s set of China.

I’ve moved the dresser no less than 6 times. It’s heavy, and sturdy wood painted with a now yellowed cream colored lead paint.

Fast forward to Christmas 2021 when my older sister and I both asked for power sanders for Christmas gifts. What better project to break in the new sanders than this family artifact?

We spent the better part of two days working on sanding the paint off this dresser. We even split the cost of a furniture flipping course so we could both learn the ways of the professional flipper.

I’m going to be honest with you, the dresser still isn’t finished. I DID paint the drawers last week, so I feel like that’s a win.

The point is, even after 15 years and 6 moves for this dresser, I still haven’t finished it.

Is that procrastination? It depends on your mindset surrounding the task.

“How we think shapes how we live.”

— Jennie Allen, Get Out of Your Head

If I had approached refinishing the dresser as a task that needed to be checked off a list and gave it a deadline, yes, absolutely I have procrastinated that job, that task. It’s more of a hobby project that I want to enjoy the process, learn from, and pour love into.

I was talking to my dad about this dresser and I was explaining the process I was taking and before I knew it, I had put these overbearing expectations on myself. ON MYSELF. No one else was expecting anything from this project. Sure, my sister was now set invested in the outcome, but she sure wasn’t forcing me into any sort of expectations or timeline.

I told my dad I was nervous to keep going and when he asked why, I said that I was afraid to mess it up, so I was putting it off. He simply said “then do it over”.

Y’all, my head almost exploded with the realization that I had permission to mess up and start over. Of course, my first thought was “I don’t want to have to start over, it was a lot of work!” But he was totally right.

This conversation actually spun me into a self deprecating procrastination spiral and sidetracked me into researching about procrastination (that’s brought us here!). Before I started researching, though, I went out in my garage and painted the dresser drawers.

Eventually, it was time to call in some reinforcements regarding procrastination.

I asked my good friend Chayla (@boldxbrazen) about her thoughts on the subject. Chayla advised that I look at the dilemma like this - “Are you procrastinating or are you on someone else’s timeline?” In other words, are you procrastinating on some self imposed deadline or is there a dire need for you to get the task/job done by a certain time/day?

She didn’t know it at the time, but Chayla gave me a huge gift that day. She essentially wrote me a permission slip to take my time and enjoy the process, which is what I wanted all along from this project.

I received a bit more analytical of a response from my friend Desiree (@desireemtaylor) who looked up procrastination and found that businessinsider.com states there are 4 main types of procrastinator - The Performer, The Self-Deprecator, The Overbooker, and The Novelty Seeker.

( https://www.businessinsider.com/main-types-of-procrastinators-how-to-avoid-accountability-coaches )

You are a Performer if - You wait until you are under the pressure of a deadline to get your task done.

You are a Self-Deprecator if - you make excuses like “I’m lazy” or “I’m stubborn” in order to put off doing what needs to be done

You are an Overbooker if - your excuse is that you are too busy instead of facing a challenge or admitting you don’t want to do something (you create chaos in order to avoid certain tasks)

You are a Novelty Seeker - if you have shiny object syndrome and can’t focus on one thing, or follow through to get things done.

Do any of these sound familiar or resonate with you? I’m definitely a Chaos Creator, mixed with a bit of Performer.

So, if you are a procrastinator, and you identify with one (or more) of these labels, here are a few ways you can combat your tendency to delay the inevitable:

Just get started. If you’re a performer, and you want to wait until the last minute so you are pressured into getting a task done, I suggest you break down the task into smaller, more manageable tasks, and do one. Just start. Chances are, you will build momentum and keep working on the end result. If not, at least you have a head start on that last minute work.
You are a badass. If you are a self-deprecator, it’s time you boss up and remember your worth. Look back on your past achievements and remember who you are and what you can do. Need more? Listen to Episode 12 of Chaos Queens on how to build your Badass List. You’re more productive than you think you are.
Make time work for you. If you are an overbooker, it’s time to take control of your time instead of letting time control you. Try the Pomodoro Method and work on your task 25 minutes at a time. See my blog about using time to your advantage - https://www.shannonbally.com/blog/timer
Focus on the task. If you get distracted from your work easily, the business insider article suggests you write down distracting thoughts on a sticky note or in a journal to get them out of your head while you keep working on the more pressing task. Don’t let all your creative ideas flee, keep them in a safe place until you are able to dedicate the time they deserve.

One final thought on procrastination…

Sometimes things we work on need a more lenient deadline. Creative ideas should have time to marinade and evolve and forcing yourself to finish something may leave you unfulfilled. Give yourself grace. Ask for deadline extensions if you need to.

I can’t wait to cheer you on!

XO,

Shannon

Don’t forget to check out the Chaos Queens Podcast for more tips on conquering your chaos!