Saturday Suggestion: Spend Time to Save Time

Some of you may remember this photo from my blog post on May 19, 2014, An Organized Photo Collection: I WISH! 

When I wrote that post, I committed to getting my photo collection more organized before my son graduates from high school this year. Sadly, in the months that have transpired since the post was published, I have made no progress with this.

This week I spent a considerable amount of time looking for a photo I had hoped to use on this blog. I knew

exactly the one that I wanted, but it had been misfiled and I was unable to locate it.

  

Feeling frustrated, I remembered something else I wrote. On September 26, 2014, I published, "Sometimes You Just Have To Dive Right In".  In that post shared this quote by Ivan Turgenev: "If we wait for the moment when everything is ready, we shall never begin."  During my disheartening search for that picture this week, two things became clear to me:

1. The hardest part of a project is just getting started.

• There never will be a perfect block of time to complete this task, there is no point in waiting for the right time. I just need to begin organizing those boxes, and the task will then become a priority. 

2. Sometimes you simply have to spend time doing something, so you will have more time later.

• As a blogger and a mother, trying to find a photo I took in the past is something I find myself frequently doing. The countless hours I have spent searching for these has really added up, and will continue to do so, unless I come up with a better system.  Putting some effort into that now, will greatly improve my organization and productivity in the future.

These two basic truths can be applied to almost any projects in our lives where we find ourselves procrastinating. It is easy to make certain tasks a lower priority, but when we do so, often what happens is that everything else we have prioritized above them also suffers.  Difficult as it may seem, it is best to make time to focus on getting these tasks accomplished.

Okay - but there is the tricky part. I just said it is best to "make time" for these projects. But, when our days are already full, how do we make time? It usually is a matter of spending less time on something else ... reading, television or movies, taking time off work, letting housework go for a bit, or sleeping less, for example. Obviously, some of these things are harder or less practical to give up than others - each individual has to determine what works best for them.

A mini vacation from blogging.

I have reached a difficult conclusion as to the best way for me to get my photo collection under control.  I am going to have to take a bit of a blogging break to do it. I don't like the idea of interrupting my regular posting schedule, but I believe that by doing so, it will benefit this blog in the end. 

My plan is to take a mini (2 week) vacation from blogging, posting only on Saturdays for the rest of this month. I will devote the time I would normally spend on blogging to getting my photo collection organized instead. Hopefully, when I return to my normal publishing schedule in December my productivity will increase, and I will have improved the way that I "make the most of my moments!"

Back in May, 2014, I asked my frequent readers to hold me accountable for getting my photos more organized.  Today, I ask for your understanding, as I take some time to do just that!

See you here next Saturday!

What project requires your attention, and how will you find the time to get it done?

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