How to Clean Up Your Act and Not Be a Hot Mess

Quit Sitting On Your Lazy-A*s!

It’s not fair that you have to fit in so many things in a stifling 24-hour-day clock. But it’s also not fair that you do nothing in those 24 hours for the fear of not being able to complete or even succeed. While there could be many psychological reasons for laziness, here’s what I like best: Laziness that’s caused due to over-expectation and high standards, leading to a sort of a counter-productive process or the couch-potato syndrome. Surprisingly, this also links to the genius associated with laziness—it is believed that since lazy people are always looking for short-cuts and avoiding hard-work, they ended up inventing some great timesaving tools (cars, computer, microwave etc)!

1. Structured Procrastination

Ever heard of the phrase ‘Structured Procrastination’ (quite possibly coined by a stubborn procrastinator)? John R Perry, a Philosophy Professor at Stanford University, justifies procrastination as a form of perfectionism wherein he takes advantage of the fact that seldom do procrastinators do absolutely nothing; instead they do marginally important things in order to avoid the more important tasks. You too, can exploit this theory in your everyday life to increase your overall productivity. The trick’s to identify an important task that you’ve been postponing and take on the responsibility of an even more important task with a slightly far-away deadline. This way, in order to avoid the VVIP task, dear procrastinator, you’ll end up doing the VIP one!

2. Hard to Be Lazy!

Another way of stalling your laziness-block is by making lazing around harder than working. For example, remove the couch from in front of the TV and replace it with the most uncomfortable chair you ever laid your butt on!

3. Timeboxing

Remember how in school, it was only during exams that you would think of the most pro-active, creative ideas? You wanted to do everything else but study that text book. So you rewarded yourself with five minutes of music after every chapter you’d finish. This is called Timeboxing. What’s stopping you to use the same logic at work? For every task you complete, reward yourself with some shopping money, or better still, make a pact with him to reward you!

Don't ignore the basics

We can cut you some slack if you’ve been through a life-altering tragedy (breakup, fired from your job, sky high credit card bills), but only for a while. However, if you’ve just been ignoring basic self-grooming ethics for no particular reason, consider this a wakeup call!

Self-grooming

Dirty nails, split-ends, scabby elbows, cracked heels, stained teeth… ugh! Have you let yourself go, and we mean really go? Notice the humble clerk in your office who’s the first one to reach work. He has five shirts that he rotates through the week, and yet manages to look impeccable. When he can afford to get his hair trimmed routinely (even if from the roadside barber), and neatly polish his over-and-over-again mended shoes, what’s your excuse? You don’t need to depend on elaborate procedures for something as simple as a well put-together face. Get your hair trimmed every two months, keep your nails trimmed and painted, your body moisturised with a lotion, keep a hand sanitizer and facewash carry a deodorant!

Don't be hard on yourself

Go back to the first thought that came to your mind when you decided to exercise. It was a simplepositive idea of stretching your muscles that converted itself to the grueling images of a Size 0 model, a bikini that doesn’t fit you, cellulite, stretch marks, blah blah… Wow! Is this demotivating or what! Similarly with diet. Working in a girl-dominated workplace has this effect—counting calories. The more you count, the more you crave, the more you consume. Honestly, how many guys have you heard saying, “Oh God, I’ll have to eat half a chappati less if I eat this cookie with my herbal tea!” In both cases of diet and exercise, the over-importance you give to the act makes it strenuous. Isn’t it ironic that attach so much load to the act of shedding load! Let loose, take light— just sometime you take off for yourself to work your muscles so they remain active. Forget the results, enjoy the process.

Don't take your work lightly

Whether you’re an 18-year-old school pass-out, or a 24-year-old college graduate, a 25-year-old single working girl or a 29-year-old working mom— have the power to choose your calling in life. We agree that sometimes, it’s not just difficult but almost impossible to follow path of your choice, eventually nothing stop you from getting what you want real But do you respect once you get it? How many times do think you reach to work on time (it’ll be easier count this one than the times you’ve reached work on time?). How many hours do you spend on doing useless research on the internet, on social networking sites, on coffee and cigarettes we’ll get back to this habit) breaks? When was the last time you completed a task on time, forget before time? Do you do just the required bit, or are you able to bring in something extra to your work? Truth is, you’re actually delivering only a small percentage of your job profile, of your ability, and of your expectations. Therefore you must be prepared to expect a similar percentage of an appraisal.

More work, easy effort!

Attendance: Albert Einstein said something to this effect: Being present is half your job done. It’s common knowledge that if you’re present, you will be noticed, if you’re not, someone else will be.

On time: If you’re always the last one to reach office, try hanging out with the guy who reaches first. Identify what get’s you late and him on time everyday.

Clean station: De-cluttered and organised drawers, sorted paperwork piled neatly, a calendar, a pen stand, a tissue box, dustbin, and a writing pad— consider these the simple machines (pulley, lever, inclined plain etc.) for your workplace.

Networking: If you’re familiar with the corporate culture of the 21st century, you will realise that it’s much more casual than the bureaucratic, hierarchical structure of the mid-20th century. We call our bosses by their names, instead of ‘Sir’ or ‘Ma’am’, we chat with them over cocktails, and we superpoke them on Facebook! Embrace this fluid, accommodating work atmosphere to express your aspirations to your seniors and to get first-hand info from your mentors. It won’t be long till you’re on your way up.

Don't Live Beyond Your Means

A study by the National Centre for Women and Retirement Research (NCWRR) showed a direct correlation between a woman’s personality characteristics and her financial habits. So if you’re assertive and openminded, you might have a better chance of getting richer baby! Late one night when I caught the Suze Orman Show on CNBC, I was amazed at the kind of debts people drown themselves into! This financial planner, author, and TV host believes that our problems with money are manifestations of problems in our life and relationships. So true! Didn’t you exceed your budget to buy that dress for your date when you needed the money to pay your cell phone bill? Didn’t you split the bill with your rich friend at the fancy restaurant when you just ordered a salad? Come on, we’ve all been there, done that.

Love and Relationships

It doesn’t matter whether ‘he’s not that into you’ or ‘you’re not that into him’, as long as one of you is not into the other, it’s time to re-evaluate your relationship. There can be infinite causes leading to differences between couples, but there are broadly three outcomes: You split, you stick, or you wait. But before you attack the other, how ‘bout some introspection? He’s there. He’ll always be there. No point wasting energy on making any extra efforts. Wrong! Isn’t your partner supposed to be the most special person in your life? So just because he’s always going to love you doesn’t mean you subject him to 15 extra kilos around your waist, or hairy arms… eew! It’s not just the physical, but also behavioural aspect through which you might have taken your beloved for a ride. Do you always make him wait? Do you assume he’ll pick you and drop you from work and home, and even yell at him if he can’t? Take our advice, spare the poor guy, and give him a BREAK! Crushing on someone, or having a harmless fantasy about your colleague is not cheating. Kissing someone is. An affair is. When you feel the urge to ‘find love’ elsewhere, bring it out in the open, tell him you’re not satisfied physically or emotionally. If despite his efforts and yours— professional help, a pre-honeymoon— you feel nothing, there could be two problems: Either you’re an attention-seeking-whine-ball who has made it a habit to torment him at all times; or you’re over him. Go figure…