ARE YOU A CLIFF HANGER? Learn Your Organizing Style Series Time #5

You usually wait until the last minute to start work.  If so, you’re a Cliff Hanger.

Cliff Hanging – postponing action on something we have decided or need to do – can have complex emotional roots. There are many times when people do it. Some, consciously or unconsciously like to set themselves up with eleventh-hour obstacles while others put off the initial step because there’s no gratification for them until they complete the entire job. And many simply resist structured living - and dates and times when things should be done.  

You usually wait until the last minute to start work.  If so, you’re a Cliff Hanger.

Cliff Hanging – postponing action on something we have decided or need to do – can have complex emotional roots. There are many times when people do it. Some, consciously or unconsciously like to set themselves up with eleventh-hour obstacles while others put off the initial step because there’s no gratification for them until they complete the entire job. And many simply resist structured living - and dates and times when things should be done.  

Want to be sure? Take this Quiz:

As you answer Never (N), Occasionally (O) or Frequently (F), rate yourself according to the following scale.

Never 0 points  Occasionally 1 point   Frequently 2 points_______N__O_  F           

1-      I wait until the last minute before beginning important projects.                                                   

2-      I need to have outside time pressure to complete a task.

3-      I find myself running out the door most mornings.

4-      I find that stress helps me to be more alert, clear, and perceptive.

5-      I tend to get bored when things are going too smoothly.

6-      I run around in a last-minute rush at least a couple of times a week.

7-      I wait until I’m under the gun to buy gifts.

8-      I involve others in a race to help me meet deadlines.

9-      I feel exhilarated after completing an important deal or project just before the deadline.

10-   I have more motivation and drive when I have outside pressure.

                          TOTALS

0-6 points           You’re not really a Hopper.

7-13 points         You have strong Hopper tendencies.

14-20 points       You’re a full-fledged Hopper.

WHY YOU’RE A CLIFF HANGER:

1-      You estimate your time inaccurately.

2-      You thrive on stress.

3-      You think you need the pressure in order to perform.

4-      You like to feel busy.

When you constantly wait until the last minute to start major tasks or projects, you run an ever-increasing risk that you’ll turn in substandard work or even miss your deadline completely.

Now I have offered you a basic outline of this organizing style but if it resonates with you and you want to learn strategies and ways to make this organizing tendency to work for you can find it all in the book:

HOW TO BE ORGANIZED IN SPITE OF YOURSELF   

We all fit into at least one (if not more) categories, and I would love to hear your thoughts as you read through the series.