I want to reorganize the upstairs so I can create a dedicated guest room and make the entire second floor function better. But I’m notoriously prone to getting sidetracked. If you’ve followed this site for a while, you’ve probably noticed: I’m full of ideas and capable of getting a lot done, but I don’t always follow through on every single plan. I often have more ambition than time.
I also think I have organizational and decorating ADD. That’s probably pretty accurate.
Do you remember the book Sidetracked Home Executives from years ago? If you haven’t heard of the Sidetracked Sisters, their work is connected to the FlyLady community. Their book resonated with me because it felt like a mirror—I’m great at setting big intentions for a project, then getting swept away by something else that seems fun in the moment. I’m a classic S.H.E.
Sometimes my detours are harmless, quirky distractions. Other times they come from genuine urgent obligations that prevent me from finishing the original project promptly.
So if you are like me, how can we stay on track when we start an organizing or decorating project?
Here are two simple, proven strategies for finishing projects when you tend to get sidetracked.
1. Set realistic goals and deadlines.
Give yourself a realistic completion date and a small set of clear goals for the project. I work best when my deadline coincides with a real event, like company coming over. A genuine deadline motivates me more than an arbitrary date.
When needed, I’ll even invent an event—invite people for Friday so I’ll finish by Thursday. As a recovering perfectionist-procrastinator, a near and looming deadline is often the push I need.
2. Keep your focus on what matters most.
Allow interruptions that are essential to daily life—feeding kids, keeping the dishes done, handling emergencies—but resist starting new, unrelated projects while the main one is unfinished. If your child needs feeding or the dog makes a mess, that’s real life and it’s okay to pause. Expect interruptions and build flexibility into your timeline.
But don’t derail your guest room project by deciding, in the middle of it, to organize 22 years of shoebox photos. Organizing photos might be important, but choosing to do it right now—while you’re moving furniture and re-purposing closets—is a classic rabbit trail that prevents progress on your main goal.
The best practical fix is simple: keep a running notebook of ideas and tasks that arise during the project and schedule them for “after completion.” That way you honor the idea without letting it stop progress.
Are you easily sidetracked?
Share your sidetracked stories so I know I’m not alone. Real life happens—kids, pets, family visits, unexpected guests—all of these have derailed my work on this project at one point or another.
*This week I experienced all of the above interruptions in the middle of my project.
