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“Procrastination is, hands down, our favorite form of self-sabotage.”

~ Alyce P. Cornyn-Selby

Procrastination occasionally happens to everyone. You have put in the time to set up your goals. You have set aside the appropriate amount of time and systems to accomplish them. But, you still can’t move forward. You decide to use your time to watch television, hang out with friends or do absolutely nothing. This is the second installment of “Tips for beating back Procrastination.” Here is a link to first, 7 Tips for beating back procrastination. So, let us continue…

Procrastination is the opposite of action. When you decide which of your tasks need immediate attention and those that can be done later in the week, you’ve just learned the fine art of prioritizing. So decide – once and for all – which should be assigned top priority, and then act.

Tip # 8 Filter the essential from the petty

That’s just our way of saying that when you read things on paper, you’re able to act logically; this is much more effective than just thinking out how to avoid procrastination. Putting down things in black and white is even better than brainstorming with another person. Here’s the reason: if you write down what needs to be done, you’re the only one who knows what’s urgent and important. You focus on this task from the implementation to completion. Once it’s completed, you take it off your list. There’s that sense of accomplishment, no matter how small the accomplishment is. You go on to the next task, until you actually get used to the idea of doing, rather than procrastinating.

Brainstorming with a friend, on the other hand, can be viewed as a positive, but can be a form of procrastination. You’ll say to yourself, “what she said makes sense”, so you mull over it, leaving the task undone. Thinking about your tasks yourself and then doing them – without anyone’s feedback – is much more productive.

Tip # 9 Goals are better when written down in black and white rather than only dreaming in technicolor

We’re creatures of habit. Even if we know that a certain activity is no longer cost effective, we continue doing it anyway.

One example is, not looking for alternatives. It’s a lot easier to use the same, familiar road to work. But if there’s a quicker, or more relaxing route you can take, find out what that other route is. It’s always good to have alternative routes. Traffic snarls occur in times when you’re in a hurry.

Tip # 10 Discard old non-productive or counter-productive habits

Once in awhile you’ll deviate from your intentions. You’re a human being with limitations, or else life, without warning, takes a detour, and we get derailed. Let’s take a lesson from our brothers and sisters in the east who live by mantras that they recite to themselves every day.

Here’s one you can recite in the morning as you wake up: “I will not procrastinate today. It is unproductive. I have tasks to do, and I will write them down so I can decide which of them need to be done by 12 noon. My goal is to finish at least 2 big tasks and 2 small ones”.

Tip # 11 Get a mantra

Have a second mantra that you can recite after you complete a task. “I completed my task! I focused well and didn’t allow myself to procrastinate. This translates to about $150.00 that I can take to the bank.”

It may sound vulgar to attach a monetary value to every task accomplished. This reinforces the belief that time is money. And when you make a final tally, you’d be surprised at what you end up with. Time can always be expressed as a savings or a loss. It’s all up to you. And people don’t have to know. After all, a mantra is something you keep to yourself!

Tip # 12 Have a before and after mantra

If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you will experience problems staying on course for the first few weeks. It’s like going to the gym for the first time. You’re all gung-ho for the first 3 days and then you stop.

Old habits die hard. So you missed doing the three tasks yesterday, big deal. Revise the list, and plan on doing them within a specific time frame. Don’t dwell too long on what you failed to do.

Start climbing the stairs again and get to the top without looking back. Aim for completing four tasks today – three from yesterday and one for today.

Tip # 13 If you fall back a few steps, its ok. Get up and begin to climb the stairs again.

Procrastination is something everyone struggles with periodically. You must be alert to not let it become a chronic problem. To accomplish your goals, you must stay in the race.

Thoughts? Additions?

2. Priorities: Setting and Ranking Them

3. Think Creatively

4. 7 Tips for beating back procrastination

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7 Tips for beating back procrastination

“How soon ‘not now’ becomes ‘never’.”

~ Martin Luther

If someone tried to convince you that you were a procrastinator, most likely your immediate reaction would be to defend yourself. “It’s his fault”, “My mother was like that too”, “I was forced to do something I didn’t want to do”. Some people get stuck blaming blame their misfortunes on others, and can never see beyond that. But the truth is, you are equally at fault. You procrastinate because you yourself choose to procrastinate. The sooner you accept that, the better you will be able to overcome procrastination.

# 1 Everything starts and ends with the self

In line with tip # 1 above, once you accept that procrastination is your weakness, the next step is to eliminate this weakness. Your desire not to procrastinate anymore should be sincere. You need to demonstrate that determination through small daily gestures.

# 2 I want NOT to procrastinate anymore

You’ve accepted the fact that (a) you’re a procrastinator, and (b) you have a sincere desire to change. Now tell yourself that if you fail to achieve a particular goal or a given task, it’s because you procrastinated. Mea culpa. Admitting guilt is a giant step. Note, however, that there is a huge difference between admitting guilt and being too hard on yourself. Admitting guilt is taking ownership of your actions. Being too hard on yourself is unjustified self-blame. Continue from where you left off.

# 3 Mea Culpa – Take Responsibility

Ask yourself, “In what ways do I procrastinate?” Sit down with pen and paper. Writing them will help you focus and identify them more clearly. Here are some ways where people procrastinate:

paying bills
not discussing the complaints you’ve received about a member of your team for fear of hurting his/her feelings
repeatedly postponing a dental appointment because you’ve got better things to do
not returning the call of your son’s teacher because you know what the problem is and you’re fed up
not discussing your resentment about your husband spending too much time at work or with his buddies
not getting that hair cut, that dress dry-cleaned, that donation mailed
not visiting a sick relative in the hospital
not telling your significant other you no longer love her/him
not calling your doctor about that persistent numbness in your right arm or not fixing a colonoscopy exam date
not having the car’s squeaking brakes checked
not going to confession because you never know what the priest’s schedule is
not sending that overdue thank you note or making that overdue call to your mother-in-law

# 4 Be honest. Ask yourself, “In what ways do I procrastinate?”

After listing the ways in which you procrastinate, make a second list of goals that you failed to achieve because you procrastinated. Let’s take a look at two typical examples.

First example: You promised your editor you’d get that article done by a certain due date. On the day the article was due, the editor calls you. You tell her sheepishly that you didn’t have time to do it, and you say something like, “My son was sick for days and I couldn’t concentrate” knowing full well your editor was generous with a deadline date.

Result? You took one step farther away from your goal of becoming a professional writer, and two steps farther away from developing a good relationship with an editor who picked you from the 25 writers who applied for the assignment. You can be sure your name has been taken off her address list.

Second example: You delayed lobbying for your colleague’s promotion even if he was the best man for the job. Result? The job went to someone less deserving; second, your colleague resigned to take up another offer.

When you measure the consequences of a missed opportunity because you procrastinated, ask yourself honestly if the consequence was worth the delay.

# 5 Review the goals that you have not met because of your procrastination

In fast-paced societies, people tend to think of time as precious and valuable. Expressions such as “time is of the essence,” “time means money,” “you missed the train”, “you missed a window of opportunity” reinforce the value of time.

When wheelers and dealers on the stock exchange take time off to whisper sweet nothings to their better half, those three minutes can mean hundreds, even thousands of dollars in missed transactions.

So, install a permanent calculator in your brain and calculate how much that missed deal meant in terms of dollar value. What’s the value of the examples we used?

The article you didn’t submit could have cost you $150.00.

Your colleague’s resignation from the company wiped off an important asset from your human resources ledger.

If you make it a practice to tagging a dollar sign to each of your procrastinations, you would probably resolve to procrastinate much less often.

# 6 Taking a cue from tips 4 and 5, “What is the dollar value of the opportunity you missed because of procrastination?”

We spend half our lives on the phone. We spend an equally big chunk of time looking for phone numbers and names. The directory is cumbersome. Putting them on your outlook means you have to re-boot your computer.

Try this: tear out sheets from your notepad and label each as kitchen, bedroom and living room.

Kitchen sheet: jot down the following telephone numbers:

supermarket
butcher’s
pastry shop
utensil stores
take out pizza and other delivery shops
drug store
Oriental grocery

Bedroom sheet:

dry cleaner’s
doctors and dentists
walk-in clinic
shoe repair shop
alteration shop
department store
Catalog order stores, etc.

Living room sheet:

professional house cleaners
plant shop
local home center
florist
bookstore
eyeglasses
airport

Or if you prefer to use your smart-phone, use its memory feature.

# 7 Get organized. Prioritize. What kind of information do you need in a hurry?

Procrastination is the opposite of action!

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Loving Life via Self-Improvement

Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the

barriers within yourself that you have built against it.

~ Rumi

There will be times when life may be hard, but there will also always be some good reasons to continue loving life. When the days seem to be dragging you down a bit, you must learn how to cope with and get through such situations and emerge victorious. This may often seem easier said than done. But you owe it to yourself to at least try.

Not everybody has the ability to see sunshine through dark clouds and rain. There are many people who’d rather resort to some knowingly unwise decisions in order to escape the problems that are set before them. If this is your current mindset, then your first job is to assess your situation thoroughly and honestly. The second thing is to look carefully at your attitude. You are the only one who can decide if it is time to change your attitude, take responsibility for your life and make some conscious efforts to initiate self-improvement. See, Why Self-Improvement Is Important.

No one can force you to do anything that you are not prepared to do. The key here is that it must come from inside of you. Improving yourself for the better is a sign of maturity as well as a readiness for life’s bigger challenges. Here are some tips that you can employ if you are on the trek towards improving your outlook and the way you view life.

1. You must always weigh things. Despite the negative forces that life may bring, and life will bring them, there are some things that you can be still be happy about. It will be beneficial for you in the long run if you practice how to be an optimist in spite of wearying situations or dreadful happenings.

Think about it this way. You are not the only person who is going through these trials. And you will likely encounter similar situations again and again. So you must learn how to cope with it at the earliest time possible. This way, you are on the road to preparing yourself to face bigger dilemmas and hurdles that may come your way in the future.

2. Have role models. Having someone that you can look up to with the kind of attitude that you want to emulate will also be beneficial. The process will seem easier because you will be inspired by knowing that somebody else did it and you can look at that person’s current state to continue to be inspired. For a deeper discussion on topic of role models see The Importance of Role Models.

3. Find yourself and your purpose. This seem difficult to do. As you mature, you must be able to have get a clearer and clearer picture of what you want to happen in, with and because of your life. After you have determined your strengths, the areas where you excel, your weaknesses and your talents, your goals in life will also be better defined. You do not need to force the idea because it will come to you when it is the right time. See Purpose and Destiny. Why are you here?

Your task is not to seek for love Rumi

4. Never lose your determination in loving life. This must be the main force that will drive you towards achieving your dreams and fulfilling the purposes that you have set for yourself. But you must not be too hard on yourself if everything that you plan does not happen. You always have to look at the brighter side of things and find out the reasons why you did not achieve what you are longing for. This will drive you to perform better the next time.

You alone hold the key to making a better future for yourself.

Doc

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Psalm 34 – “Taste and see” + a little Sweet potato pie

A Psalm of David

A quick look at Psalm 34 and we can see that David supplies us with useful information about how to overcome, or how to be delivered from our fears. He tells us that this is a 3-step process.

The first step is to acknowledge our fears. Yes, we would like to appear to the world like we have it all together all of the time, and that we are the coolest and calmest person walking the earth, but we are not. We are frail human vessels who are frightened at times. So the first order of business is to “fess up.” Yes, I am afraid and I cannot figure out how to get through this situation.

The second step is to appropriate God’s power. We need to use it, rely on it, and incorporate it into our whole being. Remember, “He has not given us the spirit of fear…” Use the gifts and talents that you have been given.

The third part of the process is in God’s hands. He “encamps around us.” He protects us. He fortifies us. He gets us ready for battle. In the book of Job, it was referred to as a “hedge.” He guards our hearts and our minds, if we relinquish whatever control we think we have over things, and let him do it.

But, as David continues his writing, he invites us to “taste and see that the Lord is good.”

Taste and see

These two verbs don’t ordinarily sound like they should go together. But what David is driving at is that he wants us to experience this goodness for ourselves. He wants us to convert our head knowledge into heart knowledge. He wants us to bring all of our senses into play to become a part of the experience.

You may disagree with me, but my grandmother made the best sweet potato pies in the world. It is a magical combination of spices that I have never been able re-create, but one I will never forget.

But, when I smell something close to it, and close my eyes- I can taste that pie and the flaky crust. I can smell the spices in the pie and the chicken we will eat after church. I can feel the warmth from my mother’s oven in our tiny kitchen. I can hear and feel the scratchy crinoline I have to wear under my church dress. I can look down and see my socks with lace and super shiny patent leather shoes.

And the best part? I know that as the most cherished and favored among her grandchildren (well, at least in my own little mind) – my grandmother would then use the extra and the scraps to make me some tiny sweet potato turnovers of my very own.

A few scents and I am a child again, in a world that suddenly feels not so scary.

This is what David wants. Yes, we can read about God, we can go to church or synagogue or temple week after week, and we can study about it. But until and unless that “something” gets into us and becomes part of us, and unless we let go of the “head knowledge” and step out on faith alone, it is all for naught.

“Oh, Taste and see that the Lord is good!”

And… Happy Grandparents Day!

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Never look down…

Don’t write a check

How to get centered and focused

You believe happiness to be derived from the place in which

once you have been happy,

but in truth it is centered in ourselves.

~ Franz Schubert

The myth of multitasking

In our fast paced society it is often difficult to remain centered and focused. There have been many recent studies and posts that tell us that our new found habit of multi-tasking often tends to be counter productive. Multi-tasking, for most people means not completing any of the tasks to their desired level of excellence or competency. You must learn to center on correct things. You need to learn to provide your undivided attention to things that will lead you to your success. So rather than spending time on doing things that decrease your chances of success, like watching televion or spending excessive hours playing games or surfing the internet, you may want to consider centering on taking steps that will get you moving toward your desired destination.

You should always strive to be pro-active and make things happen for yourself. Being re-active means that you lose focus because you are busy responding to every event, circumstance, situation or condition that comes your way. Your goal is to not be distracted by every single thing.

This would be a good time to go back and read our post on Pareto’s principle and how it can help you accomplish more of what you want. This is the 80/20 rule which will help you better understand how to work more efficiently and effectively on the areas of your life leading you in the direction you wish to go. Remaining focused can be difficult. So, how do you remain centered on the results you want to achieve and your mind on target? I’m glad you asked…

Get Focused:

Exert your self control! It is one of the most difficult things in the world to remain centered, but you must corral your thoughts to stop straying and return to the work at hand.

Find a purpose to help drive you. We commonly lack motivation if we lack a purpose. Without a reason that’s big enough, without a “why” that is part of you, you will have a tough time moving forward consistently. If the purpose is big enough, then the how will almost always handle itself. Failure isn’t even a fleeting thought.

Clear up your goals. Perhaps your goal is a million dollars or a boat that you wish to purchase when you reach your goal. Work toward your stated reason in incremental steps.

Find and repeat a “focus mantra.” Find your focus. Is it a boat? If it’s the boat in our example, then you will want to read about it, daydream about it, look online or in papers, travel to boat shows and stores and slowly but surely you produce enough thought energy in that area to help materialize all of the things, individuals, chances and cash essential to bring the boat into your life. The notion of the boat becomes real to you in a very emotionally charged way.

Make sure your want for the purpose is strong enough. The most crucial question to ask before you attempt to accomplish any goal is, “Do I truly have a strong enough desire to make this happen?” You need a powerful enough purpose to propel you and give you that magical gleam in your eyes when you consider it. If not, the work will prove futile. Simply search deeper and keep seeking that which truly sparks you.

Don’t be afraid to dream a huge dream. To keep your brain centered you need large, bold goals. Visualize what you desire to help bring it into your real life. The greater your purpose the less trouble you will have accomplishing what you have in mind.

Remember that you need to take a break every now and then. This helps you keep centering and refreshing your mind. It’s advocated you take a 5 minute break each half an hour of active work.

Know where you wish to be and how long it will take you to get there. You should have an ideal short, middle and long term goal list written down as well as at the back of your mind. Short term goals may involve a matter of a few months or longer. Try to accomplish your goal and do your best to keep inside of your dated time frame. This will cut down on your complacency and likewise ward off procrastination.

Constantly remind yourself that procrastination is the thief of time. Avoid delaying any of your actions by leaving things to be done tomorrow, next week, next month and so forth. Instead have them done today and move on to the next project.

Thoughts?

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Building Motivational Habits

“Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit.

You are what you repeatedly do.”

~ Shaquille Oneal

There are many ways that you can build up your motivational habits. And, like most things, it works best if you work on it on a daily basis. Habits can be difficult to create, but once you begin working hard to meet them they will become natural for you. There are many things you can do to create habits that are motivating and positive.

Visual Motivators

Visual motivators are extremely important because your surroundings contribute to your attitude every day. If you are in a negative atmosphere, it will be difficult to feel motivated to do much. One thing you can do is use visual motivators to create a positive atmosphere and help you stay focused on a daily basis.

Visual motivators are things that usually include positive quotes for you to read and focus on. It might include a change you hope to make in your life. There are many posters you can choose from to post on your walls at work, inside your cubicle, screen savers for your computer or in your home. This way you can read them and focus on the positivity.

If you don’t want to paste something on your walls, you might want to consider a motivational calendar. Everyday the calendar will give you a new quote to focus on for the day. Some people like to use cartoons or jokes to help them maintain a good attitude.

There are a number of things you might consider to be visual motivators. These things can include anything that makes you feel really good and positive. Remember that visual motivators are to be used to motivate you on a daily basis because you will place them somewhere you will see them regularly.

Keep Positive Friends

Friends are people you get along with well and who care about you. These people will always build you up and make you feel good. If you have a friend that shoots you down or makes you feel negative much of the time, then you shouldn’t maintain them as a friend very long. Always spend time with people who make you feel good about life and good about yourself. The more time you spend around people who make you feel good, generally the better you will feel.

It is very true that you become the people you hang out with. If the people you hang out with only put you down and don’t support the things that are important to you, it will be difficult for you to become the motivated person you wish to be. You need to have a support group that is positive.

If you decide to start cutting people out of your life who are not positive or helpful, you may find this a difficult transition for you. You can choose either to gradually stop communicating with them or you can consider trying to speak with them about their negativity. If their friendship means a lot to you, you can point out the negativity and see how they respond. Some people don’t realize they are being so negative until someone points it out to them. This conversation may save a friendship and if you’re fortunate, you could have a partner to begin the quest for motivation with.

Read and Listen

Reading and listening are two habits that you must maintain for your motivational daily routine. Reading is the best thing you can do to strengthen your mind and build confidence. It is commonly said that “leaders are readers.”

In order to become the person you strive to be you must read about how to be that person. You need to begin to associate with more people you admire and want to be like. As stated above, you become a mixture of the people you associate with because of the habits you pick up from each other.

Self Talk

Positive self talk is a very important daily habit you need to build into your regimen. There will always be circumstances that you will need to walk through by yourself and positive self talk will help you make it through these tough times. Self talk can help you in many ways. It can help you feel good about yourself, about how you look and how you are going to perform in certain situations.

Perhaps you have a meeting and you’re feeling nervous about it. Or, perhaps it’s a presentation that you have looming before you. Positive self talk can help you with encouraging yourself to do a good job. It is not crazy to talk yourself through situations.

Just as you feed off positive reinforcements from others, you can stroke these feelings for yourself as well. When you wake up in the morning and you need to give yourself a little encouragement there is nothing wrong with talking to yourself about making it through the events of the day! Create the positive circumstances in your head and then go out and make them happen. When you talk to yourself positively you will begin to believe the positive and act more positively.

Maintain a Positive Attitude

You must remain positive. Life is tough and there’s no getting around it. As soon as you stop focusing on life being so difficult, you will find that it suddenly becomes much easier. Don’t spend all of your time focusing on how difficult life is. Deal with the difficulties of life and move on.

A positive attitude is vital to making it through your days and to remain motivated. When you are positive about the situations and circumstances that you often deem tough, you will make it through the obstacles much more easily.

The most important thing you need to remember about your attitude is that you can change your attitude, even when you can’t control your circumstances. You have total control over your attitude! You can maintain a positive attitude!

Breaks

Remember that you need to slow down every now and then and take a break. Give your self the time to reload your energy and recharge your batteries. Taking a break means giving yourself a moment to relax. This does not mean that you go overboard and end up in the realm of procrastination. If you have a bad habit of getting drawn into a television show for instance, then do not take a break in front of the TV. The same applies for the computer. Be sure the break you take is for a short time, but that it doesn’t lead into another problem. If you have a large family and the house is often chaotic this “me” time is very important. Chances are good that you’ll have to wait until everyone is asleep or rise early in the morning before they all wake up. If you have to schedule this time for yourself, then you should. You will be surprised at how just a little bit of time to yourself each day will help you feel much more motivated.

Sometimes it may be helpful to use a timer to help pull you away from distracting activities.

Share with Others

Once you have become motivated you can begin to share your motivation help with others. When you share motivation it will become contagious and so will your passion. As you share your passion, you will find that you are also driven to new heights of goals and accomplishments. Be sure to share your motivation on a daily basis. This part of your daily regiment of motivation may not be something you can do right away because you need to work on you first.

We are often motivated by others, both in good and bad ways. An important part of getting and staying motivated is what you bring to the table yourself. Without self motivation, the rest is significantly less effective.

Find out what motivates and moves you. Do that and keep doing it!

What additions would you make to this list?

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