Procrastination

Some of us continue to be procrastinators even after extensive self-help techniques like time management, list making or positive self-talk. Some of us think if we berate ourselves enough we will quit procrastinating. We aren’t destined to always be procrastinators, it’s not genetic. It’s a learned response and we can unlearn it.

First of all we need to take a closer look at why we are procrastinating.

Some reasons for procrastination:

• Overwhelmed with too many tasks and can’t prioritize
• Task seems too daunting, unpleasant, or complicated
• Fear of failure

If you feel overwhelmed with too many tasks, try to avoid task overload. Write down the top 2 or 3 that are most urgent. Write the pros and cons of doing and not doing them. Get clear on your intention. Sometimes the act of accomplishing just one task by lunch time will be the inspiration for being productive the rest of the day.

With some tasks, you don’t know where to begin. Imagine the desired end result and how good that makes you feel. What would be the first step to take in that direction? If you just can’t seem to get inspired and it’s not something that needs attention immediately, sleep on it (one night only). Lots of times the first step that feels right will be obvious in the morning!

If your procrastination is because you’re indecisive, there comes a point where you have to make a decision. It’s also advantageous to be proactive instead of reactive. Don’t wait until the roof caves in to fix the leak.

You may think you do better under pressure and put off doing things until it’s down to the wire. In actuality you probably don’t do better and are also putting unnecessary stress on yourself that can be damaging over time.

Do you set unrealistic goals that aren’t achievable? You don’t have to be perfect. If you can reach 75% of your goals in lots of cases you may be highly successful.

The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson is an excellent book to help you learn how to finally get moving and productive. You might have to face the fact that the tasks you are doing now may not show results immediately but consistent small tasks over time will yield results.

I had been known to procrastinate with doing tasks to build my business. There were several reasons for this, the main one being distractions. Applying what I learned in The Slight Edge and partnering up with a team member (for support and accountability) in my mastermind group for 90 days was what got me going in the right direction and the momentum growing.

Time is either moving for you or against you. You may not see the repercussions now of procrastinating or making bad choices, but compounded over time the results can be disastrous.

Why not make the effort to do the small consistent tasks that will move you in a positive direction instead of negative.

Life is short, we only have a short time to make a big impact in this life. Look how much more rich life will be when you focus on what you can do and stop making excuses. Let’s look forward instead of looking back and reap the rewards from tasks well done.

Have you noticed that certain beliefs are passed down from one generation to the next?

If your father is a “Ford Man” then there’s a big chance that you will probably be partial to Ford vehicles yourself.

If there is a belief from your parents that “money is the root of all evil” then there’s a big chance you will hold that belief also. This belief may keep you from achieving prosperity no matter what you do.

Do you realize that we are primarily made up of other peoples beliefs? Maybe that belief about how we raise our children is actually a belief that came from our parents who got them from their parents and so on.

I have used several parent examples but we are influenced by all kinds of people and situations throughout our life and probably most beliefs were instilled in us when we were young and impressionable.

I would like to think that I was one that could “think for herself”, but in reality I’ve had to admit as an adult, I came ready-made with a lot of preconceived ideas from – um, I’m not so sure. And some of those beliefs did not serve me well at all!

Until you challenge those beliefs how do you know they “belong” to you? They may – or they may not.

How do you get clarity about what fits you as an individual?

Isn’t it time that you took a closer look at yourself? Are you still struggling with achieving your goals? Maybe you need to shed a belief that you are holding onto, maybe even unconsciously. Recognizing this is the first step to becoming the person you were meant to be, and that is a great feeling.

You can also apply this as you’re looking at “opportunities” in pursuit of owning your own home business. If you don’t know what to look for in a critical way you may find yourself just going along with the “hype” or believing what you are told by the company or your upline, which can be a “slippery slope”.

Want to know how to critically evaluate any company? Read this little gem of a book at http://www.freemlmtruth.com/ebook

so… don’t take my word for it, look at it critically and see if it makes sense to you!

Our mastermind group is currently studying Chapter 15 “How to Outwit the 6 Ghosts of Fear” from the book Think & Grow Rich by Napolean Hill.

It states that there are 6 Basic Fears that most other fears originate from.

1. Fear of Poverty

2. Fear of Criticism

3. Fear of Ill Health

4. Fear of Loss of Love

5. Fear of Old Age

6. Fear of Death

For those of us that want to take a really honest look at ourselves Napoleon Hill poses around 68 self–analysis test questions in this chapter to help us identify what might not be so apparent and is keeping us from a prosperous and satisfying life. Usually lack of success in our network marketing career stems from fear of poverty or criticism. Whether we want to admit it or not, some of us may have all six fears to some degree.

I think people don’t want to admit they have fears because it might be a sign of weakness when in actuality a lot of fears are just emotions that were unknowingly taken on and engrained in our subconscious mind probably when we were a child. We had no control over that. The way I see it, if you are willing to identify and work on getting past a fear you are a very courageous person and I commend you for that.

This chapter really spoke to me because I know personally how the grips of fear can stop us or at least slow us way down. It did for me. Once I finally came to the realization that I wasn’t going to reach my goals while giving into my fears I knew I had to find a way to get past them.

It can be done. Hill explains it so thoroughly I couldn’t possibly do it justice. This book has been so helpful. I get more out of it each time I read it. I also love being part of this particular mastermind group because I am always having ah-ha moments and new realizations from other members’ contributions. I also feel a connection with these guys because they are experiencing and overcoming challenges just like I am.

You can become a part of this mastermind group also. The rewards are many. To learn more contact me at 828-423-7342 or mentorjill@gmail.com. You will also get your free copy of Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill to learn from.

“You may influence, direct, and eventually control your own

environment, making your life what you want it to be— or, you may neglect

to exercise the privilege which is yours, to make your life to order, thus

casting yourself upon the broad sea of “Circumstance” where you will be

tossed hither and yon, like a chip on the waves of the ocean.” – Napolean Hill

Stop building alibis and start building your dream life.

http://www.freemlmtruth.com/team

In Mark 4:3-8, Jesus says:

“There went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.”

Did 2009 live up to your expectations? 

Chances are you had very good intentions but did you find that not all you wanted for the year materialized?  Looking back at the year and reassessing, although it may be daunting, is necessary. There may have been some unexpected challenges that fell in your path that were beyond your control. But hopefully you can pick yourself up, brush yourself off and look forward with renewed optimism.

This is not the time to be critical of ourselves but this assessment is just a tool that you can use to create a better future. Look at what has taken you further away and closer to your goals. Be sure to include your successes no matter how small.

 Did you have any goals? 

I’ve learned that we do need goals. Someone said “Life will not go according to plan, if you do not have a plan!”  Your goals should be very specific with steps written out on how you are going to get there and refer to them often. If you really want to go the extra mile you could actually view pictures (with you in them if possible) of the goal you are wanting to achieve. Really look at the picture and imagine the thrill as if you’ve already achieved it. That may sound a little “woo-woo” but stranger things are being proven these days.

Here are 6 questions to ask to help identify your goals:

                 1. What is the specific goal that you want to achieve?

                 2. Why do you want to achieve this goal?

                 3. Where are you currently starting from as it relates to this goal?

                 4. How will you achieve this goal? List each individual action step

                     and deadline.

                 5. Who will be involved in helping you achieve this goal? Identify

                     their specific role.

                 6. When will you achieve this goal? Identify a specific date.

Something that gets between a lot of us and our goals is our limiting self-talk. We may actually be sabotaging our success with negative thoughts about doing or achieving something. If there are any fears or doubts about doing a task to reach a goal you can bet you’re going to hear that little negative voice telling you “You can’t!” and throw a bunch of silly excuses in your way.  Recognize that it’s just your fear talking and you can override it by negating that thought with a positive one. Give yourself some encouragement and even speak it out loud. Find a support group that will offer encouragement.

 Even the tiny steps you take to move forward builds over time and will propel you to your dreams.  Be consistent with taking steps forward no matter how small and believe that you will get there.

Another helpful tool is evaluating the “Wheel of Life”. Below is an example. Draw your own and fill up each area depending on your level of satisfaction starting at 1- extremely unsatisfied up to 10- extremely satisfied. You may find that your wheel is a little out of balance and some areas need more attention. It’s also good to re-asses every three months or so.

Let’s be kind to ourselves and know that we can start 2010 stronger, wiser and with more positive determination than ever before.

Also – don’t forget to have The Attitude of Gratitude daily.

I am looking forward to a wonderful 2010, I hope you are too!

  

It’s so easy (especially this time of year during the holidays) to let stress get the better of us. There’s more traffic and more people than ever in a hurry and being rude. This compounded with the stresses of the over-scheduled calendar, under-funded bank account, and gift buying can make anyone a little testy.

Every year when Christmas is coming I say this will be the year that it will all run smoothly and I will get through it feeling calm and peaceful. I am improving slightly if I make a strenuous effort – ha ha, but it is compounded with my sons birthday being 2 weeks before Christmas. (I guess I will always have an excuse.)

If you feel this way, do you know the destructive affect this is having on you and your health? If you give into these negative feelings and stressors you are allowing your body to go into the “fight or flight” mode which served us well thousands of years ago but not so much now (unless you need to react quickly to miss that little old man going 40 miles per hour on the interstate).

During this “stress” mode most of your bodily functions (like digestion and blood flow to the brain to name a few) are severely impaired. You are literally “dumbed down” and I think you know what that can lead to! Being brain power impaired and angry doesn’t mix well. Detrimental adrenaline and other chemicals are dumped into the blood stream and if repeated, over time will wreak havoc on your whole system causing a cascade of serious health issues.

I hope you will take a serious look at yourself and know that you are in control of your feelings, emotions and reactions. Yes, negativity may rear it’s ugly head but recognize it quickly and put it in check.

I am reminded of a new project my son is doing now. He is in a group that must work together to create a story with a “flip”. I hadn’t heard “flip” used in this way before but it is a place in the story when the main character has a change of heart. For example what happens in the story “The Scrooge” to make him change from being a humbug to a happy and giving person is the flip.

Now I am not saying you are a Scrooge, but you probably know where you could make some adjustments. I like to take the attitude of gratitude and I can literally say I have had an attitude adjustment or a “flip”. Life is a gift from God and we should treasure it. I make an effort to think of things everyday that I am grateful for.

When you spend more time in gratitude you will experience a shift. I know of a friend that received a gratitude stone as a gift. She carries it with her and it is a reminder to find everyday things to be grateful for.

We can even live in gratitude by giving. When we can give a gift freely without expecting anything in return we are truly in the attitude of gratitude. At the same time if someone gives you a gift even as small as a compliment, accept it graciously and let them know how much you appreciate it.

There will always be stress in our lives but how we react to it is the true test of who we really are. Stay in the attitude of gratitude to God every day and you will be rewarded greatly. 

This video is pretty goofy but it cuts to the heart of what people need to feel validated! It made me smile – I hope it does you too.

And one more thing…

You are amazing!

You are a very special person and you deserve the best!