Overcoming The Beast Of Procrastination Once And For All

Overcome Procrastination: A Practical Guide to Beating Procrastination

If you actually follow some of the tips outlined below you will soon get things done.

Are You Bogged Down By Detail?

It's time to step back and take a look at the big picture. What exactly are you trying to do? Sometimes we get so caught up in the detail that we lose sight of where we are going.

Are You Overwhelmed?

If the task seems overwhelming - break it down into small do-able steps. Identify natural milestones along the way. If you want to lose 20lbs - aim for 1lb each week. If you want a tidy, organised desk - tackle it one drawer at a time.

If You Can't Decide What To Do

Do something - anything will do - the first thing that comes into your head. You will soon know whether you have made a good decision - you will know whether it's the right decision for you.

Give yourself permission to change your mind if it becomes obvious you are headed in the wrong direction. Doing something really is better than doing nothing - it will get you started.

Do You Lack Confidence?

Is your lack of skill real or only imagined? If it's in your imagination - acknowledge your fear and deal with it. Fears shout the loudest when they feel they are not being heard. Recognize your fear and create a plan to deal with it - the fear will soon lose its power.

If you need further skills - take steps to get them - ask for help. Take a few deep breaths and allow yourself to step out of your comfort zone.

Have You Got Enough Time?

It isn't always easy to find large uninterrupted periods of time. Try doing things in 15 minute chunks. You will be surprised how much you can do in 15 minutes - and it will get you started.

Are There Too Many Distractions?

You could decide not to answer the door or the phone for an hour. Take control and give yourself the gift of uninterrupted time.

Have You Got Too Many Things To Do?

If you genuinely have too much to do, say so - either to yourself, your boss, or your family, prioritize, enlist help and delegate.

Ask, "What is the most important thing to do right now?" Focus on that. Many 'urgent' things are not as important as people make out.

Is It An Unpleasant Task?

The longer you wait, the greater the chance it will go away or someone else will do it. By procrastinating you are getting a reward!

Do you really need to do it? or Could it be done less often?

Could you trade with someone or buy in help? If you really do need to do it - do it sooner rather than later. The longer you wait, the more energy you will spend thinking about it. It's much better to spend that energy actually doing the task and experience the reward of finishing it.

Finally, When you find yourself procrastinating, ask yourself what's so bad about what needs to be done? The anticipation is usually worse than simply doing it. Try allocating 15 minutes to doing the job and see where it takes you.

One thing's for sure - you won't be procrastinating any more.

"The hardest work in the world is that which should have been done yesterday." - Muriel Strode

Procrastination drains your energy - it truly is the thief of time. Plug the drain and begin what you have been putting off - you will feel better for doing it.

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." -- Mark Twain

Which tip will you use right away? Now, get started.

By Lynne Lee

Visit http://www.beyourownlifecoachnow.co.uk/ for more tips and tools to help you coach yourself. Subscribe to my blog and free newsletter and I'll send you an article with keys to help you take control of your life.

Lynne Lee is a life coach and author working in the UK.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lynne_Lee

Control Your Self Talk - Maximize Personal Development by Stopping Mental SPAM

How to Maximize Personal Development by Instantly Stopping Mental SPAM

Did you know that the one solitary reason why people fail in their personal development efforts is because they allow their own belief systems to get in the way?

You will find people who say that there were circumstances beyond their control that made them have to step away from their self improvement efforts, but that is very rarely the truth of the matter.

Yes, it is possible for life to throw up roadblocks that you have to hurdle, but if you are truly dedicated to making improvements in your life, you will find a way to get over, under, or around any roadblock that is put in your way.

However, since the most powerful gift that any human being has is their mind, that power can be used to trip you up just as easily as it can be used to lift you to new heights.

In fact, in a society that is filled with a seemingly never-ending supply of negativity, an increasing lack of free time, and a continually growing list of tasks that any given person is called upon to do, it is no surprise that people have trouble staying on track with their personal development efforts.

The trick to breaking out of that vicious cycle is to recognize that it is your own mind that is allowing you to believe that the circumstances of your life have the power to get in your way, and then redirecting your mind whenever that happens.

Let's say for example that you are in the process of becoming financially secure. You are focusing on that goal, and you are inspired to take action on business ventures, create new products, or offer new services.

The normal course of the human thought process is to then immediately start to think about all of the things that are going to stand in the way of your success.

Maybe the business venture that you want to get involved with will require resources that you don't have easy access to. Maybe the products that you want to create will require a large expenditure of time. Perhaps you don't see an easy way to offer the new service that you have been thinking of.

Another example could be that of weight loss. You decide that you are finally going to buckle down and start exercising and eating right, and you get excited about the more healthy (and smaller) person that you are going to become.

Once again, your mental roadblocks jump in the way. You start to think about how much time it is going to take you to workout every day. You give thought to how much more difficult it is going to be to prepare and have access to healthy foods.

You start to think about how physically and mentally busy you already are, and how cleaning up your health is going to cause even more strain on your life.

There are endless examples just like the two that were listed with regard to finances and health, but the process is always the same. You decide to make some positive changes in your life, but then you talk yourself right out of doing it.

The simple way to stop this process is to come up with a word or a phrase that you can use to immediately sweep away the negative and disempowering thoughts that come to mind when you are considering your personal development efforts.

It could be a simple power word like "Next!" or something more in-depth such as "I am in control of my ability to accomplish _________________, and nothing is going to stand in my way!"

You can come up with any word or phrase that works for you on a personal level, but the key to achieving success with this method is to consistently use it - especially in the first 30 days of your personal development efforts.

It is a well-known fact that it takes anywhere from 3 to 4 weeks for a new habit to become fully ingrained into our lifestyle, and that fact applies to mental thought processes as well as the actual tasks that are involved in your self improvement efforts.

This method seems simplistic, which is exactly why many people will think that it is not effective. Another negative human habit is that we tend to only give value to something if we have to spend a lot of money for it, or if it is something that is going to require a huge effort on our part.

This simple but effective self improvement technique does not fit either of those descriptions. Rather it is amazingly powerful, yet ridiculously simple.

Whenever you have a disempowering thought, you immediately dismiss it.

Whether those thoughts come out at random intervals, or if they are constantly popping up on a frequent basis, the solution is the same. Dismiss every disempowering thought with your power word or phrase every single time that such a thought crosses your mind.

Before you know it, not only will you have consistently taken action on whatever your initial goal was, but you will have simply and easily reprogrammed yourself for continued success in the future as well. You will also have built a rock-solid base of self-confidence that you will be able to rely on for the rest of your life!

by Aaron Potts

About the Author
Aaron Potts is the founder of the Today is that Day Success Community, and the author of Energy Harmonics, which teaches about self improvement, vibratory alignment, and the Law of Attraction. Visit his site at http://www.todayisthatday.com to learn about Energy Harmonics and to get his free newsletter, or visit his blog at http://www.todayisthatday.com/blog/

Keys To Overcoming Failure On Your Way To Your Goals

I thought this would be a good follow up article to our post the other day about gaining self confidence through failure. (How To Build Confidence And Gain Expertise At The Same Time)

There is good information here for those who might like to know just how to get through failure and and achieve their goals.

5 Keys To Overcome Failure

Everyone hates to fail but what most people don’t realize is that failing is part of success. Anyone who has ever succeeded has failed many times. So, how do you overcome failure?

Here are 5 keys to overcoming failure.

1. Learn from your mistakes and failures. How did you learn to ride a bike? The short answer: you fell off 100 times. Every time you make a mistake or fail, learn as much as you can from it so that you are better prepared next time.

Action Step: Write down the top five things that you learned from your last mistake or failure.

2. Don’t dwell on it. Now that you have learned something from your mistake, move on. Don’t dwell on your past. You can’t tell where you are going if you are looking backwards. Also, dwelling on your past failures will keep you in prison right where you are.

Action Step: Read what you have written down in Key 1 (The 5 Things You Learned).

3. Don’t be afraid to try again. Don’t let the fear from your last failure stop you from reaching your greatness, goal, dream, or potential. Just like learning to ride that bike, you didn’t fall once or twice and then give up.

Action Step: Take what you have learned and try it again now that you are better prepared.

4. Surround yourself with positive people. No matter what it is that you are trying to achieve, surround yourself with successful people that have done what you want to do.

One of the best ways to overcome failure is to learn how other people just like you overcame failure. This will not only encourage you but give you the proof that it can be done.

Action Step: Find a person or a group of people who are successful and get around them as soon as possible.

5. Realize that failure is part of the learning curve. Failure and mistakes aren’t fun but they are what help us learn to be great at whatever it is we are trying to achieve.

“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell

Action Step: Think back to a time where you succeeded. Then think how many times you failed or made mistakes to get to that success.

Now that you have the 5 Keys to Overcoming Failure, go out there and just do it! You have a seed of greatness on the inside of you. Don’t let anyone or anything stop you from reaching your full potential in life.

By Jason Osborn and Rebecca Osborn

Jason and Rebecca are the founders of http://www.findyourgreatness.com/ They have helped many people to get started on their path towards greatness and start living their dreams. They are an inspiration to everyone they meet.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Osborn

Keeping Success Simple, Avoid Overcomplicating Your Plans

KISS - Keep It Simple Sweetheart

Ran across a great post on another blog today and wanted to share it with you.

It's all about how successful people (and there are plenty of examples) accomplished extroardinary goals in their life by making simple plans and staying the course.

By consistently putting in the effort towards what they wanted, they moved inexorably towards their goals with persistent, determined actions daily.

Sometimes in our efforts to 'get all our ducks in a row', we will plan everything down to the last detail and not only lose our flexibility to adjust quickly, but we actually make our plans hard to follow and difficult to action.

Here is a teaser and then follow the link to read the rest of this great article.

Success Through Simple Plans

When Seko, the Japanese runner, won the Boston Marathon in 1981, he was asked about his training plan. Seko explained it with only twelve words:

“I run 10 kilometers in the morning and 20 in the evening.”

This simple plan enabled him to outrun the world’s most gifted runners.

When Seko was told that his plan seemed too simple, compared to that of other marathoners, he replied:

“The plan is simple, but I do it every single day, 365 days a year”.
Simple? Yes!

Effective? Yes!

Easy? No!

Most people fail to reach their goals not because their plans are too simple or too complicated.

They fail because they do not follow their own plans. All plans are useless if they are not followed.

Seko’s plan was effective not because it was simple but because he followed it every single day.
On the other hand, we are more likely to follow a plan if it is simple.

The great marathon runner, Paula Radcliffe, has a simple race plan. She gets out in front and stays there!

In the film ‘Waterloo’, the Duke of Wellington is asked by his second in command what his plans are for the battle.

The iron duke replies: ‘To beat the French’.

Wellington was a man who paid close attention to detail in all his campaigns but he kept the simple over all plan in constant view. Every smaller plan must fit into the big simple picture.

Epictetus was another person who knew how to keep things simple:

“If you wish to be a writer, write.”

The writer who has the simple plan of writing for an hour every day will eventually complete whatever they are writing. The weight lifter who lifts for an hour every other day will become strong.

A simple plan that is followed is worth far more than a sophisticated plan which is not followed . . .

Read the whole article here: Success Through Simple Plans

How To Build Self Confidence And Gain Expertise At The Same Time . . .

Improve Your Self-Confidence Through Mistakes And Failure

I know you’re probably wondering how this is possible. “How can I improve my self-confidence if I always fail and make mistakes? How am I supposed to feel if I fail?

I always feel guilty, broke, disappointed, and afraid of another failure. I think of myself as a looser. I think I will never do this thing again!”

Does it sound like you? Then this article would be very useful. Let’s find out what is failure and mistake for real. How should we feel about it? How could we overcome these situations?

First of all, I want to say that everyone, I mean absolutely everyone: no matter young or old, man or woman, every boss and every employee - everyone can fail. You are not alone in it. The failure is a method humans have chosen to develop and explore the outer world.

If you do not fail you are staying on the same level of development. If you want to ride a bicycle, you have to fall once, then twice, then may be you will realize how to ride it. You’ll get this habit and never fall again. Making mistakes is just a learning process we all do.

Why are we afraid to fail? The answer is simple - because we always tend to compare ourselves to others and are afraid of being judged. When we begin doing something new, we mostly compare ourselves with professionals. We feel like we could never achieve that level of skill.

Of course, it is not true. If others can achieve your goal you can do it too. Another thing to remember is that the way you are going to do the particular task can not be compared with someone else. You are unique, and so is what you do.

We are also afraid to fail because we are scared that we are going to be judged by our friends or family. Remember how at school when you got an “A” everybody had praised you. On the other hand if you got a “C” or a lower grade, your parents had been mad at you.

Since that time if you do something right you feel great, and if not you feel guilty and sad, because no one is going to appreciate what you have done.

The truth is - we don’t have to wait for praise and appreciation. We do not need to get people’s approval for what we want to do. We do not have to fulfill someone’s expectations.

The only thing we have to do is do what we really enjoy and what we think is good for us to do. People with high self-confidence never give up on their dreams. They do not wait for someone else’s approval. What other people think is none of their business.

And they know that if they fail all they have to do is to learn from their mistake and try again. When you accept this concept in your mind your self-confidence will increase.

To overcome any failure in your life you should accept that failure is happening because on some level you were not prepared to accomplish the task you have chosen. Every little failure happens for a reason. It helps you realize what you have done wrong in the selected task. It prevents you from the bigger failure or even disaster.

Every time you fail you get the time to think through what was wrong with the method you have chosen and how to improve it. Remember Emerson who invented the first bulb? How many mistakes had he made before he achieved the result he wanted? Imagine if he had given up on his dream.

I want you to remember that you fail only when you quit. It is only your method that fails. Your dreams never fail, your personality never fails. You just learn to become a greater person, smarter, wiser and stronger.

Remember - every time you fail or make mistake your self-confidence should increase, because you had enough courage to try. You acted, because you wanted to find out what is going to happen. You tried to explore the world you live in.

Keep trying! Never give up on your dreams! Remember - the more mistakes you make, the closer you are to fulfill you desires. Hang on. The miracles are about to happen.

by Edward Rybakov

http://www.self-esteem-guide.com/ImproveYourSelf-Confidence.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edward_Rybakov

If I Only Had a Heart . . .

I enjoyed this article so much that I figured that someone else might too. No wonder the movie is a classic, and is still regularly shown after fifty or sixty plus years!

If I Only Had a Heart

I know you probably have heard of the movie, “The Wizard of Oz” right? Well, for those of you, who have somehow managed to miss this movie, let me give you a brief description of it.

A young lady named Dorothy is upset with her home life and decides to run away. But before she can get very far, a tornado strikes. Her entire house flies away in the cyclone. She lands in a land called Oz.

Now, all of a sudden, Dorothy wants to get home. When she was home, she wanted to run away. Isn’t that just like us? We are never happy.

Anyway, she learns that the only person who could help her get home is The Wizard and he lives in Emerald City (am I confusing The Wizard of Oz with The Wiz?)

Nevertheless, on her journey to meet The Wizard, she meets a scarecrow, a tin man and a lion, each of who decides to join her on her journey to meet The Wizard. They figured if he was going to do something for her, then perhaps he could do something for them too.

See the scarecrow needed a brain. The tin man needed a heart and the lion needed courage. They figured The Wizard would be able to give them what they needed.

They take you through this long journey through The Land of Oz, where it becomes apparent to everyone except the individual that he already has exactly what he is looking for but he doesn’t believe he has it.

The scarecrow, who believed he didn’t have a brain, was the one who came up with all the ideas and was able to defeat The Wicked Witch of the West (or was it East?)

The tin man was so sensitive and cried so much that everyone but him could tell he had a heart of gold and the lion, defended and defeated everyone who came in their path. He, too, had what he was looking for—courage.

I tell this story because I was watching it the other day with Erica and Eli and it reminded me about how so many of us are today.

We settle for anything and everything because we believe we do not have what it takes to be successful. We believe we are not skilled, or smart enough, or strong enough to get the job done.

Yet, if we were to ask others, people who know us well, what they thought we were good at, they could run off an entire list of things that we can do well.

And, when we hear the list of things that others think we excel at, we deny it. We say, “No, not me. I couldn’t do that. For real? You think so?” We find it hard to believe.

So we continue to search for The Wizard. And when we find him, we discover that he is just a nice, old man standing behind curtains working a Wizard machine and that everything we ever needed was right inside of us all along.

What are you seeking that appears to be out of reach?

What do you desire for your life?

What do you really wish to do but feel you do not have what it takes to accomplish it?

Chances are you do have it. You already have all that you will ever need to be the person you desire to be. All it takes is for you to recognize it, claim it, and visualize your way to success.

See, in the movie The Wizard of Oz it wasn’t until The Wizard, or nice, old man behind the curtains gave the scarecrow a piece of paper, the tin man a golden locket, and the lion a medal of honor, that they started to believe in themselves.

Are you that person who needs a picture-framed diploma hanging around your office before you believe you have what it takes?

Then make one up yourself.

You have a computer. You can put together a certificate. Make it say whatever you want it to say.

Say something like, “I, Dawn Fields, am certified to Do, Be and Have ANYTHING I desire. I am fully capable and able to do whatever it is that I wish to do with my life—RIGHT NOW, in this VERY moment. So long as I invite the God that is within to go along for the ride.”

Now go out and be the best that you can be.

by Dawn Fields

Dawn Fields is a motivational speaker, author and spiritual life coach. She also hosts Your Life's Purpose Interactive Internet Radio Show every Thursday night at 9 p.m. EST at http://www.dawnfields.com/radioshow.htm

Be sure to visit the web site at http://www.dawnfields.com and sign up for the inspiraitonal and motivational weekly newsletter Your Life's Purpose by sending a blank email to yourlifespurpose-subscribe@topica.com with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dawn_Fields

Are You Living A Life Of Significance? If Not, Why Not?

Why Can't You Be Extraordinary?

During a recent interview, millionaire Farrah Gray was asked what inspired him to become rich at age 14?

Farrah Gray replied, "Why not me."

I admire Farrah Gray for his vision and more importantly his commitment and quest for wanting to be rich. To become rich or wealthy you have to do something extraordinary.

Extraordinary does not require you to do anything unusual except planning your work and working your plan. A better way to state this is for you to decide on an area of focus like real estate and then learn all you can about it and follow through, which is the action step.

You may not want to be a millionaire like Farrah Gray but you do want to achieve better results in your life. Your goal may consist of being a more effective leader or a better accountant.

Whatever you decide to do to become the best at what you do will consist of developing a plan, then working your plan to see it through to fruition.

There is nothing difficult or revolutionary when it comes to being extraordinary. Part of being extraordinary could very well involve you being in the right place at the right time for your opportunity. It is stated, showing up is 80% of success.

In other words when you decide to fully exploit an opportunity it simply means you want it bad enough to go the extra mile to achieve your goal. Determination and will overcome lack every single time.

You were born a extraordinary human being, develop your plan and work your plan and you will be considered an extraordinary human being.

by Paul Lawrence

Paul Lawrence Vann is known as 'Mr. Peak Performance" because he leads people to maximize their human potential. He is the author of Living on Higher Ground: How to live with passion, motivation, and joy. Contact Paul at: (00) 476-8976, http://www.paullawrencevann.com, or paul@paullawrencevann.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Vann

How Is Your Self Talk? How Is Your Resolve And Are You Being Persistent?

I Resolve To - Three Powerful, Positive Words To Live By

What to do about the winter blahs?! Where is the motivation and good mood? Where is the sunshine? Why do we feel like this? Those are very common questions in January and February when we struggle with gloomy days, and hope for a better mood and motivation to work on our resolutions, dreams and goals.

Let me suggest a few strategies that can give you a boost when you're down in the dumps during those long, cold days of winter.

First: Keep in mind the weather will warm, the blossoms will bloom and your whole outlook will change in just a couple months. Count down to the first official day of Spring, March 20 - it will remind you that winter doesn't last forever! You will soon be working in the garden, biking, walking, basking in the sunshine! Don't waste precious time in January and February. Remind yourself each and every day: I Resolve To . . . and persist until you fulfill your dream!

Second: Wallowing in the January Blues won't help. If you're feeling a bit down, or mulling things that are making you feel 'negative' - stop. Change the channel. Turn the tape off. However best helps you to visualize a change in mood, a change in your attitude - apply the brakes now. Stop dwelling on whatever is putting you in a 'negative' frame of mind. Remind yourself each and every day: I Resolve To . . . and persist until you fulfill your dream!

Third: Focus on one goal that makes you feel good about yourself and your place in the world during those harsh, gloomy winter days. Focus on the positive. Do something that you enjoy, something that makes you happy, something that moves 'you' forward in your life in a 'positive' way.

Instead of thinking about the bitter temperatures, snow, hard work, messy house, holiday excess-poundage, debt - all those thoughts, feelings and emotions that are really depressing you - get busy and go for a walk, hit the gym, read a book, write, organize a messy room, see a movie with your kids, have dinner with good friends . . . the list is endless.

Don't dwell on the negative. Do something and don't worry if it's simple, you don't have to move mountains every day! Accomplish a few small tasks, then hit the big ones when you have some momentum going!

Bottom line: change your focus from the negative to the positive. It's hard. I really have to work at it some days, like most folks, but you can change your focus to something that is beneficial and rewarding in your life, something that makes you happy and promotes inspiration in the dull days winter.

Remind yourself each and every day: I Resolve To . . . and persist until you fulfill your dream!

Fourth: Renew your hope, faith and desire for achieving your dream. If you've been a little hit and miss lately with your resolution to ___, don't give up, it's natural at this time of the year.

You are not alone. If you keep pressing forward with your resolution, one small step at a time, one day at a time, your attitude will shine. You will build on your successes, one after another like climbing stairs to the stars. The act of 'doing' will make you feel much better, more accomplished, more in control!

Stop the 'someday, someday syndrome'. Procrastination reaps nothing but regret, so get going! Ultimately, you will build and implement a simple, common sense plan that will take you from start to finish. It's your choice. It's time!

Remind yourself each and every day: I Resolve To . . . and persist until you fulfill your dream!

Tomorrow, hit the gym for 30-minutes. Work on your novel for 30-minutes. Do your homework about healthy eating habits. Research that dream trip to Greece (that you'll take next August).

Map the best way to organize your house, room by room during the next 12 months. Begin the daily journey by Daring to Dream, then make a Decision to 'Pursue That Dream One Day At A Tme For One Year'. Make it a Lifetime Dream that's with you always. DO IT FOR YOU!

Remember: I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year. Let's 'Go For It'!

Yes you 'can do it' during the cold bleak days of winter just as you would during the sunny days of spring, if you set your mind to it, and cultivate passion, patience and persistence!

by Kim Simpson

Kim Simpson, a former journalist, provides communications and fundraising services and strategic planning, for Members of Congress, Non-Profit Organizations and Associations in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. A self-employed entrepreneur, she launched http://www.IResolveTo.Com in 2005 in an effort to help others to achieve their New Year Resolutions, Dreams and Goals.

Her motto is - I Resolve To Achieve My New Year Resolutions, One Resolution, One Day At A Time For One Year.™ Let's 'Go For It'. This article is Copyright © I Resolve To, Inc.™ * All Rights Reserved. It can be printed for personal, non-commercial use in achieving New Year Resolutions, Dreams and Goals.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_Simpson