Category: Balance

Kick the Procrastination Habit

"I'll get to it–when I get a chance." You know what that means, don't you? You'll never get to it! Here are 8 simple ways to kick the procrastination habit and start getting things done.

  1. BREAK IT DOWN. Seem overwhelming? Don't look at everything as one big project. Break goals, projects or tasks down into small parts. Assign a specific deadline (date and time) to each part.

  2. WRITE IT DOWN. Make it official by recording on paper, what needs to be done. When it's written down, it's more concrete, and there's a greater chance you'll start and complete it.

  3. TELL SOMEONE. Tell a friend, associate or loved one what your plans are. Discuss decisions that need to be made with others. Ask a friend or associate for some ongoing motivation. Sometimes an outside perspective may be all you need to get started.

  4. SCHEDULE. Establish a regular time each day to work on your goal, project or task.

  5. USE PROPER TOOLS. Organize your environment, complete with the tools you need, so it is conducive to working.

  6. POST REMINDERS. Keep your goals in front of you. Post reminders of your goals and deadlines where you can constantly see them.

  7. I'LL ONLY DO THIS, IF I COMPLETE . . . Make something you normally do and enjoy contingent upon doing the avoided task. For example: "I will not watch my favorite television program until I complete Part A of my project." — By the way, no fair cheating!! 🙂

  8. SET REWARDS. Set rewards for your ultimate goals and mini-goals. You'll constantly have something enjoyable to look forward to.

_____About the Author______________
by Maria Gracia – Get Organized Now!
http://www.getorganizednow.com


Visit Maria's Get Organized Now! website for lots of tips, tools and ideas to help you get better organized, plus a FREE Idea-Pak and Newsletter!

Five Words for a Full and Prosperous Life

There are five simple words we need to use to have a prosperous life:

  1. YES.
    Simply say "yes" to your dreams and allow yourselves to actively pursue your dreams.
  2. NO.
    Learn to say "no" when you need to say no. Success is being able to set limits about what you don't want in your lives.
  3. OUCH.
    Allow yourself to feel pain and recognize what is causing your pain. Know that pain is a healthy warning system for you to take some action.
  4. NEXT.
    Fully experience your challenges and accomplishments and have completion with what you start. Know when it is time to move on to your next…
  5. WOW!
    Be fully in the present and really experience life—events and people in your lives, achieving goals and having things, enjoying simple pleasures such as good tastes, touches, sights, sounds, smells, etc. Be fully aware of all your blessings! Know that all of life is an experiment, so enjoy the process!

© 1994 Jean Fowler

Simple Abundance

Book Summary

Well, one of the wonderful readers of the Business Connections networking group suggested to me a terrific book, and one that I probably would not have discovered on my own. The book is Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy, by Sarah Ban Breathnach, Warner Books, 1995, $18.95. It has an essay for each day of the year, so it's a good book to have in the bathroom, or any place that you settle down for a few minutes each day.

The author quotes freely from all sorts of people, starting with a quote and expanding on it. She has a lot of interesting things to say about the ways in which we live our lives. This is definitely a woman's book.

I discovered a quote the other day that has quite literally changed my life. It's one of those things we all know, and we've all heard it expressed dozens of different ways, such as "be here now," "this moment is all there is, " "the past is memories and the future doesn't exist, " but somehow this particular phrase really struck me. "Writer Annie Dillard believes, 'How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives."

Well, of course! But how many of us (especially me) go about our days as though our lives were going to arrive once we get through the drudgery? No—this is it!!

Anyway, for me just that one phrase is worth the price of admission, I'm going to make a pretty little sign and put it where I'll see it every morning. Who knows what gem you'll find in this book? Give it a try—you're bound to find something that suits your situation or inclination.

© 1997 Mary Stanleigh

This book is available through Amazon.com. To find out more, click below:

Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy Sarah Ban Breathnach