Newsletter for February 2004:
The End of Procrastination
Contents:
- This Months Thought
- The End of Procrastination!
- Quotes of the Month
- Strictly Business: February Check-up
- Humor: Advice on love and Marriage
This Months Thought
To over-come procrastination, be a player! Life is not a rehearsal and there are no "do-overs"! If you have dreams be certain you have enough REASONS to justify the investment, then go all out! Put your whole life into it! Procrastination cannot survive in the face of a committed, determined human will!
The End of Procrastination!
Occasionally people ask me how to over-come procrastination to achieve their goals and create the life they truly want. This month, I discovered two of the essential steps to dealing with procrastination and making your dreams come true.
The situation is familiar: We have a vision or goal, and we know it is within our reach. It may not be simple or easy, but we KNOW it's possible - if only we would get started. But we don't. We procrastinate. We plan and dream and talk, but we fail to take action. Time passes, things don't change and we berate ourselves in frustration!
That is no way to live your life! Let's look at some solutions.
Step One: Power comes from Purpose!
Recently, I talked with a few people who have big dreams and wonderful ideas, but they've taken no action. As we talked, I realized they have no powerful, passionate REASONS to succeed. No rational person works long and hard without a good reason!
They each thought they had reasons. Their dreams are creative and would provide a good living for them if they succeeded. Their families support them, and they thought their "reasons to succeed" were obvious, but their reasons were really just cliches, and cliches have no real power in them!
Power comes from purpose! The power to get up early, stay late, and work hard to achieve a distant goal comes from your heart. It comes from knowing your purpose, your REASONS for doing it!
When a teenager wants to make the basketball team, or a mother wants a doctor for her sick child, or we NEED a college education, human beings will find a way. But "nice" goals are not enough.
The power to over-come procrastination, take action, find solutions and keep going comes from one source: Living your life on PURPOSE! When you know WHY, you'll find the HOW!
Step Two: Become a Player!
This is simple: are you an amateur, or a pro? Are you serious, or are you dabbling? Are you committed, or merely interested? The answers make all the difference.
Again, I've recently talked with some folks who claim to have a sense of purpose behind their goals, but I don't think they truly mean it. They "dabble" and leave no tracks in the sand.
They tell a great story, and they seem committed, but their actions are not consistent. At some level, they know that dabbling rarely brings substantive results, and so they postpone and procrastinate. Action that has no weight or substance is hardly worth taking, so over the long-haul they make little or no effort to achieve their goals.
Don't be a lightweight! The ancient general, Hannibal, is famous for taking his troops through impossible mountains and is remembered for saying, "We will find a way, or make one." He found a way!
To over-come procrastination be a player! Put some weight and time and money and skill behind your dreams and make them happen! Life is not a rehearsal and there are no "do-overs"! If you have dreams that call you, be certain you have enough REASONS to justify the investment, and then go all out! Put your whole life into it! Procrastination cannot survive in the face of a committed, determined human will!
Quotes of the Month
"I don't worry about the storms, I am learning to sail my own ship." -- Louisa May Alcott
"Before you wonder 'Am I doing things right,' ask 'Am I doing the right things?" -- Stephen R. Covey
"Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely." -- Karen Kaiser Clark
"I have always had a dread of becoming a passenger in life." -- Queen Margret II of Denmark"
Strictly Business: February Check-up
It's February already! January "flew by" and that's very exciting, although it's amazing that the year is already 8% gone! (Are you about 10% of the way to your goals for this year? Remember, you want to be "ahead of the curve" to allow for set-backs, holidays and vacations later in the year.)
It may seem early to do a "reality check" on your goals, promises and projects for the year, but my advice is that early is better than late. It's time to do a quick check, re-assess your projections and re-affirm your priorities.
In the rush and romance of starting a new year, we often make three critical mistakes in setting our goals: (1) we fail to set any goals at all, or (2) we set expansive, unrealistic goals that lead to the wide-spread cynicism about goals and New Year's Resolutions, or (3) we set great goals but forget to monitor our progress and adjust accordingly.
If you failed to set appropriate, thoughtful goals for the year, do it now. It's still early in the year. Right now is the perfect time to take charge, decide your future, create plans and follow-through. Set goals!
Or, if you are in the second category and optimistically set goals that no longer seem appropriate or balanced or meaningful, change them! Take a look at what you wrote in the passionate moments of New Year's and see if they still motivate you. If they don't, change them!
And finally, if your goals seem appropriate, exciting and meaningful, then your task is simply to monitor your progress, check off each step along the way, and congratulate yourself for being among the top 4%, the 4% who set, use and achieve their goals year by year! Good for you!
Humor: Advice on Love and Marriage
The following are quotes from little kids on the secrets of love and marriage. Since we celebrate Valentine's Day this month, the following seem appropriate! Enjoy!
HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHOM TO MARRY? You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. -- Alan, age 10
No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with. -- Kristen, age 10
HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED? You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids. -- Derrick, age 8
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON? Both don't want any more kids. -- Lori, age 8
WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE? Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough. -- Lynnette, age 8
WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE? When they're rich. -- Pam, age 7
The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that. --Curt, age 7
IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED? I don't know which is better, but I'll tell you one thing. I'm never going to have sex with my wife. I don't want to be all grossed out. -- Theodore, age 8
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. -- Anita, age 9
HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED? There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there? – Kelvin, age 8
"And the #1 Favorite is........"
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK? Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck. --Ricky, age 10
Rodger Blaker is a Life Coach who helps people bridge the gap between where they are today and where they want to be! For info on resources for your success, visit: http://www.rodgerblaker.com
GIVE A GIFT TO A FRIEND! Please forward this copy to your friends and colleagues! That's how I grow!