The eBook Money Machine Blog

Archive for the ‘Procrastination’ Category

In today’s world, it seems that almost any topic is open for debate. While I was gathering facts for this article, I was quite surprised to find some of the issues I thought were settled are actually still being openly discussed.

Benjamin Franklin, who knew how to conquer procrastination as well as anyone, said that “by failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.” How do you plan your work? And if you don’t plan, how do you know if you’re reaching your goals? It’s time to find out.

Make a list of everything you’ve been putting off at work. Not just the big things, but all the little things, too. Make another list of everything you’ve been putting off at home-large tasks and small ones. If you can’t think of anything right away, walk around the house. Walk through the yard. It won’t be hard to fill a page with projects that have been talked about, but not carried out.

Make another list of things you’ve neglected to do in the area of your personal relationships. That includes letters, emails, phone calls, visits, family trips, and vacations. Then make a list of all the things you’ve put off doing for yourself-a class you want to take, an exercise program you know you should start, or a bad habit you know you should eliminate.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Procrastination now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

Don’t worry about priorities. Just get the juices flowing and write down everything that comes into your head. It may be hard to get started, but once you start the ideas will come more easily. Keep writing them down; you’ll be amazed at how one thought triggers the next. Words will start to flow onto your paper or computer screen.

Now let me explain why I asked you to do this exercise. First, you’ve probably been putting off more things than you realized. That’s the first step toward defeating procrastination-recognizing it as a problem. Procrastinators go to ridiculous extremes to explain their inability to take action. Accepting the truth that procrastination is a problem is the first step toward overcoming it.

Second, I hope this exercise has taught you the importance of getting started. The failure to take action breeds doubt, doubt gnaws at your self-confidence and your diminished self-confidence increases your indecision. The result is paralysis-and the vicious circle of inactivity keeps turning. After you recognize that procrastination is a problem, the next step is to focus on one thing you’ve been postponing. Take one thing you’ve been putting off and make something happen. You started your list with one thing; it led to another. Take one action and that action will trigger another.

Ask yourself how much time you waste in a day. Keep a log of how you spend your time. How do you plan your work to ensure that deadlines are met? Always ask yourself if the work needs to be done at all. According to research findings, we spend as much as 80% of our time on tasks that do not contribute to the success of our projects-many people load themselves down with work that is unnecessary, or that could be justifiably postponed. Learn what all successful people know: If you’re failing to plan, you’re planning to fail.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

Imagine the next time you join a discussion about Procrastination. When you start sharing the fascinating Procrastination facts below, your friends will be absolutely amazed.

Many people procrastinate because they fear they’ll look foolish if they fail. It took Edison more than 10,000 failed attempts to discover the tungsten filament that worked in the incandescent light bulb. A reporter asked him how he managed to go on working in the face of so many failures. Edison told the reporter that each failure gave him hope; every time he failed, he knew he was one step closer to finding the answer. Edison believed that “many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

Successful people make more mistakes than others because they never stop trying to achieve new goals. If you’re not making mistakes, you probably aren’t attempting enough. Force yourself to get out of your comfort zone and take action.

One kind of fear is good: You should feel guilty when you don’t finish a job, and you should fear the consequences of sub-par performance. That kind of fear can be a powerful motivator to perform at your highest level.

You may not consider everything you just read to be crucial information about Procrastination. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself recalling and using this very information in the next few days.

Does it help you to think about the consequences of procrastination? Knowing the consequences of our actions doesn’t always keep us from doing the wrong thing, of course. If the consequences of not finishing an important job are not getting you motivated to start it, why not? What’s going on? You have to start asking these questions to get at the roots of the problem. What is really causing you to procrastinate?

English actor Christopher Parker said, “Procrastination is like a credit card: It’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.” We have all heard smokers say, “I want to stop smoking but I can’t”-as they light another cigarette. The person who says this doesn’t know what his real problem is. As we watch them smoke, it’s clear that they don’t want to quit smoking at all.

Talking about quitting lets smokers go on enjoying their habit while deluding themselves into thinking that they really are making an effort to stop. They want to avoid the part of smoking that causes them to get lung cancer-we have no reason to doubt that. But it’s plain to see that they enjoy all the other perks they get from smoking. Smokers are not likely to give up their habit until they are able to face the real cause of their problem.

Think of a time when you could have procrastinated but didn’t. How did you feel? How could you turn that into a good habit? When fear threatens to immobilize you, ask yourself this question: What’s the worst thing that can happen? Write down your answer as precisely as you can. Be prepared to accept the worst. Now write down as many solutions as you can think of. Decide on the best action and do it. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Don’t waste your life in doubts and fears: spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour’s duties will be the best preparation for the hours and ages that follow it.” Face your fear and do it anyway.

Now you can understand why there’s a growing interest in Procrastination. When people start looking for more information about Procrastination, you’ll be in a position to meet their needs.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

The more you understand about any subject, the more interesting it becomes. As you read this article you’ll find that the subject of Procrastination is certainly no exception.

The following quiz will help you identify areas where a negative attitude has been keeping you from taking charge of your life. Answer “yes” to the statements that describe you.

1. I get discouraged when I think about all the problems I have.

2. I often wonder why my life is not as rewarding as it could be; many people around me seem to be living more satisfying lives than I am.

3. I have trouble focusing on my goals; I’m easily distracted at work.

4. I tend to put off getting started on projects because I’m always thinking about the things that can go wrong.

If you answered “yes” to any of the above statements, make a commitment to start retooling your attitude today. Read motivational books, listen to inspirational recordings, and associate with positive thinkers.

I trust that what you’ve read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

We cause our own feelings; I am the major cause of my own problems. Don’t let a negative attitude stand in the way of your happiness in life. Never make an important decision when you’re feeling down. What is your best time for making decisions? What is your worst time? What is your best time for working on difficult tasks? Is there a time of day when you tend to procrastinate more? Is there a time of day when you tend to procrastinate less?

Here are some tips for improving your attitude that can help you take the first steps toward overcoming the procrastination monster:

- Focus on the result you want to achieve. The more you focus on problems, the more discouraged you’re likely to get. If you’re not getting what you want out of life, you probably suffer from a lack of focus. This is why procrastination is such a dangerous demon-it prevents us from focusing on our goals. Procrastinators focus on all the reasons not to move forward, instead of focusing on the goal they want to achieve.

- Give your full attention to whatever you’re doing. When you concentrate on the things that can go wrong, you can’t stay focused on the job you’re doing. Failure is the inevitable consequence of a lack of focus; if I think I’m going to do a bad job, I probably will-or I may never get started at all.

- Don’t focus on all the things that can go wrong. Focusing on the hazards involved in trying to do something will almost always convince you to give up before you start.

I’m not advising you to throw caution to the wind. Every task we undertake has things that can go wrong. Simply said, it’s enough to know what the dangers are, be prepared to respond to them, and then move ahead with the project-confident in your ability to handle whatever comes up. People who dwell on all the things that can go wrong never get anything done. Productive people have learned to focus on opportunities-concentrate on the benefits of successfully completing a project and you will have won a major battle in the war against procrastination.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO

Imagine the next time you join a discussion about Procrastination. When you start sharing the fascinating Procrastination facts below, your friends will be absolutely amazed.

Research shows that people spend most of their time and effort working on activities that have nothing to do with the success of their projects. I’m convinced that procrastination is the main reason people fail to live richer lives. If you want to get serious about eliminating the habit of procrastination, you can start right now by recognizing that your most valuable asset is time.

- Learn how to use your time efficiently. Make sure that people know when you don’t want to be interrupted-don’t blame other people when you don’t have enough time to finish a task. When you miss a deadline, plan how you’re going to finish the remainder of the work instead of making excuses about why you didn’t get it done on time. Then do it.

- Procrastination is the No. 1 cause of stress. Do you ever wonder why the most successful entrepreneurs-people like Bill Gates, for instance-always seem so relaxed in interviews and public appearances? They work harder than most of us and they make billion-dollar decisions that the rest of us will never have to face in life, yet they never seem stressed out, worried, or depressed. Why not? Research shows that stress is caused by leaving too many things undone. That’s why habitual procrastinators always complain about chronic fatigue-putting things off creates enormous stress in our lives, which manifests itself as fatigue.

Is everything making sense so far? If not, I’m sure that with just a little more reading, all the facts will fall into place.

- Break down your long-term goals into manageable segments and milestones. Without a way of measuring your progress on long-term goals, you can easily delude yourself into believing that you’re making progress when you’re just spinning your wheels. Setting project milestones is a good way to measure your progress and stay focused.

- Reserve some time each day for working on your long-term projects. Spend most of your time on the things that need to be done this week, but try to spend some time each day on work that helps you make progress toward your long-term goals. The tasks that help you achieve long-term goals are easy to leave undone. They don’t seem urgent in the way that telephone calls seem urgent, but they usually represent our most important goals in life. In many cases, these larger goals get pushed off the radar screen by the countless distractions and “urgent” but unimportant things that demand our attention throughout the day.

You need to spend 75 to 80% of your time on jobs you have to wrap up this week. Dedicate the rest of your time to projects that need to be finished in the next six months. Have you set milestones for these projects? How are you measuring your progress on each project?

Always ask yourself: What have I learned about the consequences of procrastination, based on the decisions I made-or failed to make-yesterday? Never lose sight of what’s most important in life, and ask yourself every day: If I only get one thing done today, what must that one thing be? Then get it done.

Now might be a good time to write down the main points covered above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you remember what’s important about Procrastination.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO

Procrastinators put off all the hard jobs. But they get stuck in a vicious circle of postponing the easy jobs, too. And the longer they put them off, the harder the jobs are when they finally get around to them. Successful people fight the same war against procrastination that we all face, but they have learned not to give in. They know that procrastination is the cause of many of the problems we face in our daily lives.

Procrastination creates a never-ending cycle of frustration, stress, and defeat. When people learn how to take charge of their lives, their self-esteem improves and their confidence grows. No matter how long you’ve been struggling with the demon of procrastination, you can start to take control of your life today by tackling a job or responsibility you’ve been putting off.

There are many books, online courses, and methods for changing your life and developing your personal and professional skills. I believe that procrastination is the root cause of the majority of problems that people face. Best-selling author Wayne Dyer said: “Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases, and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.”

Take the first step toward a richer life by getting serious about overcoming procrastination. The following quiz will help you identify areas where you can take action today.

1. I have written a list of my life-time goals.

2. I have written a list of my short-term goals (6 months or less).

3. I keep these lists where I can see them; they help me stay focused.

Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:

4. I establish priorities; some things that seem urgent are not important when I focus on the big picture. Yes ( ) No ( )
5. Once I’ve made a decision, I don’t worry about whether I made the right decision or not-I just concentrate on getting the job done.

6. I know when to say “no” to avoid taking on too many jobs at once.

7. I live in the present; I focus on what I’m doing now instead of dwelling on what I should have done in the past.

8. When I’ve done the best I can, I know when to wind up a job-spending more time on the same job only keeps me from starting something new.

If you answered “no” to any of the above statements, make a commitment to take corrective action today. Choose one item and do something about it. Don’t move on to the next item until you can truthfully answer “yes” to the previous one. You’ve taken the first step by reading this far; now take the next step and do something you’ve been putting off. If you want to change, you can-the best time is now.

You can’t predict when knowing something extra about Procrastination will come in handy. If you learned anything new about Procrastination in this article, you should file the article where you can find it again.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO

So what is Procrastination really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about Procrastination–info you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you.

Many people believe they cannot change. “I yam what I yam,” the cartoon character Popeye habitually explains. Before any change can happen in your life, you have to believe that a transformation is possible. There comes a time when we must say: “I am willing to change.”

Beware of mental locks. In A Whack on the Side of the Head, Roger von Oech offers a list of what he calls “mental locks.” To break free of a life of procrastination and mediocrity, we must guard our minds against thoughts that destroy our expectations of success. This quiz will help you identify areas where you can take concrete action to change your attitude. Answer “yes” if you have ever thought or said the following:

- I’ve never been a creative person.
- Stay where you are until you have perfect visibility.
- Follow the rules.
- Please be logical!
- That doesn’t sound like the right answer.
- Please be practical about this!
- Avoid making mistakes at all costs.
- If this doesn’t work, I’ll look like a fool.
- That’s out of my area of expertise.

Choose one of your “yes” items and reflect on the last time you said or thought it. Did thinking or saying it cause you to procrastinate or give up? Our thoughts and words influence the outcome of our efforts-what you say is what you get.

The more authentic information about Procrastination you know, the more likely people are to consider you a Procrastination expert. Read on for even more Procrastination facts that you can share.

Even a simple quiz like the one you just took can be a great opportunity to improve your ability to make things happen and get things done. Don’t expect to change your attitude by rushing through all the points at once. Work on one thing every day until people ask you what happened. When others start to see a change in your attitude, you’ll know that you’re winning the war against procrastination.

It starts in your mind. When you have a total determination to get things done, you tap into unused capabilities you never knew you had-abilities most human beings never use. When you expect to be successful, you jump at the opportunity to do the very things that used to cause you to procrastinate.

Never lose your sense of humor. The great nineteenth-century Scottish physicist, James Clerk Maxwell, was told by his superiors at Cambridge University that he would be expected to attend a compulsory church service at 6:00 a.m. “Aye,” Maxwell said, “I suppose I could stay up that late.”

Always remember to beware of the mental locks that threaten to keep us in a vicious circle of procrastination and defeat. Make up your mind to rise above the level of mediocrity-give yourself a whack on the side of the head and do it.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

This interesting article addresses some of the key issues regarding Procrastination. A careful reading of this material could make a big difference in how you think about Procrastination.

People get stuck in a lifestyle of procrastination because they believe their own excuses for not taking action. Procrastination is the main reason that people fail to live richer and more fulfilling lives. If you’re stuck in a rut of continual procrastination, make up your mind to stop making excuses.

If you’ve been making excuses for putting things off, here’s how to take charge of your life. First, think about all the things you’ve been postponing-at work, at home, in your personal relationships, or for your personal development. Make a list.

Now choose one thing on that list that you can do something about today. Write down every excuse you’ve given yourself for not having done anything about it yet. Ask yourself if you have considered all the consequences of your procrastination in this area. Do you want to live with them? Do you have a legitimate reason for postponing this job?

You have to be honest about this or it won’t work. Forget about what other people think; look in the mirror and ask the hard questions. If you have a legitimate reason for delaying action in this area, move on to another item on the list. Find something that you can make happen today, simply by deciding to make it happen. Now do it. When you’ve completed this task successfully, your satisfaction will motivate you to repeat this process with another item on your list.

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole Procrastination story from informed sources.

Successful people know that their accomplishments depend on two things: taking action and staying focused on their goals. People who are successful in any business or profession have an ability to make things happen. All successful people win the war against procrastination because they develop certain traits. To defeat procrastination and get all you want out of life, you must:

- Know what you want.
- Force yourself to take action.
- Be willing to make mistakes and learn from them.
- Stop making excuses!

Now go back to your list and choose another project. Write down every excuse you’ve been giving yourself for not getting started, or for leaving it unfinished. Put as many things on the list as you can think of. Now try to eliminate one excuse at a time. Ask yourself hard questions: Why do I have to postpone this project? Is it necessary to go on postponing it? If Bill Gates were in my situation, would he postpone it? What will happen if I keep putting this off? If I keep putting this off, when will I get it done? Can I get started on it now? What part of the job could I complete now? If I postpone this job now, what other job will I tackle to make better use of my time?

As you eliminate your excuses, think of what you can do today to make this project happen, and do it. Anne Frank wrote in her diary, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” Make a decision to start improving your world today.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO

When you think about Procrastination, what do you think of first? Which aspects of Procrastination are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.

The first step toward overcoming procrastination is recognizing that procrastination is a problem. Procrastinators have big problems and small problems, but the fact is that most of their problems are caused by procrastination.

All procrastinators share certain traits:

- Procrastinators know what they should do about a problem, and in many cases they know what specific action needs to be taken. Yet they find reasons to avoid action.

- Procrastinators are reluctant to do anything about a problem now, vowing to take action at some vague time in the future.

- Procrastinators promise to take action when the “right” circumstances present themselves. By making performance of the job depend on something else, they justify their decision to delay action. They delude themselves into thinking that their hands are tied. They would like to do something but can’t-it’s not their fault.

- All procrastination is the result of deluding ourselves. Procrastinators deny reality, refusing to accept responsibility for their lives. To defeat procrastination, we must stop playing games with ourselves. You can’t overcome procrastination until you accept the fact that you are responsible for what you make of your life. That may be more honesty than many people are capable of, but there is no other way to achieve a fulfilling life.

Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:

We are not victims of our circumstances. You can do the things that need to be done. And you can learn to distinguish between the things that need to be done now and the things that can wait.

1. Have you written a list of your life’s goals?

2. Have you have written a list of short-term goals (3-6 months)?

3. Do you keep these lists where you can see them?

4. Do you set clear priorities? Do some things that seem urgent take on less importance when you focus on your larger goals?

5. Do you know when to say “no” to keep from burdening yourself with more jobs than you can finish?

6. Do you live in the present? Do you focus on what you’re doing now, rather than on the things you should have done in the past?

7. When you’ve given your best effort, do you know when to wrap up a project?-Do you feel that spending more time on it will only keep you from starting your next project?

Did you answer “no” to any of the above questions? If you did, you need to make a commitment to do something about it today. Choose an item and make up your mind that you’re going to do something about it. Don’t worry about the next item until you’ve made a dent in the first one. Now that you’ve taken the first step by reading this article, take the next step and finish a job you’ve been postponing-there will never be a better time than now.

That’s how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep up with the latest news.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO

The power of belief is a key to success in everything we do. Whether your goal is to rise to the top of your profession or to be a better weekend golfer, you have a better chance of success if you believe you’ll be successful. And by believing that you can defeat procrastination, you can start to take charge of your life today.

Learn how to control your negative thoughts. When your mind says you can’t do something, refuse to listen to it. Don’t express your negative thoughts in words; tell your mind-and say it out loud-that you’re going to do what it takes to get the job done.

It isn’t easy, but it’s worth the effort. Many people procrastinate because they’ve made up their minds that they’re going to fail. If you are one of these people, the most important thing you can do today is to stop believing what the procrastination demon has been telling you.

Human beings are unique because of our ability to change-to become more than what we are. But before we can change, we must be able to accept full responsibility for everything we do. Smokers who say they “hate” smoking are deluding themselves-as an ex-smoker, I claim some authority on this topic.

We have a choice. People smoke because they want to smoke. It may be very hard for many people to quit smoking, but that’s not the point-they’ll never quit as long as they lie to themselves about the real cause of their habit. People are able to quit smoking when they really want to quit.

Take this quiz to find out if negative thoughts are causing procrastination in your life:

The information about Procrastination presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about Procrastination or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.

- When you tackle a job, do you expect to be successful? Do you think you’ll be able to complete the job successfully by giving it your best effort?

- Do you visualize your success? When you face a difficult task and feel like giving up, are you able to give yourself a pep talk to stay motivated?

- When friends, family members, or others help you recognize a habit that you need to change, are you able to recognize the truth in what they say? Do you believe you can change your bad habits?

- Do you accept responsibility when your projects fail, rather than looking for something beyond your control to blame it on?

- When your mind says you’re going to fail, do you try to replace these negative thoughts with positive ones?

If you answered “no” to any of the above questions, ask yourself what you can do to approach life with a more positive attitude. Do you want to go on living with negative thoughts, doubts, and fears? Are there any benefits of clinging to a negative attitude?

We can change bad habits by wanting to change them. And you can defeat the habit of procrastination in your life-especially if you believe you can.

Take time to consider the points presented above. What you learn may help you overcome your hesitation to take action.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his top ranked GVO affiliate site: GVO

So what is Procrastination really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about Procrastination–info you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you.

- Do you make excuses when you miss deadlines?
- Do you tend to look for excuses to explain why you didn’t do something, rather than take action to finish the job?
- Is there a good reason why you didn’t finish the job?
- How important is finishing the job?
- Have you written down a plan for finishing it as soon as possible?

Stop blaming failures on the circumstances around you. The next time you hear yourself making excuses, it may help to remember what the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said about the predicaments procrastinators get themselves into: “It takes less time to do a thing right than explain why you did it wrong.”

Do you see yourself as a victim of events and circumstances? Do you complain more than other people? What do you do when you procrastinate? How do you spend your time when you’ve decided not to do something you should do? Are you serious about wanting to change? Are there hidden causes of your procrastination that you need to discover?

Procrastinators are always able to find reasons for not getting started. To take control of your life, you have to accept responsibility for everything that happens with your projects. When you fail, analyze what happened and ask yourself if you could have produced a better outcome by doing something differently. This will improve your ability to successfully complete the next project, and you’ll be ready to take the first step to get started on it. Identify what needs to be done and do it now-circumstances will never be perfect for starting the job.

I trust that what you’ve read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

The only way to break out of the vicious circle of procrastination is by asking hard questions. We are not victims of our circumstances. You can do the things that need to be done. And you can learn to distinguish between the things that need to be done now and the things that can wait. Whenever you consider delaying a project, ask yourself the following questions:

- What are the benefits of waiting?
- Do I have a justifiable reason for postponing this project?
- Do I want to go on living with the consequences of leaving things undone?

Look in the mirror and ask yourself if you’re delaying a task for a justifiable reason. Put all your reasons for wanting to delay the project under a microscope; consider the possibility that your reasons are merely excuses for not getting started. Think about the last time you delayed a project. What benefits did you expect to receive by waiting? Write them down. Now ask yourself how the project came out. Did the project benefit from the delay?

Justifiable reasons-or if you’re just making excuses. What would have happened if you had pushed forward on the project anyway? And always remind yourself of what Napoleon Hill said about waiting: “Do not wait. The time will never be just right.”

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, proud owner of this top ranked web hosting reseller site: GVO