No More Excuses – Do It Now!

The great scientist, Dr. George Washington Carver said, “ninety-nine percent of failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.  People get stuck in the life style of living for tomorrow because they accept their own excuses for not taking action.  Inaction is one of the main reasons that people fail to live better and more fulfilling lives.  If you're stuck in the “do It later” mindset, make up your mind to stop making excuses.

 If you've been making excuses for putting things off, it is now time to take charge of your life.  Think about all the things you've been delaying -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 now. 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 for not getting it done.  Are you prepared to live with them?  Do you have a genuine reason for putting off this task?

You must be honest about this self-assessment in order to have a break through.  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.  Identify something that you can make happen now, simply by deciding to do it.  As the Nike slogan goes, “Just Do It”.  When you've completed this task successfully, your sense of accomplishment will motivate you to repeat this process with another item on your list.  

Successful people know that their accomplishments depend on two things: taking action and staying focused on their goals.  People who are successful in any situation or career have an ability to make things happen.  Most productive individuals create a legacy of being a doer because they develop certain traits.  To become a person of action 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 take another look at 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 delay this task?  Is it necessary to go on postponing it?  If Oprah Winfrey was in my situation, would she 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 project could I complete now?  If I delay this task now, what other task will I tackle to make better use of my time?

As you eliminate your excuses, think of what you can do quickly to complete each task or project, and do it.  Writer Stephen King says, “Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”   It is important to recognize what is holding you back from taking action and commit yourself to being more productive.  Make a decision to do it now!

Written by Dr. RL Kight for Mind Power Solutions

Enthusiasm: The best weapon in the battle against procrastination. →

Enthusiasm is what makes the difference between reaching our goals and giving up before we get started. Henry Ford said, “Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hopes shine to the stars. Enthusiasm is the sparkle in your eyes, the swing in your gait. The grip of your hand, the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas.”   Henry Ford knew that enthusiasm is the fuel that propels people into action, and it's a powerful weapon in the battle  against procrastination.

I have learned that my level of enthusiasm has nothing to do with my feelings; my feelings wake up on a different side of the bed every day. To take control of my day, I choose the way I feel-I can't let my feelings control me. I have discovered that it’s up to us to shift to a positive frame of mind when feeling discouraged.  So, how do we keep ourselves motivated? How do we stay focused when a task is boring? How do we handle failure when our plan isn't going well?  Staying in the right frame of mind is no easy task.

Here are a few nuggets of wisdom I have found useful to maintain a high level of enthusiasm; they may help you along the way.

• Associate with positive thinkers; their self-confidence has a way of rubbing off on us.  Stay away from negative people. There’s nothing like meeting someone in the elevator first thing Monday morning and they already wish it was Friday.  I can’t wait to get away from them. Attitudes are contagious-negative people infect us with their negative attitudes. 

• Schedule difficult tasks for the time of day when your energy is highest. If you haven't determined the best time for you to tackle the day's least appealing jobs, try doing them as early as possible.  For instance, I find it much easier to go out for a 15-mile run on Saturday mornings at 6:00 am rather than at 3:00 pm.  My body functions better earlier in the day.

• Develop a mindset that no problem to too big for you to tackle.  Tackle the problem that's been a thorn in your side for a while. When you get in the habit of making things happen, your enthusiasm goes through the roof.  Delaying the task before you only lead to depression and anxiety.  You will feel energized and full of life once you have made what seemed impossible, possible.

• Identify the time of day when you are usually most efficient, schedule some of your least enjoyable tasks for that time.  When you breeze through a task with ease and competence, make a note of your frame of mind.  And ask yourself what factors might have contributed to making you more productive. When you start to discover a pattern, you will have found how to operate at a higher level every day.

• Stop holding yourself hostage to your failures of yesterday. Perhaps, we didn’t handle a situation as good as we should have.  That was then, and this is now.  We must continue to learn new things as if we were going to live forever, while living each day as if it were a new beginning.  Regardless of the task before us, we must give it our best because it could very well be our last day on earth.

 Always remember that enthusiasm is a choice. Mark Twain said, "Do something every day that you don't want to do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain."  Make the choice to be a person of action; get things done no matter how small or big the task.

Overcome Procrastination - It all Depends on You!

Napoleon Hill said, “Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.” And Poet Edward Young said, “Procrastination is the thief of time”.  It’s now mid-October with less than three months remaining in the year 2018.  If like me, you are wondering where has the time gone.  So, this week I decided to focus on procrastination and offer some tips on how to overcome it.

 Procrastinators tend to put off all the hard stuff for tomorrow. But they get stuck in a vicious cycle of also postponing the easy tasks. The longer they put them off, the harder the jobs are when they finally get around to them. Successful people fight the same battles 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. No matter how long you've been struggling with the demon of procrastination, you can do more with your time by taking on the tasks or responsibilities you've been putting off.  

 I believe that procrastination is a major cause of our failure to live the life we desire.  Knowing what needs to be done and getting it done are two different things.  The unwillingness to act is often at the root of our problems.  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."

I encourage you to take the first step towards a more productive life by taking action to overcome procrastination. Begin with an honest critical analysis of your behavior to eliminate procrastination and get things done by answering “yes” or “no” to these statements:

 1. I have written a list of my daily tasks.

 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.

 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 decided, I don't worry about whether I made the right decision or not-I just concentrate on getting the task done or accomplishing the goal.

 6. I know when to say "no" to avoid taking on too many tasks at once.

 7. I live in the moment; 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 task-spending more time on the same task 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.  

 As the novelist George Eliot said, "It's never too late to be the person you could have been." Today is a good day to start.

Think Big!

Think big! I'm sure you have a few bright ideas hidden somewhere in the back of your mind that you just can't wait to test out. These ideas could probably change your reality, but you just can’t seem to get them started. What’s stopping you from turning those creative, or even inspiring juices into action? An idea takes time to form in your head and some of your best ideas require you to think bigger than your current circumstance. 

You must focus on whatever you do to make your big thoughts doable and achievable.  This can help you realize things that were never thought possible.  To think big  can make the impossible, possible.  I once worked with a fundraiser who only asked donors for minimum $25,000 contributions.  One day I asked her why, she replied, “Why ask for $2,500 when there are only two answers - yes or no.”  She always received a donation of $25,000 or more. It showed me the value of thinking big.

Here are some tips to support your effort to think big.

• Take action towards living your life by design. Talk is cheap. Take action to fuel your passion to do something bigger than ever achieved before.   Without it, passion is void.  You must be intentional to make your vision a reality.

• Commit to yourself as well as those you love to create a life you can love. Instead of reacting, commit to creating from your heart and soul, out of faith rather than fear. Operate from a “can do” mindset with unwavering belief in yourself and the people in your inner circle.  Trust in your ability to achieve whatever you desire.  

• Recognize and embrace the thought that each moment is perfect regardless of its outcome. Every time you stumble on something that may appear too extreme, why not give it a shot and see if it will work. You will be surprised to discover multiple ways to get the task done.  If you are not pleased with the outcome, use the moment to learn from it and make appropriate adjustments. Value the lesson no matter the results.

• Live in a place of gratitude. I have learned to utilize whatever I have readily available and make use of it in the most constructive way. The world is as is and not what we desire it to be. I no longer wish for situations to be better or for the right time.  I embrace the moment for what it is and be thankful for being a survivor.  

• Use a Success Formula of Recognize/Reevaluate/Restore in place of the Shoulda/Woulda/Coulda whirlwind. The former is based in increased knowledge and abundance while the latter focuses on scarcity and lack. As you face tasks that may seem harder than anticipated, allow yourself to realize that the task is within your ability to make it happen.

• Keep a sense of humor at the forefront of your thoughts, laugh at and with yourself when possible. You may find yourself quite entertaining when you loosen up!  At least once a day I do something to laugh at myself.  I enjoy life so much more after realizing I didn’t have to take myself so seriously. Humor is life-giving.

• Believe that you are the architect of your destiny. No one can take your future from you except for you! Pursue life faithfully. If breath remains in your body, there is no end to how much you can accomplish in a lifetime.

The ability to think big is about enjoying what you do, while striving to achieve what seems impossible to others and believing its within your reach. It’s about looking beyond trivial circumstances and focusing on what’s important to achieving the goal.  So instead of subjecting yourself to a life of regret and resentment, make your own path and take the first step towards success. Watch everything flow into place just as you planned it.

Unleash Your Creative Thinking

There is a misconception that only a select few are gifted with the ability to engage in creative thinking. As result, we often hear statements such as “Only he/she could have come up with this marvelous idea.” In the workplace leadership tends to call on those supposedly creative thinkers for their insight and/or perspective. Unfortunately, too many of us doubt our own ability to produce creative ideas. I am here to tell you that we all have the power to engage in creative thinking.  

Creative thinking is a skill that can be learned. It’s nothing more than looking at things that everyone else sees, but in different ways.  It is about not being afraid to ask “why not?” It’s having the courage to go against the old status quo. Creative people and organizations constantly search for new solutions and opportunities to grow. They have the foresight to look at what appears to be a perfectly good situation and come up with new ideas to make it better. More importantly, creative thinking is having confidence in your ability to bring forth new ideas and opinions from within and not care what others think of them.

If you don't actively utilize your creative thoughts, this skill is likely to be view as non-existent. We all know people who once appeared to have a mind full of creative thoughts? For whatever reason, these creative juices seem to have vanished, and they find themselves stuck doing the same thing over and over producing meaningless results. 

So how do you unleash your creative thinking?  I’d like to offer several strategies that you may find helpful to tap into this hidden reservoir of ideas.

·       First, become a seeker of information. I am not suggesting that you absorb information just for the sake of it, I am saying that you should take in as much knowledge and learning as you can find. Read everything available -- good and bad and keep your mind open to the unlimited possibilities of the universe. I personally read at least three books per month to increase my knowledge base and awareness of various topics.  I have discovered the more you know, the more you'll want to know, and the more your creative thoughts will evolve. 

·       Second, engage in creative activities daily. There are a number of simple activities you can do to enhance your thinking process. Doodling is a simple but stimulating activity. Practice drawing for a couple of minutes each day. Take out your cell phone camera and start snapping photos of the world around you. Keep a journal and make a point to write in it every day. Before you know it, you'll have built yourself a tiny portfolio, and you'll be amazed at the growth you've undertaken and changes in your thinking process.

·       Third, thinking out of the box is not always the best route to take. Sometimes, constraints are actually a good thing. Creative freedom is great, but limitations enforce discipline. Reflect on how you can better utilize what you already have. For instance, forcing oneself to live within their financial means challenges them to come up with creative ideas to maximize the resources they have.  

·       Fourth, try something new every day and let the experience broaden your perspective. Explore a new community on your drive home from work. Spend an afternoon in a museum to which you've never gone before. Chat with a total stranger while traveling on public transportation.  Open up to the people around you. As you thrust yourself out of your comfort zone more and more each day, your sense of adventure grows and so will your zest for living.

·       Fifth, do something you have never done before. When was the last time you did something for the first time?  If it's been a while, I tell you, you've been missing out on a whole lot of experiences that could add to your growth, emotionally, mentally, physically, or spiritually. To run my first marathon (26.3 miles) at age 60 was a tremendous morale booster.  If running is not your thing, why don't you try bungee jumping or sky diving? Not only will you learn something about yourself, but you will also have plenty of stories to share, enabling you to improve your storytelling skills and make you a more outgoing person.  

I hope you feel inspired to start thinking beyond your self-imposed limitations. If you follow these steps, you'll soon be living a life full of adventure. Unleashing your creative thinking will make you far more productive and add meaning to your life.

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