Showing posts with label procrastination. Show all posts
Showing posts with label procrastination. Show all posts
Wednesday, 3 June 2020
Friday, 29 May 2020
Tuesday, 26 May 2020
Monday, 18 May 2020
Don't Put Off Beating Procrastination
If you want to write something - whether that's a novel, a self-help book or an email autoresponder campaign - there's one thing you have to do.
You have to put pen to paper, so to speak.
Because all the best writing skills and ideas won't get you very far. At some point, you have to create something.
But, for many folk, something inside blocks them.
They procrastinate.
The hypnotists among you will know this isn't always a big deal. Often I've procrastinated on something because my unconscious mind was telling me I wasn't ready yet. In fact, I'm procrastinating on a project like that right now.
Having said that, the hypnotists among you also know sometimes your unconscious mind "protects" you from failure by never letting you try.
I leave it to you to decide whether you're procrastinating for the right reasons or the wrong ones.
If it's the wrong ones, and you want to get down to work, then here's what's worked for me...
But before I get into that, why should you care what works for me?
Because I'm a natural procrastinator, easily distracted by shiny new ideas. It used to be so bad I could never do much I wasn't forced to. It's a lot better now, though that spectre isn't off my back. I still find myself goofing off, even when I have a deadline.
Even so, I've learned to sit down and churn out a lot of great content.
I'm not a naturally productive person, if there even is such a thing. I train my mind to create by facing the causes of procrastination head on:
Clarity
One of the causes of "good" procrastination can be one of the more frustrating:
A lack of clarity.
This is a strange thing. Often our ideas seem so clear to us. When you close your eyes, you can see it. Then, when you go to create it, you realise what you have in mind is just a phantom. What you had in mind was closer to a felt sense than a blueprint.
If you're procrastinating, this might be why. Your unconscious doesn't have a firm grasp of what you need to do yet, so it doesn't motivate you into taking action.
Even if it wanted to, it couldn't.
Solution: map out what you want to create. Explain it aloud to someone or at least yourself. You'll quickly notice any areas that need fleshing out.
Priority
Let's say you're now clear on what you need to do.
When you have a lot to do, it can be hard to know where to start.
You start thinking about designing your website... but maybe you should write the sales letter first so you know what it'll look like... hang on, have you done enough market research yet?
After clarity comes priority - you know what the end result will look like, but that doesn't mean you know how to get there.
When you have a hundred tasks that all need doing, where do you start? You could pick on at random... only to have your mind constantly interrupt.
"What about X?"
"Don't forget to do Y before you publish!"
With a head that noisy, no wonder you don't get much done.
Solution: you don't want to ignore these interruptions - they tell you vital things. Write them down. Make a note of what needs doing before what, and what has a deadline. Sort your tasks by priority and work your way through them.
Overwhelm
You're clear on what needs doing and when. But when you look at your list of tasks, you get this sinking feeling inside you.
It's common to procrastinate when there's just so much to do.
You might find the big picture overwhelming, thinking ahead to all that you need to accomplish.
Or you might look at today's list of tasks and think there's no way to get through them all.
If failure is inevitable, why fight it?
I won't indulge a broken premise. You haven't failed until you've quit.
Maybe your list of tasks needs tweaking. Or maybe you really do have to get through all this. Either way, you'll be surprised what you can accomplish once you get typing.
Solution: the best approach I've ever come across is the Pomodoro technique. Set a timer and work without distractions for 20 minutes. When the timer goes off, take a quick break. Stretch your legs, have a cup of tea. Then get back into it.
That's not all there is to teach you about your victory over procrastination. There are other causes of it, so there are other techniques for resolving it.
And there's more to learning to write like a demon than even all that.
You can learn everything you need right here, at no cost when you use my affiliate link:
https://skl.sh/2PymK9O
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/William_T_Batten/2522089
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10276210
You have to put pen to paper, so to speak.
Because all the best writing skills and ideas won't get you very far. At some point, you have to create something.
But, for many folk, something inside blocks them.
They procrastinate.
The hypnotists among you will know this isn't always a big deal. Often I've procrastinated on something because my unconscious mind was telling me I wasn't ready yet. In fact, I'm procrastinating on a project like that right now.
Having said that, the hypnotists among you also know sometimes your unconscious mind "protects" you from failure by never letting you try.
I leave it to you to decide whether you're procrastinating for the right reasons or the wrong ones.
If it's the wrong ones, and you want to get down to work, then here's what's worked for me...
But before I get into that, why should you care what works for me?
Because I'm a natural procrastinator, easily distracted by shiny new ideas. It used to be so bad I could never do much I wasn't forced to. It's a lot better now, though that spectre isn't off my back. I still find myself goofing off, even when I have a deadline.
Even so, I've learned to sit down and churn out a lot of great content.
I'm not a naturally productive person, if there even is such a thing. I train my mind to create by facing the causes of procrastination head on:
Clarity
One of the causes of "good" procrastination can be one of the more frustrating:
A lack of clarity.
This is a strange thing. Often our ideas seem so clear to us. When you close your eyes, you can see it. Then, when you go to create it, you realise what you have in mind is just a phantom. What you had in mind was closer to a felt sense than a blueprint.
If you're procrastinating, this might be why. Your unconscious doesn't have a firm grasp of what you need to do yet, so it doesn't motivate you into taking action.
Even if it wanted to, it couldn't.
Solution: map out what you want to create. Explain it aloud to someone or at least yourself. You'll quickly notice any areas that need fleshing out.
Priority
Let's say you're now clear on what you need to do.
When you have a lot to do, it can be hard to know where to start.
You start thinking about designing your website... but maybe you should write the sales letter first so you know what it'll look like... hang on, have you done enough market research yet?
After clarity comes priority - you know what the end result will look like, but that doesn't mean you know how to get there.
When you have a hundred tasks that all need doing, where do you start? You could pick on at random... only to have your mind constantly interrupt.
"What about X?"
"Don't forget to do Y before you publish!"
With a head that noisy, no wonder you don't get much done.
Solution: you don't want to ignore these interruptions - they tell you vital things. Write them down. Make a note of what needs doing before what, and what has a deadline. Sort your tasks by priority and work your way through them.
Overwhelm
You're clear on what needs doing and when. But when you look at your list of tasks, you get this sinking feeling inside you.
It's common to procrastinate when there's just so much to do.
You might find the big picture overwhelming, thinking ahead to all that you need to accomplish.
Or you might look at today's list of tasks and think there's no way to get through them all.
If failure is inevitable, why fight it?
I won't indulge a broken premise. You haven't failed until you've quit.
Maybe your list of tasks needs tweaking. Or maybe you really do have to get through all this. Either way, you'll be surprised what you can accomplish once you get typing.
Solution: the best approach I've ever come across is the Pomodoro technique. Set a timer and work without distractions for 20 minutes. When the timer goes off, take a quick break. Stretch your legs, have a cup of tea. Then get back into it.
That's not all there is to teach you about your victory over procrastination. There are other causes of it, so there are other techniques for resolving it.
And there's more to learning to write like a demon than even all that.
You can learn everything you need right here, at no cost when you use my affiliate link:
https://skl.sh/2PymK9O
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/William_T_Batten/2522089
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/10276210
Sunday, 17 May 2020
Saturday, 16 May 2020
The High Cost of Doing Nothing
By: Daniel Sitter
Cost is sometimes a difficult term to define. Here, we are not simply discussing cost as it relates to selling price, but rather opportunity cost. The web site, "Mentors, Ventures and Plans" defines opportunity cost as "The loss of the next best alternative whenever a decision is made involving two or more options". "Investing in Options" defines it as "Choosing the best alternative means that you can't choose the next-best alternative. Opportunity cost is the next-best alternative that must be sacrificed in order to get something else you want. Opportunity cost can be thought of as the road not taken." Inactivity, or doing nothing, is usually the highest price paid and is often associated with great opportunity cost. Inaction is usually the worst decision one can make, made from a base of fear.
Many of us freeze when facing decisions. For some reason, decision making becomes complex, paralyzing and even painful for many people. It should not be this way. Making a decision is simply the act of choosing between alternatives. You must learn to weigh the implications of each possible decision and choose the outcome that is best for you and all others involved. For example, when your telephone bill comes due, you may choose to pay it or not. There are real obvious consequences for both actions. The situation becomes more complex however, when our human emotions enter the picture. For instance; you are offered a new job and must decide to leave your current position and move your family to a new location, hundreds of miles away..
What we often fail to realize, is that delaying important decisions or simply not making a decision at all, are actions that often impact us with the highest opportunity costs and worst case scenarios. Inactivity, or the lack of a decision, is actually a decision made, although one seldom made in our best interests. In this case, we unfortunately transfer over control of our lives to external forces and circumstances. We are now positioned to be at the mercy and decision-making of others. This is not your best scenario. There are often unusually high costs associated with doing nothing.
Decision making is actually a skill set that can be learned and refined. Like all skills, entering into a new area as a novice requires practice and application in order to improve. Keep in mind that you will indeed improve! Start small, with less important decisions involving less than crucial outcomes and gradually make more decisions on matters of greater importance. Soon, you will have few if any issues with making decisions. Learn to start small and work your way up, gradually extending your comfort zone in this area. A by-product of learning these new skills is that your confidence will surely improve as well.
Decision making need not be frightening. Think of it as a process that is your own, shedding any external pressure that others may be applying. Take your time, get your facts and choose the outcome that works best for you. Do not allow yourself to fall victim to the high cost of doing nothing.
Author Bio
Daniel Sitter is the author of the popular, award-winning e-book, Learning For Profit. Designed for busy people, his new book teaches simple, step-by-step accelerated learning skills, demonstrating exactly how to learn anything faster than ever before. Learning For Profit is currently available from the author's web site www.learningforprofit.com and a variety of online software and book merchants. Mr. Sitter is a contributing writer for several online and traditional publications. His expertise includes sales, marketing, self-improvement and general business topics.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content
Cost is sometimes a difficult term to define. Here, we are not simply discussing cost as it relates to selling price, but rather opportunity cost. The web site, "Mentors, Ventures and Plans" defines opportunity cost as "The loss of the next best alternative whenever a decision is made involving two or more options". "Investing in Options" defines it as "Choosing the best alternative means that you can't choose the next-best alternative. Opportunity cost is the next-best alternative that must be sacrificed in order to get something else you want. Opportunity cost can be thought of as the road not taken." Inactivity, or doing nothing, is usually the highest price paid and is often associated with great opportunity cost. Inaction is usually the worst decision one can make, made from a base of fear.
Many of us freeze when facing decisions. For some reason, decision making becomes complex, paralyzing and even painful for many people. It should not be this way. Making a decision is simply the act of choosing between alternatives. You must learn to weigh the implications of each possible decision and choose the outcome that is best for you and all others involved. For example, when your telephone bill comes due, you may choose to pay it or not. There are real obvious consequences for both actions. The situation becomes more complex however, when our human emotions enter the picture. For instance; you are offered a new job and must decide to leave your current position and move your family to a new location, hundreds of miles away..
What we often fail to realize, is that delaying important decisions or simply not making a decision at all, are actions that often impact us with the highest opportunity costs and worst case scenarios. Inactivity, or the lack of a decision, is actually a decision made, although one seldom made in our best interests. In this case, we unfortunately transfer over control of our lives to external forces and circumstances. We are now positioned to be at the mercy and decision-making of others. This is not your best scenario. There are often unusually high costs associated with doing nothing.
Decision making is actually a skill set that can be learned and refined. Like all skills, entering into a new area as a novice requires practice and application in order to improve. Keep in mind that you will indeed improve! Start small, with less important decisions involving less than crucial outcomes and gradually make more decisions on matters of greater importance. Soon, you will have few if any issues with making decisions. Learn to start small and work your way up, gradually extending your comfort zone in this area. A by-product of learning these new skills is that your confidence will surely improve as well.
Decision making need not be frightening. Think of it as a process that is your own, shedding any external pressure that others may be applying. Take your time, get your facts and choose the outcome that works best for you. Do not allow yourself to fall victim to the high cost of doing nothing.
Author Bio
Daniel Sitter is the author of the popular, award-winning e-book, Learning For Profit. Designed for busy people, his new book teaches simple, step-by-step accelerated learning skills, demonstrating exactly how to learn anything faster than ever before. Learning For Profit is currently available from the author's web site www.learningforprofit.com and a variety of online software and book merchants. Mr. Sitter is a contributing writer for several online and traditional publications. His expertise includes sales, marketing, self-improvement and general business topics.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content
Friday, 15 May 2020
Wednesday, 13 May 2020
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