Beat Procrastination This New Year

Procrastination, a long word. Is this bothering you? I believe that procrastination is something or a condition that bothers almost anyone at one point or another. Usually the way I fight procrastination is to give myself the extra 'push' to do what I am suppose to do. For Example, if it is a jog which I want to do, then I just put on my jogging attire, my music and get out of the house. The longer I stay not moving out of the house, the probability of not going for that jog will get higher. This article shares some steps which you may find useful to help you fight procrastination.

It’s a New Year with probably yet another long list of resolutions. But will you actually do them? Or are you the type of person that has the best of intentions and sets goals but can never seem to get started on them, or you half-start them and never find the time or motivation to finish them?

Well don't worry, you're not alone! We all suffer from procrastination at some point in our life. The good news is that there is a cure. Just think “SNOW” and follow these 4 steps:

STEP 1: STOP

The reason you procrastinate is because the emotional force or feeling isn’t strong enough to propel you to take action forward. A positive feeling is being counteracted by a negative feeling, making you feel neutral, unmotivated and leaving you sitting on the fence. The problem comes when we feel guilty about it. This adds to the emotional hot pot! So the first step is to simply STOP rather than struggle.

STEP 2: NOTICE

Be observant. What is it that you’re actually avoiding? What is driving the negative emotion or feeling for the activity at hand? What are you afraid might happen? Writers are notorious procrastinators. With good intentions they’ll sit down in front of the key board, but will quickly become distracted by the pile of washing in the corner, that layer of dust on the shelves and those dishes that need washing. For writers, usually it’s the fear of not writing anything readable that stops them from writing at all. This is the counter-force. Notice what your counter-force is.

STEP 3: ORDER

When you bring order into a situation, it is incredible how it can make things feel a little simpler. So the best thing to do is to is take out a piece of paper and simply write a list of all the steps involved. The secret is to break them down into really detailed small steps (e.g., take the file off the shelf, place it on the table, open it to page 10, etc.). You’ll find yourself whizzing through your list and it’s this momentum that carries you through the rest of the task.

STEP 4: WHISTLE

Yes, you read correctly. Once you’ve written your list, simply take the first step and whistle while you work. Try it doing it now without smiling! You’ll notice that it quickly shifts your mood and makes you realize how ridiculous you’re being. It’ll help you take that all important first step, and then motivate you to move on to the next one. By taking small steps forward, before you know it you’ll have finished completely. And what’s more, you would have done it with a smile on your face too!

Finally, don’t let procrastination hold you back from reaching your goals and highest potential this year. If you’d like some extra support and inspiration to stay motivated and on track, why not sign up for my free downloadable One Big Gulp! Kit, which you will find at http://www.onebiggulp.com/. Remember, it’s your life, your choice, so live your greatest life!

About the Author: Gabriella Goddard is a leading success coach and author of the top selling book Gulp!: the 7 day crash course to master fear and break through any challenge. Her clients include senior executives, career professionals, TV presenters, authors and entrepreneurs. She invites readers to sign up for her free One Big Gulp! Kit at http://www.onebiggulp.com/.

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Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zones

Let's face it, there will always be things we fear in life. Some of us fear the obvious "biggies" like heights, spiders, fires or flying. However, many of us develop fears around things that shouldn't hinder us, but often do. Do you fear rejection? Taking risks? Failure? Success?

All of us have the tendency to form "comfort zones" around ourselves: boundaries between what makes us feel comfortable, and uncomfortable. Comfort zones are not always bad. Sometimes they can prevent us from doing something stupid or reckless. Most often, however, our comfort zones are built on a belief that may or may not be true. If you've experienced a particularly painful rejection in the past, you might create a comfort zone that will prevent you from "sticking your neck out there" and being rejected again. In this case, the comfort zone itself isn't the problem. The underlying belief that you will be rejected again is the problem.

Just because you've been rejected in the past does not mean you will be rejected again in the future. That particular comfort zone will cause you to act in ways that are counterproductive to your own success in life. You will dread meeting new people, getting involved in relationships or even applying for new jobs. Deep inside, part of you will be expecting to be rejected again, and you will do whatever you can to limit the possibility of that happening. Pain isn't fun to experience, and it's amazing how our minds will avoid it at all costs!

Maybe you're not even aware of most of your comfort zones. Take a look at your life as it is right now. Are you making as much money as you'd like? Are you happy with your job? Do you love meeting new people and getting to know them? Are you able to set new goals for yourself and achieve them? If you answered yes to these questions, you probably aren't being hindered in any way by your comfort zones. If you answered no to any of these questions, you might have some issues to work through.

Here is a simple way to discover if your fears are holding you back: make a list of the worst possible things you can imagine happening. What are your deepest fears? What aspects of your life don't you enjoy? And why? If you don't enjoy meeting new people, ask yourself why that is. What is the worst thing you can imagine happening regarding meeting someone new? Be honest with yourself. You don't have to show this list to anyone.

Once you know what you are truly afraid of, ask yourself what the consequences would be if your worst fear were to be realized. And could you live with those consequences? Using the rejection example again, what would be the consequences of being rejected again? Would you be able to live with that? I think you'll be surprised at how small most of the consequences are, and how easily we could live with them if we had to.

Fear has a way of making itself much bigger in our minds than it is in reality! We work ourselves into a sweat, terrified of the "what ifs" -- when in fact, the outcome would be no big deal really. As with most other things, we'd simply pick ourselves up and continue on our way.

Once you know what your fears are, and you understand and accept the consequences, immediately do the thing you fear most. Yes, that's right, I'm encouraging you to step out of your comfort zones! Refuse to let fear control you. Tell your fear, "Thanks for trying to protect me, but I'm going to do it anyway." And then just do it. Then do it again. And again. The first few times you step out of your comfort zones, you WILL be uncomfortable. Expect that and accept it. Fear won't vanish overnight. But it will go away after your mind understands that the fear is groundless.

Now, just because you conquer your fears and expand your comfort zones doesn't mean you should become reckless either. There is a big difference between blindly leaping into the unknown, and taking a calculated risk. Before acting, take a few minutes to think about the action you want to take, consider the consequences, and ask if you're willing to accept them. If you are, go for it. If you're not, that's all right! Don't feel like you have to push yourself beyond what you'd be willing to accept. You can put the issue on the back burner for awhile and reconsider it later.

The point is to stop letting fear make your decisions, and start making them yourself. It will take some time to get used to this new way of thinking, but before long you'll automatically begin questioning your fear and stop letting it control you. Once that happens, there is no telling the levels of success and happiness you can reach!

About the Author: Wendy Betterini is a freelance writer specializing in self-improvement and personal development concepts. Visit her website, http://www.WingsForTheHeart.com for free articles on positive thinking, goal-setting, self-esteem, personal growth, and more.

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