Ok. I’ve just figured it out. I am the master of procrastination!! (Actually, I recognize that fact on a pretty regular basis, then find something else to do to avoid dealing with it

I’ve spent time trying to figure it out. Am I stuck because I am afaid of something? What is that fear? Am I avoiding a task because I just plain don’t like to do it? Sometimes for sure. When I find that I am doing everything else under the sun rather than the one thing I know I “should” be doing, I have tried to analyze my actions.

What is going on?? What are the causes of procrastination? Why don’t I seem any good at overcoming procrastination? The harder and harder I try to figure it out, the futher from reach it seems to be.

I had a coaching call with a lovely group of ladies this morning on this very topic. And, we came up with some very interesting ideas. So, in the form of brainstorming here are a few of strategies we came up with to stop procrastination:

• ask ourselves what’s the worst that could happen?
• get in touch with our “Why”. What is important about getting it done?
• Just Do It! Take a leap of faith
• break the activity down to baby steps and just do one
• make a commitment to someone else
• be creative and work from a fresh perspective
• focus on the value of the activity
• don’t do it! What’s the worst that could happen if you just left it?
• delegate it to someone else

What other ways of dealing with procrastination can you think of?

One of the ways that has been working for me is to look at my list and ask myself “what CAN I do right now?”. This is sort of an adaptation of the Action System developed for Compass by Kim George based on her principals of abundance intelligence. I’ve been working with the Compass Coaching Network for several months now, and this has been one of my biggest take-aways.

When I start to feel overwhelmed, or I’m avoiding something by wasting time, whatever the case may be… I just stop and ask myself what I can do. Right now. In this moment. And, it never fails to help me get into action.

And, once you get into action, (even if it’s not on the task you have been avoiding) you break the inertial,  feel like you are in control, and build some positive momentum.

Try a few of these hints, share some more, and let us know what works for you!

This is one of those “pass it on” chain emails that we get way too often. Except this one has a very powerful message that relates to my previous blog post.

The question is: What do we miss when we are in such a hurry to go (where?)?

have a read…..

This occurred Jan 12, 2007:

A man sat at a metro station in Washington, DC and started to play
the violin; it was a cold December morning. He played six Bach
pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush
hour, it was calculated that a thousand people went through the
station, most of them on their way to work.

Three minutes went by and a middle-aged man noticed there was a
musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds,
and then hurried up to meet his schedule.

A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a
woman threw the money in the till, and without stopping, continued to
walk.

A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to
him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again.
Clearly he was late for work.

The one who paid the most attention was a 3-year old boy. His
mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the
violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued
to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by
several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced
them to move on.

In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and
stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk
their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and
silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was
there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best
musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces
ever written, with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at
a theater in Boston, and the seats averaged $100.

This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro
station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social
experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The
outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate
hour — Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we
recognize the talent in an unexpected context?

One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best
musicians in the world, playing the best music ever written, how
many other things are we missing?

Harvest is over. The last of the 2007 grapes are fermenting or resting in quiet satisfaction in tanks and barrels. The fate of the 2007 Vintage has been cast.

How was your 2007 Vintage? Will it go down in your history as a “great year”? Or, is there some last minute tweaking you want to do to put this year to rest?

There’s still a month left, albeit a busy one! What would you dearly love to complete before the New Year is upon us? And, is it important?

A wine maker recently made the comment to me that sometimes “no action is the best action”

I invite you to take stock of all the “shoulds” you have crowding your to-do list for December and really ask yourself: “How will this contribute to my ultimate success in 2007?” Which activities and goals are really important in the overall picture?

Here’s what I want you to do. Sit back, relax. Stop everything you are doing. And focus on how you want the end of the year to be. Really tune in to how you would want to describe your 2007 vintage. What are the important elements? What do you want to stand out as the main characteristic or trait of this year?

And, just as wine makers have the choice to “finish” their wines with Malolactic fermentation, additions of acid, oak aging, you have the choice to make a few minor adjustments to your final product. Or not.

So, how do you want to use this last month of 2007?

I challenge you to get really tough with your to-do list. Get rid of all the “shoulds”! Only allow “want to’s” not have to’s”. Choose to do only those things that will contribute you finishing the year resting in quiet satisfaction.

Ahhh. 2007 was, indeed, another great Vintage. Enjoy!!!

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain

Have you ever caught yourself saying something like: “I’m going to go on that vacation when I have saved enough money.” “I’m going to take that photography course when I have more time.” “I really want to try Kayaking, but I want to get in shape first.” “When I retire, I’m going to buy an RV and do some traveling.” (At least ½ of these come from my own personal repertoire - care to guess which ones?)

When you catch yourself putting off things you’d really like to do, stop and think: How many friends or relatives do you know that were waiting “till”, and never made it?

I know that seems a little harsh. But it’s also true. My husband spent his 35^th birthday in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital after having several heart attacks. Now, mostly, we don’t wait. I’m a huge believer is planning for the future, but living for today. Don’t leave your future entirely to chance, but live every day like it’s your last.

Many people never live the life they dream of because they are waiting for something that may never happen. Be proactive; take control of your future and your today.

If you knew that you had only 6 months left to live, what would you do differently today?

Here’s a little exercise: Spend ½ an hour writing out as many things as you can think of that you want to do in your life. Be creative; think outside the box, stretch a little. What would you like to do? Be? Learn? Where would you like to go? What do you want to contribute? Who do you want to spend your time with?

Now, which of those things would you absolutely want to do if you did only have 6 months left to live? Which ones would allow you to leave this world with no regrets?

Finally, and most importantly, what do you need to do today to grab hold of life and begin to live out some of those dreams?

Want some help? Give me a call for a free coaching session!

“Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate (or wine!) in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming “WOO HOO what a ride!”

Does life ever get in your way? You know, you have your to-do list, you think you are on track, and WHAM! life throws you a curve ball and you are totally off track. You’ve lost your direction. You’ve lost your momentum. What do you do?

 Well, this post is my way of putting things back on track in my life. It’s like that first step - again!

It seems to me that just doing something in the right direction, one tiny baby step, helps to break the jam and get things moving again.

 It gets me wondering though. What do you do to get unstuck? I’d love to hear what works for you. Leave your tip in the comments & I’ll compose a list!

What are you rushing?

Is the merry-go-round of your life spinning so fast you feel out of control? Don’t you sometimes wish you could slow it down a bit, so you can enjoy the ride?

I was driving home today, and as I was passing the car in front of me who had the audacity to be barely keeping up to the speed limit, it suddenly hit me: Why was I in such a hurry?

I didn’t have to get home by any certain time. I didn’t need to rush. What was I gaining by going that little bit faster? Was it to stay out in front? Did I feel the drive was a waste of my time? Then I realized, going fast (driving; in my life) is a habit.

What WAS I gaining? Yes, I would get where I was going about 5 minutes sooner. Sometimes a bit of an adrenaline rush feels good. But, I also realized that my shoulders were hunched and tense.

When you think about it, it’s the old “fight or flight” response to upping the adrenaline and I was unwittingly adding stress to my life. Just by hurrying. Who needs more stress?

So, then I thought: Where else in my life am I rushing? Where else is this habit having a negative impact on me?

 Hmmm….

I find I often rush my calls to my daughters who live out of town. Gosh, what could I gain that would be more important than really listening to them?

I often rush through my meals. Wow! I love food and wine, so why do I wolf it down without taking the time to really savour them. Maybe not taking the time robs me of the satisfaction that food brings. Maybe that’s a factor in my being overweight?

It’s funny how things work. Just after I arrived home, I spoke to some friends who were also driving that day. They had taken the time to stop and hike in to see a waterfall and were excited and awed by the beauty. How much beauty had I missed on my drive?

I could think of so many benefits of just slowing down, being conscious of, and even enjoying, the things I do. And, so, I have made a commitment to myself that for the next week I will pay attention to my habitual “need for speed” and check-in with myself to see what I may be missing in my rush.

What do you rush? What might you be losing out on? Where can you choose to slow the merry-go-round down so you can enjoy the ride? What’s your hurry?

4. Step away from your computer!!!

Leave your desk and take several “mini” breaks throughout the day. Get out of your office for a breath of fresh air, different scenery, a new perspective. Breath deeply, relax your body and mind. No Solitaire!! How much more effective and focused will you be when your mind is alert and refreshed?

5. Just say “NO”.

Do you find you are volunteering for things, then wishing you hadn’t? Practice saying “let me think about it”, then really think about whether that activity is something that gets you excited, something that really honours your values, something that will enrich your life. If it doesn’t, then just say NO. (In a nice way - “Gee, that sounds really interesting, but I just don’t think I could give it the attention it deserves right now”). Our lives are so full of work, self development, family, hobbies, and volunteering that it can become overwhelming. Learn to choose your activities carefully according to your own priorities for life.

6. Stop.

That’s right. Just stop. Listen, what do you hear? Where is the beauty that is in front of you right now? Practice slowing down and really experiencing every moment that life has to offer. And, this does take practice! Sometimes we get so used to being busy being busy that it becomes our natural state. We have literally forgotten how to just stop and appreciate the here and now. Remember to breathe. Remember to pay attention. Stop, and savour your life like you would a very good glass of wine. Slow down and enjoy the colour and brilliance in the glass, sniff the aromas, sip and let the taste roll over your tongue and down your throat. What would it be like if every nuance of your life was so fully appreciated?