Introduction
On the back of the jacket of Jack Canfields book, The Success Principles, this quotation caught our attention: The principles always work if you work the principles.
Perhaps this is too simplistic a statement or merely echoes another familiar marketing come-on, but it does translate into a variation of the work ethic. To us, this means doing instead of just thinking.
And doing is synonymous to action, execution, implementation, carrying out all these convey the active mode as opposed to the passive mode of just thinking.
The human brain knows no limits when it comes to thinking out ways and strategies in dealing with all kinds of problems, but if these strategies and plans are NOT acted upon, they really hold no meaning theyre like empty blueprints camouflaged in sparkling rhetoric. And rhetoric comes cheap these days.
Weve made up our minds to be less ambitious about this work, and called the 101 recommendations and suggestions contained in this book as simply TIPS. Tips on how NOT to procrastinate.
Procrastination pervades every aspect of our lives. And weve mastered it to perfection having learned a subtle form of it when we were babies.
We delayed falling asleep because our mothers wouldnt cradle us in her arms. Weve procrastinated in performing our duties at home, in school, in the work place, and in our most fragile human relationships. We shudder to think what the final tally of lost hours will be because we procrastinated habitually.
Some of the tips we share here may be useful and some may be irrelevant. Others will come in handy not necessarily today, but at a later stage of our lives.
Procrastination is an expensive habit. We discovered that one of the ways that will not make us procrastinate is to figure out the dollar amount of something that was not done because of procrastination.
It all points to the generally accepted idea that time is money. This alone can serve as a strong motivator not to procrastinate again. Or at least to try not procrastinate!
Jack Canfield quoted Brian Tracy to drive home the message: Life is like a combination lock; your job is to find the right numbers, in the right order, so you can have anything you want.
Wed be lying if we told you that if you followed our 101 tips on how not to procrastinate, you can have anything you want. It doesnt work that way.
These tips are ideas that have come from our heads and from other peoples heads. And its up to you to apply them in every segment of your daily routine. Avoiding procrastination is more effective when we start with little steps. It does not mean having to change our lives drastically.
But as one writer said, not procrastinating will make us appreciate the life we have now. And as we build on the small steps, wed be amazed at how much we can accomplish over the years.
In deciding not to procrastinate, you may want to accompany this determination with clear cut and well defined goals.
In other words, have a goal that is quantified, and not just qualified.
For example, saying I will lose weight is NOT as powerful as I will lose 35 pounds in 1-1/2 years. These are concrete data you can work with. I will lose weight sounds noble enough, but lets count the ways, shall we?
We have cosmetic surgeons, image consultants, and we also havepsychologists.
But As I Procrastinate
Explain to them why junk has to be eliminated from the house.
My goal is to finish at least 2 big tasks and 2 small ones. In fast-paced societies, people tend to think of time as precious and valuable. Little do you know how much pressure he has fulfilling all these roles. Set up a chart in the kitchen or in the TV room where everyone can cross out the task once its completed. School officials who have programs or personal agendas will form committees and request student volunteers to steer these committees. The reverend Jesuit, the Chief Rabbi, and the Holy Iman whatever religion you were born or converted into never procrastinate in getting that much needed spiritual guidance. |