Comfort - A HUGE Stumbling Block

Posted on Nov 3rd, 2009 by

A NOTE FROM THE PROCRASTIVITY NICHEPERT

It was Halloween last Saturday, and the Christmas commercials on television have already started. I wondered if that was a new record for early Christmas TV advertising.

Well, one good strategy to avoid procrastination is to start with reminders early. Of course, if you ignore the reminders or take no action to make sure things happen, the reminders end up being little more than annoyances - that is, until they're late enough that they're catalysts for the cold sweat felt when a deadline is fast approaching.

How do you handle deadlines? Do you like the whooshing sound they make as they pass you by? Or do you find yourself in that cold sweat more often than you like?

It's your priorities that determine which outcome you get. And in my professional experience I have found that often people are not even aware of the priorities that are motivating their choices. Does a priority of productivity cost you in terms of relationship happiness? Or is it the reverse: a need to be liked results in not setting boundaries or making others accountable?

If this subject resonates for you, read the article below. You could win a free month of coaching (3 half-hour coaching sessions by phone) if you write and share your story with me [one response will be chosen - the deadline is 12pm noon Eastern Time on November 12, 2009].

Oh, before I forget, I'll be doing a book signing for both of my books, Stop Procrastinating Now and Productive Procrastination, in Orlando and the famous Urban Think bookstore on Saturday, December 5, 2009 from 2-4pm. If you're in the area I'd love to see you there. You might even win a copy of the books.

On another note, if your networking efforts aren't going well, try Blitz Time , a new service that offers a new way of networking - on the phone from the convenience of wherever you happen to be (in your PJs or sweats!), with no mediocre meal you're paying too much for, and no travel and traffic, to meet a bunch of small business owners looking to network with others. Check it out here.

For those of you following my doctoral studies pace, I have my doctoral committee together (except for the external reader), have submitted a first revision of my concept paper, and am waiting for comprehensive assessment feedback. What does that mean? I hope to have a draft of my dissertation proposal done by the end of the year (about 1 year and 8 months into the program). That's less than 2 months away!!! Yikes! Wanna know one of my motivators for getting through the program swiftly? The cost of tuition, which I divided by day, so every day I don't make a good effort I think of the money down the drain. It works as a good "hit man" for me (a reference from my book "Stop Procrastinating Now - more below).

I'd love to hear from you if you have any thoughts about personal development strategies that have worked for you. You might even be featured in an upcoming newsletter!

Finally, if you haven't yet gotten your copy of either of my books, remember they're available at both www.Procrastivity.com and www.Amazon.com.

Wishing you all optimal procrastivity, as always, and a fabulous November,

Kerul

Kerul Kassel, Author of Productive Procrastination - Make It Work For You, Not Against You and the award-winning Stop Procrastinating Now - Five Radical Procrastination Strategies To Set You Free, both available at www.Procrastivity.com

COMFORT - A HUGE STUMBLING BLOCK: IS IT YOUR *REAL* PRIORITY?

   "Don't tell me where your priorities are. Show me where you spend your money and I'll tell you what they are." J.W. Frick

   I'd amend the second sentence of this quote to read "Show me where you spend your *time* and money and I'll tell you what they are."

   We all hold certain values dear, and we make visible how we prioritize those values through our everyday actions, for better or worse. If what you say you want for yourself is very different from what you have, one reason could be that you're tripping over your priorities.

   A common stumbling block I have found with my clients is that they don't realize how highly they prioritize comfort. I don't mean just physical comfort; the need for emotional and psychic comfort can be just as much a dream-killer.

Comfort isn't a bad thing in an of itself, certainly, but staying in one's comfort zone makes positive change very difficult. It can feel threatening when we evaluate our actions, reactions, and beliefs, and find they're not very effective, attractive, or realistic. Ouch!

   Usually, we're completely unaware of the priorities that are driving us. A client of mine, Candace, wanted to be more organized and to better manage her schedule. At first Candace found it uncomfortable to play with new habits such as spending a few minutes in the morning planning her day and checking in with her calendar regularly throughout the day. She resisted by creating rationalizations for her way of doing things. After a discussion about the priority of comfort and how resistance and discomfort are always found just before breakthrough, Candace was able to begin to overcome them. She started experimenting with her techniques which took little time or effort but helped her be more effective and organized.

   The comfort priority has a wide variety of masks and is behind many dissatisfactions: the student who is not staying current with his studies, business owner who is not creating or following a marketing plan to bring business in, the professional who is all work and no play, the solopreneur who insists on doing everything herself. Even though there's a degree of discomfort for each of these people in not having what they want (to be caught up on studies, to have business rolling in, to have a balanced lifestyle, to delegate or hire out responsibilities), there is greater discomfort in creating change than to stay the same.

   Contemplating our new improved self - who we'll be once we master a bit of change - can also feel unpleasant. Will people close to us be angry that we've changed? What if we fail to keep up the positive change - do we deserve the label of loser? What if we make the effort but the change doesn't give us the results we hoped for? Oh yes, all these concerns rear their ugly little heads, but they are not red stop lights. They are amber caution lights, urging us to look around, to be aware of potholes, and to plan how we'll respond to them.

   Be aware that going too far beyond the threshold of comfort can be counterproductive. The most effective learning is found in the slight to moderate discomfort zone, but learning and change become more difficult the farther away you get from your comfort threshold.

   Experiment with small things first, just at the edge of the threshold. Remember that a breakthrough is just on the other side of discomfort.

   Where are you a bit too comfortable, living in a sort of satin-lined coffin of discontent? Write and tell me about it. You may be chosen for a free month of coaching.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

"Action expresses priorities." ~ Mahatma Ghandi

"Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work." ~ H. L. Hunt

"There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do." ~ Freya Stark

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Tagged with: comfort, discomfort, breakthrough, priority, prioritize, priorities, procrastination, sucess

The Worst Time Management Mistake

Posted on Oct 8th, 2009 by

Kerul

It’s October and pumpkins are popping up on porches and entryways all over the USA and elsewhere.

   How do you handle the pumpkin thing? Do you carve or paint your own? Buy one already decorated, or use a decorative faux pumpkin or gourd? Does your pumpkin go au naturale? Do you hate pumpkins and seasonal decorating? Maybe you’re overwhelmed and just don’t want to deal with the pumpkin thing, or you’d love to get to it but you’re just too jammed.

   The pumpkin thing is a microcosm of our values and priorities and how well they are aligned with each other. Sometimes we act on priorities that don’t actually fulfill our values, or vice versa or pursue goals just for accomplishment’s sake than for engaging our real potential, both in work and play.

   Sometimes one set of closely held values is in conflict with other closely held values, creating inner conflict, and resulting in struggle, dissatisfaction, and poor results - like having one foot on the gas pedal on the other on the brake. You’re expending an awful lot of energy but going nowhere. And burning yourself out in the process.

   It doesn’t take that much time, effort, or thought to realign your values and priorities with your actions. You might make it part of your regular planning process - and speaking of planning and actions, you don’t need to spend all your time on that either - see the tip below, the final tip in the Time Management Pitfalls series. I call it “the worst” because falling into this trap means you’re unable to enjoy the fruits of your labor, like Sisyphus endlessly rolling his rock up the hill only to have it fall back down when he’s inches from the top.

In case you're interested, btw, I'm not much of a pumpkin decorator - I have decorative faux pumpkins :-)

On another note, if your networking efforts aren't going well, I'd suggest a new tack: Blitz Time. I'm having some success with it. It's inexpensive and saves time, too.

Blitz Time is a new service that offers a new way of networking - on the phone from the convenience of wherever you happen to be (in your PJs or sweats!), with no mediocre meal you're paying too much for, and no travel and traffic, to meet a bunch of small business owners looking to network with others. Check it out here.

If you're in business for yourself, are you aware of the risks you may face? Check out the blurb below the tip for information on risk management (insurance!) from Michael, an experienced risk management expert I met through BlitzTime.

I'd love to hear from you if you have any thoughts about personal development strategies that have worked for you. You might even be featured in an upcoming newsletter!

Finally, if you haven't yet gotten your copy of either of my books, remember they're available at both www.Procrastivity.com and www.Amazon.com.

Wishing you all optimal procrastivity, as always, and a fabulous October,

Kerul

7 TIME MANAGEMENT PITFALLS THAT ARE COSTING YOU MONEY, RESULTS, AND THE MOST PRECIOUS COMMODITY ANYWHERE - TIME

What NOT To Do To Get Dramatically Better Results

Tip #7: DO NOT spend most of your time focusing and planning ahead and pursuing goals

   What? This really doesn’t seem to make sense, right?

   The truth is, it doesn’t take much time to plan, as well as tweak and adjust as appropriate, nor does it take a lot of dedicated time to achieve most goals. While success is almost always the result of consistent and regular actions toward the most important objectives, those actions don’t need to take up 12 or 10 or even 8 hours each day. It’s the more trivial and urgent-but-not-important stuff that takes up so much time.

   If you’re not spending 1-3 hours each day taking time for fun and enjoyment, and acknowledging and celebrating your progress, you’re making a time management mistake of huge proportions.

   After all, if we set aside our enjoyments, what’s left. Sure, you may love your work, but life is not only about work. When your time is up, will you regret not having had more time for work or not having set aside more time for enjoyment and celebrations of your blessings?

   Ignoring or putting off time spent in enjoyment, fun and gratitude wears you down. It has a detrimental effect on your health.

   When you spend time in fun and when you recognize and honor your achievements – tiny, huge, and everything in between – you’re creating a physical, mental, and emotional environment of inspiration and rejuvenation. That “re-creation” will not only strongly boost your productivity levels when you apply yourself to work, but immediately adds satisfaction and fulfillment to your life every day. You don’t have to wait for the weekend, and you don’t have to wait for retirement. You can start having what you really want today.

   It isn’t necessary to set aside large blocks of time to do this. Taking a ten or twenty minute walk (outdoors, if possible) and observing all that’s around you, playing with a pet for a few minutes, looking out the window and watching the clouds pass by a few times each day, having lunch with a friend, spending some cuddle time with your sweetie, making a list (on paper, electronically, or mentally) of the day’s little victories or of the many small blessings you’ve experienced that day, and putting on the radio or stereo or iPod and singing or dancing are all minute but considerable ways to start experimenting with this essential practice.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

“He does not seem to me to be a free man who does not sometimes do nothing.” ~ Cicero

“People who cannot find time for recreation are obliged sooner or later to find time for illness.” ~ John Wanamaker

"The bow cannot always stand bent, nor can human frailty subsist without some lawful recreation." ~ Miguel De Cervantes

How much are you risking?

With 14.5 million Americans currently unemployed, self-employment is becoming increasingly popular. Business ownership holds many challenges, issues and opportunities. Every business venture has elements of risk.

Michael Ferreira is an advocate for entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, new business start-ups and the professionals and organizations that serve them to identify, assess and address business-risk exposures. Michael is committed to developing a customized risk management program that supports your business plan on the road to success. Michael can be reached at Michael.ferreira@mfrisksolutions.com
Tel: 917 767 9123.

Are You Tired Of Failing To Take Action On Your Important Goals, and Then Beating Yourself Up For It?

There IS another way! The Procrastination Solutions Kit is a comprehensive package that includes an e-book, a recording, worksheets, and more.

How much time have you lost as a result of procrastination? Never mind all your life... how about this week? Did the guilt of putting something off until the last minute stop you from doing something you really wanted to do? Spend more time with your family? Go out and have some fun? Procrastination can be debilitating and it's murder on your self esteem.

And what is that worth to you?

Clients regularly pay me hundreds of dollars a month to have access to my techniques for being productive and procrastination-free. But this entire package is available for just $49 US. I could tell you it's "less than dinner and a movie for you and a companion " .

But never mind about that. Let's compare it to something much closer to your heart... how about all the time you've wasted feeling like a procrastinator, all the opportunities you feel you've lost by putting things off.

How much is your time worth? I'll tell you this - it's worth a lot more than $39. www.StopProcrastinatingNow.com

ABOUT KERUL

Kerul Kassel is an author and expert in procrastination and productivity - "PROCRASTIVITY". As the founder of New Leaf Systems - a consulting firm dedicated to creating higher performance outcomes - she has been quoted in the New York Times, TIME Magazine, Business Week, Investors Daily, Real Simple, and Self. Her clients have included NASA, Sony, Hilton, and Volvo.

Kerul's professional experience includes 4 certifications in the field of coaching, investment and real estate management, as well as over 25 years of leadership in for-profit and non-profit organizations. She is the author of the award-winning book "Stop Procrastinating Now" and "Productive Procrastination." For more information, Kerul can be reached at Kerul@newleafsystems.com.

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Procrastination quote...

Posted on Sep 9th, 2009 by

Kerul

...from a global warming denier.

"That's human nature. Nobody does anything until it's too late." ~ Michael Crichton

I'll add that we rationalize our inaction or deny any problem. Crichton has written that global warming is a hoax.

Ironic, no?

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Tagged with: procrastination, procrastinating, global warming, sustainability, irony, rationalization

Want to know what kind of Procrastinator (or not) you are?

Posted on Sep 8th, 2009 by

Kerul

Go to www.StopProcrastinatingNow.com to find out (click on the quiz link).

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time Management Pitfall #6 - Being Independent

Posted on Sep 1st, 2009 by

Kerul

Do you ever set a deadline, not meet it, and then

make yourself miserable? Been there, done that.

But I've learned a few things, and I'll illustrate by using an example from my own life. I'm almost half way through the doctoral program I'm working my way through and am now focusing on the comprehensive assessment, which I'd hoped to complete by the end of August.

While working on the three essays that comprise this required assignment I realized that my ideas were not as informed or crystalized as I need them to be. Racking own brain to further develop ideas wasn't fruitful.

Instead of beating myself up about it, I've been using the last to two weeks to sponge up and filter through more literature. I'm reaching out to the academic community through reading and writing to scholars in this area to help these assigns take form. (See tip on not being independent, below). This work will also help me in other upcoming assignments. Rather than attempting to push through and being frustrated, I'm reaching out for help. You should, too, whenever you hit a snag or are struggling. Independence can sometimes be over-rated.

On another note, I'm hosting a Blitz Time networking call this month on Getting Out Of Your Own Way and I'd love for you to join me - there's not cost involved except possibly your long distance carrier's charge. It's on Tuesday, September 8 at 12pm Eastern/US. Here's the link:

http://www.blitztime.com/events/3347-1128767668-179608

Blitz Time, by the way, is a new service that offers a new way of networking - on the phone from the convenience of wherever you happen to be (in your PJs or sweats!), with no mediocre meal you're paying too much for, and no travel and traffic, to meet a bunch of small business owners looking to network with others. Check it out here.

I'd love to hear from you if you have any thoughts about personal development strategies that have worked for you. You might even be featured in an upcoming newsletter!

Do you need a vacation? On a budget? Check out the blurb below for information on opportunities, from Margie, a woman I met through BlitzTime.

Finally, if you haven't yet gotten your copy of either of my books, remember they're available at both www.Procrastivity.com and www.Amazon.com.

Wishing you all optimal procrastivity, as always, and a fabulous August,

Kerul

7 TIME MANAGEMENT PITFALLS THAT ARE COSTING YOU MONEY, RESULTS, AND THE MOST PRECIOUS COMMODITY ANYWHERE - TIME

What NOT To Do To Get Dramatically Better Results

DO NOT attempt to be independent

Do you think extremely successful people get that way by doing everything themselves? Not a chance!

They understand that they have particular gifts, and that's where they focus their efforts. They leave the rest to others because they know that doing otherwise will hamper their effectiveness, and reduce their potential for success.

If you're not effectively and continually delegating whatever you can, wherever you can, you're limiting your results, and your satisfaction. Don't use lack of funds as an excuse. Whether you have money to pay other people or not, there are ways to delegate or barter that don't require the exchange of funds. Use your imagination and reach out to others - there's always a way.

These days, with the advent of Elance.com and Guru.com, and in these days of professional organizers, and virtual and personal assistants, there is a huge pool of skilled, experienced, and inexpensive helpers. If applicable, negotiate with your superiors by proving you'll be more valuable to the company by delegating.

Yes, I know that there's a risk that someone else won't do a task as well or as quickly as you could, and that there will be an initial investment of time to find the right people and get them up to speed, but it's a better investment that doing it yourself.

Activities you hate doing or aren't good at are two areas to start picking from to delegate. After all, how much time are you losing by not applying yourself to what you *are* good at? There are also the activities you might not mind, but they may still not be the most productive use of your time.

Start small and experiment, and you'll find that your life won't fall apart, nor will you become a snob, if you start removing tasks from your plate that someone better suited could be doing for you. Don't expect that all experiments will go well - some, perhaps many, won't. Don't let that stop you.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

"Interdependency follows independence." ~ Stephen Covey
"A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving." ~ Albert Einstein
"Diversity: the art of thinking independently together." ~
Malcolm Stevenson Forbes

Need a vacation? On a budget?
Do you NEED a vacation? Do you like to vacation 1st class but have the beer budget? Are you booking your vacations online? Do you get a check back with your confirmation? Would you shop at stores that would guarantee you the best deals & guarantee you up to 20% cash back? Contact Margie Basaraba @ Check It Out Travel for more info & a FREE VIP shopping pass! 509-924-3476 or www.checkitouttravel.info

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Tagged with: success, procrastinate, time management, procrastination, business, independence

Time Management Pitfall #5 - Aiming for 120% Efficiency

Posted on Aug 3rd, 2009 by

Kerul

A NOTE FROM THE PROCRASTIVITY NICHEPERT..

Last week I was on a Blitz Time networking call (more about this unique, ultra-convenient venue later) and was talking with a fellow networker who was struggling with the impression that high standards were hurting her. Hmmm.

When I asked her "What's wrong with high standards?" she realized the difference between high standards and high expectations. Setting the bar high on your standards is generally a really good thing. It can help you reach higher goals more speedily - unless you hold yourself too rigidly accountable. High expectations, though, are something we often get attached to, hitching our self-worth to their accomplishment. If we don't reach them, we're sunk. (See the tip below for more about this concept).

Blitz Time, by the way, is a new service that offers a new way of networking - on the phone from the convenience of wherever you happen to be (in your PJs or sweats!), with no mediocre meal you're paying too much for, and no travel and traffic, to meet a bunch of small business owners looking to network with others. Check it out here: http://www.blitztime.com/bt/1128767668.

On a personal note, the third shoe did drop (I'm talking about friends and family with serious health challenges - or worse - and thanks to those of you who wrote with your supportive thoughts last month). Another cousin was told she had a 2" x 3" malignant tumor in her lung. After a couple of weeks of terror and frustration, it turns out the mass was just an infection. Whew! Some good news.

The personal leadership goals I shared with you last month are coming along well (or at least well enough - again, see the tip below). I'm now adding a few new goals on the "family" side, with new training initiatives for our puppy and our horses. Upward and onward!

I'd love to hear from you if you have any thoughts about personal development strategies that have worked for you. You might even be featured in an upcoming newsletter!

Finally, if you haven't yet gotten your copy of either of my books, remember they're available at www.Procrastivity.com

Wishing you all optimal procrastivity, as always, and a fabulous August,
Kerul

Kerul Kassel, Author of Productive Procrastination - Make It Work For You, Not Against You and the award-winning Stop Procrastinating Now - Five Radical Procrastination Strategies To Set You Free, both available atwww.Procrastivity.com

7 TIME MANAGEMENT PITFALLS THAT ARE COSTING YOU MONEY, RESULTS, AND THE MOST PRECIOUS COMMODITY ANYWHERE - TIME

What NOT To Do To Get Dramatically Better Results

DO NOT aim for 120% Efficiency (or Productivity)

Face it, you're not going to be at your best every single day, and you'll burn yourself out quickly if you endeavor to push yourself past what is reasonable on a daily basis (and then be at 50% efficiency or worse).

There's a difference between pushing yourself to implement continual upgrading and tweaking to enhance effectiveness versus endless punishing long hours and working well beyond the limits of productivity.

Even though most of us are overburdened with business and personal responsibilities, and there are always improvements we can and would benefit from putting into practice, there is a point of diminishing returns, and it will be different every day, both for you and for any employees or team members, You know where that point is - you can feel it in your body and notice it in your mind, and you can sense it in others. It's the moment when you've gone from flow to dissonance, and you sense a need to get up from your desk. Studies have shown that the ability to be attentive and focused over time steadily declines when there are no breaks, even over as little as two hours.

The benefit of taking "refresh" time is that you'll be more focused and productive without needs as much time to be effective - in other words, better results in less time.

There will be days when you're just not feeling as good, physically and/or mentally, or when personal or professional circumstances or emotional upsets are slowing you down. Humans are animals, not machines, and while we can certainly ignore or put aside some distractions and degradations to performance, there is a limit we reach - and we do pay a price.

Simply work to the best of your capability, whatever that is on any given day... no more and no less. Keep aiming for continual enhancement, but stop making yourself wrong for not being superhuman.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

"Almost everything you do will seem insignificant, but it is important that you do it." ~ Mahatma Ghandi

"The higher your energy level, the more efficient your body. The more efficient your body, the better you feel and the more you will use your talent to product outstanding results." ~ Anthony Robbins

"Don't use a lot where a little will do." ~ Proverb

ABOUT KERUL
....
Kerul Kassel is an author and expert in procrastination and productivity - "PROCRASTIVITY". As the founder of New Leaf Systems - a consulting firm dedicated to creating higher performance outcomes - she has been quoted in the New York Times, TIME Magazine, Business Week, Investors Daily, Real Simple, and Self. Her clients have included NASA, Sony, Hilton, and Volvo.
Kerul's professional experience includes 4 certifications in the field of coaching, investment and real estate management, as well as over 25 years of leadership in for-profit and non-profit organizations. She is the author of the award-winning book "Stop Procrastinating Now" and "Productive Procrastination." For more information, Kerul can be reached at Kerul@newleafsystems.com.

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Tagged with: goals, efficiency, productive, productivity, time management

Time Management Pitfall #2 - Using Your Calendar For Appointments

Posted on May 11th, 2009 by

Kerul

Do you ever say you want to do something and then not follow through? Yeah, right - who doesn't do that sometimes. As you might imagine, it's a recurring theme when I coach clients. Usually, there are one of two things going on (and often both):

1. You haven't committed enough space in your calendar to accomplish the task. The simple fix for this is to estimate from 25% to 300% more time than you think you need and schedule it for specific times/days.

2. You have some (often unrecognized) resistance to the goal which is metaphorically like having one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake: you're using up your gas but going nowhere.

I discuss these sorts of things in Productive Procrastination and give you real solutions that work. And during the month of May you can get this book free when you order Stop Procrastinating Now (yes, that's two books for the price of one) through this link: http://tinyurl.com/dlq53r

You'll pay $16.95 plus $4.95 shipping (for medial mail delivery in the USA - for shipping elsewhere, please email me at kerul@newleafsystems.com) and you'll get both books.

For more ideas on making good on your goals, see the article below.

On a personal note, Darla arrived at our doorstep on April 30th. She's a little bundle of a puppy, yet feisty, smart, and completely adorable. She's also our dear Gracie's half sister (same father), but 6 years younger. She hasn't met a thing she doesn't want to bite, and she's not yet housebroken, but she's getting there. Gracie and Violet growl and snap at her, and she respects them - they're better at teaching her manners than we are!! To see this cutie-pie, visit her album at http://tinyurl.com/cpqpx7

Wishing you all optimal procrastivity, as always, and a fabulous May,

Kerul

7 TIME MANAGEMENT PITFALLS THAT ARE COSTING YOU MONEY, RESULTS, AND THE MOST PRECIOUS COMMODITY ANYWHERE - TIME

What NOT To Do To Get Dramatically Better Results

Don't Use Your Calendar For Appointments (only)

This is a very common pitfall for many small business owners and professionals. We sit down in November or December to create an annual business plan, then review it in the middle of the next year. That's definitely helpful, especially if you have a staff that will be responsible for implementing the plan. But unless you're clear about how that plan dictates your important actions, and unless you integrate your own personal plan into the mix and review those plans each week - breaking them down into smaller increments and actions - it's probable you'll have difficulty achieving your goals and dreams.

We fail to establish plans because we get daunted by the idea of creating them, or we get so busy with details that there's little time to devote to something that feels less urgent. We also think it will take too much time and be troublesome and awkward to implement our plans, and we get overwhelmed by all we need to do.

Some of us create to-do lists, which in the end frustrate and shame us - that's not a very productive strategy! (Request my Special Report "3 Simple Secrets To Tripling Your Productivity Sustainably" at www.StopProcrastinatingNow.com for more on effectively and efficiently completing to-do's).

Others fill their calendars with recurring daily and weekly tasks which they then ignore, usually because these actions aren't sustainably designed or scheduled.

Once you accept these initial reactions, and how normal they are, you can get beyond them to the few minutes each day it will take to focus on the critical and important actions that will give you the results you want.

Composing a plan for the day, using your calendar and longer-term objectives, takes just 5 minutes or so, and can easily result in a 50-300% increase in productivity. Doing this in the morning, or the evening before at the end of the previous workday, gives you a head start and sharpens your focus. When you take a few minutes to plan each day ahead of time, using hoped-for weekly and monthly milestones as a guide, you automatically prevent a whole lot of poorly-used time. Regularly glancing at that daily plan 4-6 times during the day, you'll be able to weave in any newly developing circumstances, while still making swift advancement.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail. ~ Benjamin Franklin

Plans must be simple and flexible....They must be made by the people who execute them. ~ George S. Patton, Jr.

It is a bad plan that admits of no modification. ~ Publius Syrus

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Compare? Beware!

Posted on Mar 30th, 2009 by

Kerul

A NOTE FROM THE PROCRASTIVITY NICHEPERT Would you believe, my dear readers, that the day after I wrote about my brother's death I received a call from my cousin that my uncle had passed away?

You know how they say things come in threes? Well, that was my third, and hopefully last, death in the family for a very long time. My uncle was elderly, and I wasn't that close to him, but it was still sad.

Mainly, though my concern was for my mom, who was again out in California. I didn't want her to break her neck to get back east, host my cousin's family at her home, and have to see another family member get buried so soon after my brother. I was able to go up and do it for her, and persuade her to stay where she was. And a blessing was that I got to better know my cousin and her adult kids over the days they stayed with me.

This additional disruption to my business, study, and personal responsibilities set me back farther, and I found myself making comparisons with others who were accomplishing more. Ever do that? It can work for you but watch out! More about this below.

Also below is a link that one of my brother's friends sent with lovely tributes to my brother, for those of you that wanted to know more about who he was. Thank you for the many expressions of sympathy you sent me - I'm so grateful for you all.

Wishing you optimal procrastivity, and a glorious spring (or autumn, if you're in the southern hemisphere),

Kerul

Kerul Kassel, Author of Productive Procrastination - Make It Work For You, Not Against You and the award-winning Stop Procrastinating Now - Five Radical Procrastination Strategies To Set You Free, both available at www.Procrastivity.com

COMPARE? BEWARE!

We've all done it, and we usually end up miserable because of it. Comparing yourself to someone else usually ends up in feeling less intelligent, attractive, strong, fit, wealthy, wise, successful, or sexy than you felt before you began comparing. And that depletes your self-confidence and your can-do attitude, which also decreases productivity and increases procrastination.

Is it ever a good idea to compare yourself with someone else? If you do it in a constructive way, it can be (and no, I don't mean when you come out on top in the comparison). In comparing we usually come from a perspective that we need to be the best, or we don't count (think reality TV shows), or similarly that the way we are or the way we do things is wrong and someone else is right.

What if there was room for many right ways, many forms of success, wealthy, beauty, strength, and wisdom? There ARE! We've been brainwashed into believing otherwise, but we can retrain our perspective. Instead of having that better/worse/right/wrong either/or, observe what it is you admire, learn what it is that that person is doing that you might experiment with or adjust to make into your own version. Rather than ending up jealous (believe me, I have SO been there), you end up respecting and possibly befriending others, and finding new and interesting ways of living, working, conducting yourself.

And you discover how the differences between you and someone else even out. It's almost never happened that I've met someone who seemed very admirable, but when I got to know that person better, understood their problems and challenges, I felt like gathering up my problems and weaknesses and running like hell the other way, feeling blessed to have mine and not theirs.

Who are you comparing yourself to, and how is that helping or hindering you?

A TRIBUTE TO MY BROTHER

A number of you were curious about who my brother was, and how he touched so very many people. Here is a link, put together by colleagues, friends, and people he generously helped in his industry, with photos, tribute quotes, and more: http://tinyurl.com/clbxmg

Inspirational Quotes

"If you compare yourself to others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself." -- Max Ehrmann (Desiderata: A Poem for a Way of Life)

"Don't compare yourself with anyone else. If you do, you are insulting yourself." -- Source unknown

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Tagged with: success, self-development, comparing, self-growth, confidence, self-esteem

Hard-Core Prioritization - When Death Pays a Visit

Posted on Feb 2nd, 2009 by

Kerul

I beg your pardon, dear readers. It has been a challenging few months, and while I'd love to think that most of you are hanging on my next newsletter or blog post, trust me, I'm not that misguided. I apologize, though, for completely ignoring you all in January, but I had reasonable cause (as the title of this post indicates).

The minor challenges of fostering a pair of heart-worm positive, unneutered male dogs in October through November (and finding them the most wonderful adoptive homes - for which I'm so very grateful), and the rapid decline and death in early December of my beloved horse, Venus, whom you may remember from previous blog posts, left me drained, but capable enough of attending to my business and completing the doctoral coursework I'd committed to. But there was more to come.

While hosting company and completing some coursework, and just as I was wrapping some gifts at my Florida home on the afternoon of Christmas Eve the phone rang. Incredibly, it was the police in New Jersey telling me they had found my brother, dead, in his townhouse. Incredible because my brother was only 53 and hadn't been ill at all that we knew of. He was my only sibling, and he and my mother were very close. She was out in California awaiting his arrival - how was I going to tell her this terrible news? How could I let her make the flight back alone? What about my friends, who were visiting from abroad and weren't leaving for a few more days? Who could I find to go identify my brother's body? And what had caused my brother's death?

These were the questions crowding my mind in the frantic, adrenal-filled minutes after the call. Most of them I found answers for quickly (though we're still awaiting lab results from the autopsy). It's a little over a month afterward, and we're getting through it. Aside from being a (very sad) life milestone, it's been a reminder in hard-core prioritization, the kind that dire/urgent circumstances necessitate, but which also offer a broader perspective upon reflection. What mattered most in the days and weeks after than phone call was not the same as what had mattered in the days preceding it, and the event and aftermath have skewed my focus and energy.

That's been uncomfortable, even though it's normal. For example, I didn't prioritize my own health and well-being, and left myself open to a set of viruses and exhaustion. Business was completely put on hold. But I wouldn't do it any differently if I had to do it over again. Like the psalm says, there's a time for everything.

It's a 7 Habits cliche, I know, but how would your priorities change if death or terminal illness touched your family? What would you do differently? What would you spend more time on, and what would you let go of?

Some people ask themselves this question regularly, to wipe away the fog of misplaced urgencies, fads, and social pressures from their long-term lens of closely-held values and lived satisfaction. Most of us require occasional reminders.

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Tagged with: procrastination, procrastinating, procrastinator, death, time management, priorities, prioritizing

What Does Your 2009 Look Lke?

Posted on Dec 5th, 2008 by

Kerul

As I write this there are only 29 days left of the year. How has your year gone? Are you happy with how things have been going and with the direction and pace for the balance of the year and for 2009?

This is the time of year to spend just an hour or two (or half a day or more, if you have that much available - most of us don't, though) thinking about what you want your life to look like next year, perhaps even starting with a longer range plan. What changes do you want to make in your career, business, studies, and/or personal life? It's amazing how much a little bit of thought and a few small actions can make such a huge difference in success and satisfaction. More about this below, in Procrastivity Tip/Exercise.

I'll be a guest on Patricia Weber's fabulous teleconference series about selling for people who hate sales. See below for details.

Some sad personal news: just yesterday we sent our old mare, Venus, to the Rainbow Bridge (http://rainbowsbridge.com/Poem.htm) . Age got the best of her, and she was in constant, severe pain in spite of the best pain medication and care available. Please consider giving your pets a hug in her memory.

On a more pleasant note, we found homes for both Luke and Bo, the two foster dogs we had for a month and a half. The boys came through their heartworm treatment and recovery beautifully, and were ready for placement when the perfect adoptive homes found us. We feel so lucky with these two wonderful families and how opened their hearts to these rescued boys who were so close to being put down because there are too many dogs ending up at shelters.

PROCRASTIVITY TIP / EXERCISE

Regret is one of the worst feelings, particularly when it's about what we could have done and didn't do. Many people regret not having spent enough time with their loved ones. Others wish they had applied themselves more toward leaving a legacy, such as writing a book. Another common regret I hear from workshop participants and audience members at speaking engagements is completing an area of study or certification process. Failing to pay enough attention to business development and management is a *huge* one for professionals and entrepreneurs.

What is it you'd like to change, finish, or try in 2009? We often get overwhelmed trying to make changes, but my professional experience is that It's probably easier than you think. Start by setting aside time on your calendar, perhaps an hour or two during an evening (or whenever your circadian rhythm urges) to do a little planning. Here are some easy steps:

Make a short list of the areas of your life you want to make changes in, as mentioned above (examples: business, career, studies, health, relationships, volunteer/contributory, fun). Don't make the list more than 8 or so items long.
Focus on each area in turn: what changes do you want to make?
Now, based on those changes, what actions or projects do you need to plan in monthly, weekly, or daily. You may end up dropping some things because too many will leave you feeling too daunted to even start.
Break down projects into tasks, and give them deadlines.
Now break the action steps and takes down further: what do you need to accomplish this month toward any particular goal. You needn't make progress on every initiative each month - some will take less time, some might be put off until later in the year. As long as you keep referring to the annual list through out the year, you'll be fine.
Put a recurring reminder or appointment in your calendar at the end of each month to return to that annual plan (which has also been broken down into shorter term deadlines) to plan the following month. You don't have to plan all months now. Just plan January and maybe February right now if more seems too much work at the moment. Count on 15-20 minutes for this.
Put a second recurring reminder or appointment in your calendar each Sunday night or Monday morning (weekly, is the idea) day to refer to your plan so you can plan the action items into your week. This is a 10 or 15 minute task - that's all!
Put a third recurring reminder or appointment into your calendar each day to refer to the weekly list and see what action you might take today so that you've completed the items by the end of the week. Five minutes a day, to be 50-100% (or more) more productive.
Be flexible and don't expect that you'll get everything done on time! That would be nice, but it's not really that likely, so don't beat yourself up for not following the plan rigorously. The idea is that you'll make a lot more progress by using a plan than if you didn't make and/or follow one. The plan is a tool to serve you, not a torture device!

Try it, and let me know how it goes or if you need help. If you have a different planning technique you'd like to share with readers, send it along and I'll include it in a future Procrastivity Pipeline issue.

Hate Selling but Gotta Sell Something (Even If It's Just Making Yourself Someone People Want To Know)?

I'm a guest on Pat Weber's teleconference series this month: December 8, 2009 at 12pm Eastern/NY. The subject: "How To Finally Conquer The Plague Of Procrastination" (couldn't you have guessed?)

Pat Weber is an award winning - top selling salesperson and sales manager and America's #1 Sales Coach for Introverts, Shy and extroverts reluctant to sell. She is a recognized expert in print, publications like Entrepreneur, as well as radio, The Small Business Advocate radio show. She assists her clients in sales, leadership and learning to speak with more confidence, deliver effective presentations, and increase sales by 100+%. She published her first book, Sales Skills for An Unfair Advantage, in 1998, and is currently writing "The Introverts Unfair Selling Advantage." Register for the special teleclass at http://www.askpatweber.com/ where you can also ask any particular question you have about procrastination.

   Hope you can join us for this class!

   Wishing you optimal procrastivity, and a fabulous holiday season,

Kerul

Kerul Kassel, Author of Productive Procrastination - Make It Work For You, Not Against You and the award-winning Stop Procrastinating Now - Five Radical Procrastination Strategies To Set You Free, both available at w ww.Procrastivity.com

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Tagged with: goals, goal-setting, plan, planning, time, time management, success, satisfaction

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Hard-Core Prioritization - When Death Pays a Visit

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