Is Patience A Cure For Procrastination?

To be successful do not procrastinate!  But the "Catch 22" of this is the fact that success is a process and you have to "wait" within this process to enjoy the fruits of your success. Yes, it may sound a bit ironic, but it takes patience to conquer procrastination.

What Is Procrastination?

Well, procrastination is considered a major antagonist for success.  You know ... that act of putting something off for the next day, the next day ... until one whole year has gone by and you haven't done what you planned to do 364 days ago!  Needless to say, this act of putting your plans off forever only results in missed opportunities.  And the sad part is that you will never know if that one missed opportunity could have propelled you to awesome success.

Okay, so that's procrastination from a surface point of view.  But if you step back and think about it, this "act" seems to be an avoidance to failure (aka "social pain").  Procrastination, in essence, allows you to control your outcomes so you do not fail.  But at the same token, it does not allow you to succeed.  In fact, it results in your dreams and goals not being fulfilled, an onset of stress and emotional drain, and utter disappointment.

Breaking The Chains Of Procrastination

In general, there are 4 areas in our life in which procrastination has the potential to pop up.  They tend to occur in the area of relationships, building wealth, structure (e.g., organization and order at home) and health.

• First and foremost, you need to identify your procrastination as a problem
• Be brutally honest with yourself in regards to why you're procrastinating
• Identify and single-out the factors that cause you to procrastinate
• Address the causes by eliminating your negative associations with them

Your procrastination woes will not disappear overnight.  It is a process, which you need to take one day at a time.  However, over time, you should be able to change the perception of what you view as "social pain" and let go your feelings that cause procrastination.

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To find out more about combating procrastination, you can check out this book by Jeffery Combs called

"The Procrastination Cure: 7 Steps To Stop Putting Life Off"

Are You Productive?

Some may laugh at that question, and blurt out, "Yeah, sure, I'm productive everyday ... but it depends, you know?".  Okay, but on what?  For me, productivity equates to being able to function at a sustained, high level of performance on a given task, and it has nothing to do with external factors.  It is all within.

The Foundations Of Being Productive

Being able to function in a state of high performance has all to do with the energy levels within yourself.  Yes, visions, goals and purpose has a lot to do with being productive.  However, it is the energy you have within you that drives you to, well for a lack of a better term, just go and get the job done!  With the focus -- of course -- to produce that quality product, provide that excellent service to your customers, etc.

We all know that an engine requires fuel to run.  Same goes for our high performance "engine", but rather than fossil fuel, it requires a nice balance of physical, emotional, intellectual (aka mental) and spiritual fuel to run.

• If you are healthy and physically fit, then you are be capable of performing well at work or on the task at hand.
  
• If you are emotionally grounded, then you are capable of maintaining confidence, keep your composure when encountering fearful or confrontational situations, and able to work in harmony with your colleagues.
  
• If you are mentally fit, then you are capable of focusing and concentrating on your job, and also have the ability to leverage visualization and critical thinking skills.
  
• If you are spiritually grounded (not in the religious sense), then you are capable of being focused on your job and perform better under pressure, since your values are in alignment with your actions.  Bottom line, there's a purpose in your life, a meaning in your work.  It gives you this "zest" for life.

Some might say that time management is the basis for being productive, but I feel the key to being productive is in the efficient management and the ability to draw on these four distinct but interrelated energy sources.

Establish Rituals In Your Life To Be Productive

These actions, which are to be followed on a consistent basis, should focus on rejuvenating, inspiring and empowering you.  Bottom line, these rituals should be built into your daily schedule to energize you and provide the fuel for you to be productive.

Wake Up Productive

Your morning is critical in the sense that it sets the tone for the rest of the day.  So why not start your morning with a bang and follow a ritual to energize yourself?  Think of your mornings as a time to clear yourself of all negative thoughts, rejuvenate your energy levels and be ready to take on the day with a proper mindset.  You may want to schedule in a 15-30 minute meditation session in the morning and even put in a 15 minute workout with bodyweight exercises or stair exercises (if you're fortunate enough to live near a flight of stairs) before getting ready to go to work.

Be Productive At Work

Incorporating rituals to rejuvenate yourself appears to be #1 characteristic found in peak performers, as researched by individuals in the productivity field.  A suggestion they offer is to balance your work and break times.  That is, they recommend working for 1.5 to 2 hours straight, then taking a mandatory 30 minute break, and starting the whole work/break cycle again.  Note, that during the work cycle you are working full-on and operating in that "super productivity" mode.  That 30 minute break could be a stroll out side your office, heading up to the company gym for a quick workout with weights, or just finding a reason to leave your desk or cubicle for a short time.  You can liken it to performing sprints.  You expend energy by running as fast as you can (aka sprinting) for a short distance from point "A" to point "B", then return to point "B" in a walk/jog as you get back your breath and energy levels.  The rationale behind this ritual is to help you from not draining your energy levels at work and performing at a sub-par level.  Bottom line, you need to learn to recharge your batteries.

Detach To Be Productive

Last but not least, you need to learn when to remove work from your daily life.  Work should not be a 24x7 commitment.  If it does, then you have no time to renew your energy levels, and thus, you start to lose your "edge", which ultimately may lead to burn-out and other negative situations.  Some use the ritual of stopping by a park to relax, take in the awe and beauty of nature before heading home.  For them, it's a ritual to disengage themselves from work.  You can also set aside the weekend to wind-down and have fun.  Bottom line, you need to enjoy life.

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Physical energy lays the groundwork for our productivity, and provides for the other forms of energy, namely the intellectual, emotional and spiritual energies.  The challenge then, on focusing on task and sustaining a high performance level, is for you to be able to manage and increase the capacity of all four energy sources to work synergistically as a whole.  According to the book, The Power Of Full Engagement, “positive energy rituals" (i.e., highly specific routines for managing energy) are the catalysts that effect full engagement and sustained high performance.”

To find out more about the science and mechanics of being productive, check out the book, >> The Power Of Full Engagement <<, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.

What Does Mindset Have To Do With Growth?

And, no, I don't mean that in a physical sense, but more in line with self development.  So, when do you think we actually experience growth?  When we're relaxing at home watching television or getting a sun tan on the beach?  Or is it when ...

• We are struggling?
• We are challenged?
• We are forced to do something out of our "norm"?

Well, no, no, yes, yes and yes!  However, the most critical thing is what you do when you are faced with a challenge.  So, are you "programmed" to face those challenges and opportunities for growth and fulfillment or are you "programmed" to avoid them and miss the opportunity that just may be your break to something great and very special?

Foundation for Success & Self-Empowerment -- Proper Mindset

In a lecture I attended many moons ago, the concept of the triune brain was used to illustrate how we learn.  In a nutshell, the triune brain -- according to evolutionary theory -- is made up of three layers, of which the highest level is the neo-cortex (aka "the reasoning brain") and the lowest level is the reptilian layer.  And here comes the interesting part.  As the stress level increases, the human brain has a tendency to downshift from the neo-cortex, down to the limbic system (emotional component) and further down to the primitive brain, also known as the "reptilian brain" (survival component).  We definitely would be in trouble if we had to constantly contend with snappy alligators in our daily lives, huh?  ;-)

So the futher you go down the brain "layers", you lose that higher functioning component of the brain, that is, the reasoning component of the brain.  Once you start the downshift process, there goes your reasoning powers.  It will be difficult to live functionally if we constantly functioned in the lower "layers" of the brain.

But there are those that are cool under pressure and seem to always make the right decisions.  So what sets them apart from those that seem to not be at their best when they are challenged and struggling (aka "under stress")?

These "cool under pressure" individuals have a proactive mindset rather than a reactive mindset.  Simplistically stated, they hardly downshift to the lower brain "layers", in fact, they focus on staying at the neo-cortex level of the brain.  They have learned to control their thoughts and to not have their thoughts control them.  These are the individuals who have more control on a given situation than anybody around.  They create success.  They create opportunities.  They make sure their mind is obedient to them.

Proactive Mindset vs Reactive Mindset

When you are constantly functioning in the lower "layers" of the brain, you are in essence, functioning in a reactive mindset.  Let's say someone is making fun of you.  How would you respond?  Your mind will offer you ideas, thoughts and past memories of incidents similar to the situation at hand.  Instead of thinking what you should be thinking about, you will let emotions of anger, uncertainty, anxiety and/or limiting beliefs take charge, and you'll end up in a confrontational situation.  Once you are in that state, you will be in no position to find resolutions to any problem and to respond to challenges in a creative and productive manner.

So if you're always in that reactive mindset, you will have difficulty responding to challenges and issues ... bottom line, you will have significant problems living a functional life.  And for that very reason, you should always find yourself operating in the proactive mindset.

Hmmm ... how would a proactive person respond to that insult?  Well, for one thing, you would not let emotions or limiting beliefs take over.  And by not downshifting to lower "layers" of the brain, you will be able focus on what you should be thinking about.  Since people who insult others are looking for a reaction or response against the insulting remark they made, your focus should be on not giving any reinforcement to those types of individuals.  And thus, you will think of a way to avoid any confrontation with the instigator, such as cracking a smile and just walk away from the premises.

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When you operate in a proactive mindset, you are in control since you have the power to select the appropriate thoughts, ideas and solutions for a given situation.  Think of your mind as a tool, and moreover, you "own" it so why not decide to use it for your benefit?

Operating in the proper mindset will help you live a more functional, enjoyable life.

What Is Happiness?

Or should I ask, what is your definition of happiness?  Some may say having lots of money.  Some may say having lots of time.  And then there are others that say having a never ending-flow of good food, love and fun equates to happiness.  So okay ... did you know that happiness based on things like pleasure lasts only a brief moment in time?  It is quite fleeting, right?

Steve Jobs, the great business man and visionary, had succumbed to cancer and passed on recently.  But words just can't do justice to what he had accomplished in this world.  He was the driving force that bridged the gap between man and technology.  But with all his accomplishments, I wondered if he was happy.

People, at times, feel like there is something missing in their lives, and unfortunately, nothing changes and they put it off until later.  Well, life goes on, and by the time you realize what you missed, it's too late.  At someone's deathbed, what do you think that person, who is nearing death, remembers most?  Do you think it's about the wealth and power he/she acquired, or the number of prestigious jobs held in high places, or even the number of spouses he/she had?  None of the above.  What is dear to their hearts at that moment in time, what they fondly remember as they are nearing the end of their life are such things as:

• Friends and family
• The beauty in nature
• Being able to freely live in the moment
• How they helped others grow and succeed
• What postive impact they had in the community

In a nutshell, it is living a fulfilling life ... a life of purpose.  And happiness derived from purpose lasts the longest, as you can sense from the topics spoken by individuals nearing the end of their lives.  You could say that it's the ultimate form of happiness since it will stick with you for a very, very long time.

As these individuals start to recall their past, those memories that are brought up are reflections of who they truly are.  Each action you perform results in a memory capsule for you in the future.  So your actions today will be a catalyst for what is reflected in future memories.  So, the million dollar question is, will your mind reflect memories that describe aspects of living that fulfilling, purpose-driven life ... that ultimate form of happiness?

I love this song by Michael Jackson titled, "Man In The Mirror".  He sings it with passion and conviction.  I wonder if that was his most favorite song?  It does hit home with today's post.  Here's his famous song ... enjoy:

Carpe Diem!