July 2002 Anticrastination Tip Sheet

What's the opposite of Procrastination?
THE ANTICRASTINATION TIP SHEET
A monthly Idea and Tip Sheet to
Help You Avoid the Procrastination Habit
From Rita Emmett
Author of THE PROCRASTINATOR'S HANDBOOK
July 2002

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If you are receiving this email, you are either a colleague,
client or friend of Rita Emmett (or in some mysterious way, 
you ended up in her email address book.)

Please forward this to anyone you think might be interested
in receiving short, quick tips once a month to help master
the art of doing it now.

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QUOTE FOR THE MONTH:
If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels
whisper to people when they go for a walk.
---Raymond Inman

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THE CREATION OF A NATION & YOUR CREATIVITY
In July, we in the United States celebrate the creation of
our nation. So The ANTICRASTINATION TIP SHEET officially
declares July to be CREATIVITY MONTH. (Well who the heck
ARE those people who officially declare holidays and things like
that. Why can't you and I do the same?)
Let's celebrate ways to power up our own creativity for
those projects we've been MEANING to create but have
procrastinated about.

Have you wanted to start working on, or learn about:

• a musical instrument
• landscaping
• crafts
• acting
• needlework
• singing
• cooking
• wood carving
• writing
• gardening
• sewing
• sculpting
• the computer
• building models
• cake decorating
• creating a pond or waterfall
• ceramics
• photography
• painting
• carpentry
• quilting
• decorating
• flower arranging
• or something?

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT TO WRITE A BOOK,
SUCH A DEAL WE HAVE FOR YOU. On our web site
(RitaEmmett.com) click on "products" and at the bottom,
you'll find our newest audio tape "JOURNEY TO AUTHORSHIP".
If you've had questions about writing a book, here are the
answers you've been looking for. Rita gives a presentation
that includes stories, questions & answers, and information
about writer's block, finding an agent or publisher, writing
proposals, promoting books, resources for writers and how to
obtain endorsements for your book. All for the amazingly low
price of $8.77 (When's the last time you saw a tape at THAT
price?)

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You know we ALL are outrageously creative people. You might
find that hard to believe. If you have some fear or
hesitation inside you, and can't get started on that dream,
ask yourself, "What would I do if I knew I could not fail?"

If you DON'T have a dream to become more creative, here are:
20 WAYS TO ACTIVATE YOUR UNDISCOVERED CREATIVITY
(adapted from Roger Von Oech's book A Whack on the Side of
the Head)

1. Go to a bookstore and leaf through five books you
   normally would not pick up.
2. Spend a minimum of half an hour in a toy store or the toy
   department of a large store. Play with a variety of toys.
   Buy one for yourself, and take it home and play with it.
3. Go to the library, and invest at least 20 minutes
   looking at books or periodicals in a section of the library
   you feel is of absolutely no interest to you.
4. Plant some seeds for flowers or vegetables, and
   observe the growth process.
5. Attend a spectator sporting event that is new to you.
6. Observe two or more children under six years of age at
   play. Become aware of their spontaneity, thought & action
   processes, and leadership styles.
7. Spend half an hour in a type of store you are not
   familiar with (e.g. antique, yard goods, photography,
   computer, etc.).
8. Learn the latest dance craze from a teenager.
9. Listen to music on a different radio station each day
   for a week. Begin to pick up specific differences in the
   music and programming.
10. Learn at least one new word each day. Try your new
    word on at least two people.
11. Take a class or seminar in a subject you know nothing
    about.
12. Take a small child to the zoo, and afterwards, draw
    pictures of the animals you see.
13. Observe non-verbal behavior at a boring meeting.
14. Spend half an hour at a shopping mall "people-watching".
15. Personally select, purchase, prepare and eat a fresh
    fruit or vegetable you've never tried before.
16. Visit an art gallery, science museum, planetarium,
    aquarium, or botanical garden you have never been to before.
17. Join a new group; invite a group of people to join you
    at a play or movie; do SOMETHING to get to know someone
    new in your life.
18. Whittle something, play with clay on a pottery wheel,
    or do your own abstract painting.
19. Dine in a foreign restaurant, and order food you've
    never had before.
20. Let your imagination wander and don't censor your
    thoughts.

Enjoy thinking of yourself as creative.
Take just 3 steps toward your dream.
Don't put it off. You don't want to procrastinate, do you?

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Next month: Have you ever reached the end of summer and
wondered where it all went? Ever suspected that you maybe
even procrastinated about enjoying summer? In August, we'll
explore what to do about that. Have fun!

Rita Emmett - Recovering Procrastinator
Author of THE PROCRASTINATOR'S HANDBOOK:
Mastering the Art of Doing It Now
PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER: Keynotes & Seminars on Increasing
Productivity & Conquering Procrastination; also strategies
to Prevent Burnout such as "While You Take Care of Others,
Who Takes Care of You?" and "Are We Having Any Fun Yet?"

http://www.RitaEmmett.com

Emmett Enterprises, Inc.
2331 Eastview Drive
Des Plaines, IL 60018
Phone: 847-699-9950

So much time, so little to do. Scratch that, reverse it!
--- Willie Wonka

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