June 2006 Anticrastination Tip Sheet
What's the opposite of Procrastination?
THE ANTICRASTINATION TIP SHEET
An Idea and Tip Sheet to Blast Away the
Procrastination Habit
From Rita Emmett
Author of THE PROCRASTINATOR'S HANDBOOK, and
THE CLUTTER-BUSTING HANDBOOK
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Quote For June
In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are
needed:
They must be fit for it.
They must not do too much of it.
They must have a sense of success in it.
--- John Ruskin
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Well, I certainly am happy in my work and I won't be doing "too much of
it" this month. From June 1 to 17 we will be cruising to the Scandinavian
countries, plus Germany, Estonia, Poland (where Bruce's grandparents came
from) and then 2 days in St. Petersburg, Russia.
To pay for the cruise, my "work" consists of giving 3 (45 minute)
talks. Then when the cruise ends in England, Bruce and I will fly to
Ireland and visit with some wonderful friends.
While we're gone, our terrific assistants Mickey and Cheryl will keep
things moving along, so feel free to visit our web site and order any
products you'd like. If you've had the pleasure of meeting them, you know
we work with sensational people.
If you want to consider speaking on a ship in exchange for a free cruise,
go to:
http://www.marketerschoice.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=321087
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Message For June
Last month, a reader named Linda asked about a challenge that impacts a
huge number of people. She wrote: "I would like to know why, when I've
made enormous strides in changing how I eat, I'm not motivated toward
getting proper exercise and I can't get myself to bed at a reasonable
hour! I'm an empty-nester with a retired husband and a fairly busy life,
but I certainly have time for exercise and more sleep! Please help!"
So we asked our Bright & Creative readers for ideas, and here are some
of the best.
We set an alarm to wake up, so why not set an alarm to remind yourself
it's time to slow down? Set an alarm for 9 pm, or whatever hour works, and
promise yourself to STOP whatever you're doing when that alarm goes off.
Then, dive into some established bedtime rituals. I wash my face, brush my
teeth, and read in bed. You can light a candle and sit quietly to wind
down, take a bath, have a cup of (decaf!) tea, whatever sounds good. The
alarm, followed by bedtime rituals, will signal your subconscious mind
that it's time to journey into dreamland.
Sincerely,
Mary
What works for me is to do things at specific hours--when I wake up
(for instance). Also to start off slow with attainable goals--it's been 64
weeks since I have NOT missed a DAY in my morning exercises and they are
37% more intensive then when I started. Also, almost 2 months ago I
decided (rather than eating peanuts while watching the 5:30 PM news) to
work out with weights while watching TV. Start off slow (4 lbs for me)
than work up (now 10 lbs)--each arm and a series of 60 reps (960 in
total).
I'm not sure this is for everyone, but it's my simple contribution.
Ed
First of all - stop beating yourself up and pushing "against" your
habits. Then just dig in harder.
Try asking new questions.
If the "exercise" I keep telling myself I need is not what I WANT to do
- what DO I want to do that will get my body moving? Jogging, walking,
tennis - not for everyone. Some prefer gardening, rebounding, yoga or
child care :)
If one is a "night owl" AND a delighter in the birds at sunrise - sleep
can be a challenge. How about a regular nap? Ten to 30 minutes mid-day is
grand!
Shift your expectations of yourself. Who's life are you living anyway?
Sounds like you may be dancing to someone else's drum. Keep a daily log of
good things you do for yourself. We all do them, but give little notice.
AND you can test new waters by doing something every day that scares
you just a bit.
AND you can take the advice of Carolyn Myss (author, educator, medical
intuitive) and ponder the question - what one decision / shift can I make
today by 5:00 that I will hold fast to? This is how you build character
and strength of will.
There's a Julia Roberts movie where her character says "I have the
chance to become someone I can be really proud of and I don't want to miss
it." I try to remember that every day. Thanks for the opportunity to
exercise my coaching skills Rita!
Audray
If exercise at the gym or with DVD programs doesn't excite her, try
taking up a new sport like tennis, golf, swimming, horseback riding,
dancing, tai chi, bowling, bicycling, or karate. There are also groups
that go walking daily at shopping malls or parks. That way Linda can learn
new skills, get fresh air, socialize, & exercise all at once. She can look
for instruction or join groups with people around her age. She should do
something she enjoys so that she will stick with it. If she wants, she &
her husband can look for something they can do together. By getting
active, she may then be tired enough in the evening to go to bed earlier.
Good luck!
Cathy
Dear Rita,
I bought myself an $89 MP3 player and exercise has become easier. I take
it walking, biking, or to the gym. The time passes quickly and I am truly
enjoying the music I have had just sitting for years. (so glad I never
purged all my CD's because they all sound like new now)
Elizabeth
Thank you to all who wrote. We hope this helped not only Linda, but
that you, too, found something that might be helpful to you in some area
of your life.
On the other hand, I just received this statistic in the mail. REASON
TO SMILE: Every 7 minutes of every day someone in an exercise class pulls
a hamstring.
Well, there ya go.
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