Contents

• Beating Procrastination
  
• The Three Stone Masons
  
• New Habit Tips
  
• Daily Tasks
  
• Jerry Seinfeld Chain Method
  
• Useful Links
  
• Quotes
  
• Making Real Change
  

Beating Procrastination

Is your procrastination valid ?

Emotional states are sometimes obstacles to be overcome but sometimes they are messages that must be understood. If you are finding it very difficult to progress with a certain task think honestly about :

Is this this task suited to me ?
Do I really want the outcome that completing this task will deliver ?
Is there another way to describe the task that will make me feel differently ?

Clear your desk, clear your mind.

Sometimes we procrastinate because the totality of what needs to be done is so complex and difficult that the mere thought of it fills our mind and leaves us paralyzed, unable to act.

If this is the case then an good way to move forward is to pick a single action you can take right now that will help you progress. Be sure that the task you pick, no matter how small or trivial, is directly related to your current goals.

Deciding to tidy your desk for in preparation for beginning work for example is more likely to be an escape than an actual step forwards.

Get Leverage On Yourself. Make a Deadline

At school and university some people always complete their assignments in the last couple of days before they are due. It doesn't matter if a week, a month or an entire semester is available for the work, some people only kick into gear a couple of days before the deadline.

If this sounds like you don't get down about it, it's actually a fantastic discovery. You've discovered what motivates you. You are motivated by the expectations of others and external consequences. You can use this knowledge to manage your output in the future.

Make commitments to people, create external consequences that will engender the same last minute response that the naturally occurring deadline engendered.

If you are studying book a time with an instructor to review your work a week before it's due. If you are working arrange a meeting to present your work to others.

If you are the kind of person who responds to deadlines and the expectations of others create deadlines and expectations as a tool to motivate yourself.

The Jerry Seinfeld "Don't break the Chain" method

Jerry Seinfeld (the comedian) is just one example of someone understanding the power of daily routine.

He was asked how he became a successful comic and answered that the key to success for him was having good jokes, and the key to having good jokes was simply writing new jokes every day.

He implemented a daily to do list approach. Marking down each day whether he had spent time coming up with new jokes that day or not. He focused on the simple mission of making sure he could give himself a success tick every day.

Useful Links

• Lifehacker - Tips and downloads for getting things done
• Successvibe Forum - Success and Motivation Forum
• Uncommonforum - Psychology and Self Help Forum
• The Happiness Project - Chronicles of a years adventure into happiness
• Dumb Little Man - Tips for saving time and money

Story : The Three Stone Masons

During the Middle Ages a traveler came upon three stone masons crouched in the mud chipping away at rocks.

He passed the first mason and asked him what he was doing. "I'm chipping these stones into bricks" said the man without looking up.

The traveler rode on to the second mason and asked what he was doing. "I'm turning these stones into bricks so they can be laid into a wall" said the man with a grimace.

The traveler came to the third mason and repeated his question "What are you doing ?". The man looked up with a broad grin "I'm building a cathedral!".

Sometimes you have to see the big picture to get inspired. Sometimes you stare at the bricks for so long you forget why they're needed.

New Habit Tips

Research tells us that making a new habit stick takes about a month. Focus on a single new habit for a month before trying to add more.

Don't try and discard existing bad habits cold turkey, try and replace them with new healthy habits.

Make a public commitment, tell your friends and family about your new habit. This will make it a little harder for your to give up.

Whenever you notice negative thoughts use a key phrase to reset your mindset. For example, if you ever notice yourself thinking that you can't immediately say "I couldn't in the past, but I can now, and I will."

Daily Tasks

There are some advantages to having your daily checklist online but it's by no means the only possibility.

Getting a small pocket notebook and keeping it with you is a great approach.

You may already have Microsoft Excel installed on your computer. Using Excel is a great way to get started with a daily checklist. You can find some information on how to set up a daily checklist in Excel on the HabitMix Blog

Online websites (like ours, HabitMix) make it easy to set up daily checklists.

(Why the tomato ? Why not! :) )

Quotes

Habit is a cable; we weave a thread each day, and at last we cannot break it. - Horace Mann

Every grown-up man consists wholly of habits, although he is often unaware of it and even denies having any habits at all. - Georges Gurdjieff

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. - Aristotle

Making Real Change

Changing your life is like getting out of the rain:
Willpower, desire and determination are like using an umbrella to avoid the rain. They help but they are temporary, they are based on mood and moods come and go. Willpower, desire and determination are great for getting you started but they are not a long term solution.	If you really want to avoid the rain you don't grab your umbrella you move to a sunnier location, like a sunny beach. If you really want to change your life you need to change the practical circumstances of your environment and adopt new habits. New habits and circumstances will ensure you act in new healthier ways no matter what your mood.
If you keep doing what you've done you will keep getting what you've gotten. To really change your life you will have to make decisions that are difficult and uncomfortable.

Well, what are you waiting for ?

There is an old saying about saving money, the most important thing is that you do it early and do it often.

A similar thing could be said about using a daily to do list and taking control of your habits. Don't worry too much about how you are going to record your progress, don't even worry too much about what habits you are going to be recording. Pick one and get started today!

HabmitMix provides a free account so you can get started recording your habits on a daily checklist.