Self
Help: The Art of Compassion
Procrastination is often called
the silent killer of our hopes and dreams.
I
agree that procrastination is deadly. However, it is easier to defeat than
you may think.
When
most people procrastinate, they chastise themselves for being undisciplined
or plain lazy. They pressure themselves for action before resolving the
emotional conflict within.
When
mentally tough people procrastinate, they do not self-criticize. Instead,
they listen to what the procrastination is telling them. They understand
that their resistance has a rational source.
Maggie:
Overcoming Writer's Block
An
intelligent young graduate student name Maggie attended my seminar with the
goal of finishing her thesis, which was due in 32 days.
Maggie
had been procrastinating for weeks and assumed her problem was lack of
discipline. She kept making up writing schedules and trying to adhere to
them, which motivated her for a day or two at most.
Eventually,
she fell into a mild depression, which led to her to watch T.V. more often
than write.
I
asked Maggie to close her eyes and imagine writing her thesis. After a few
moments she reported feeling 'uncomfortable.'
I
said, 'Bring a sharper observer to the feeling. What is it?'
She
replied, 'Inadequacy. My topic is too broad in scope. Based on my research,
it cannot be adequately covered in one thesis. Even my supervisor agrees
it's extremely broad.'
Maggie
opened her eyes and smiled. She had finally touched the source of her
helplessness and procrastination: uneasiness about her topic.
The
very next day, Maggie scheduled a meeting with her supervisor to discuss a
narrower scope for her thesis.
Self
Help: Mental Toughness Lesson
Often
when you procrastinate, it's because the task you're avoiding makes you
feel inadequate or helpless. This is the very definition of stress: your challenge
exceeds your resources.
The
key of this self help exercise is to pinpoint why you feel helpless, and
then develop yourself so you have sufficient resources to master the
challenge.
Here
are some basic questions you can pose when procrastination strikes:
- Is there knowledge or skill
you need to acquire?
- Would planning or
negotiating help?
- Do you need more resources
(time, money, people)? If so, what conversations do you need to have
to get them?
If you answer these questions
with ruthless honesty, you will know immediately how to defeat your
procrastination.
In
my newly revised online course, Catapult Yourself to Success Using Mental
Toughness, I explain many many self help strategies for handling complex
relationship situations including:
- How to establish love and
respect with people in your life
- How to stop someone from
rejecting you, including divorce
- How to move people to
action at work
- What to say when you're
under the fire of criticism
- How to neutralize the
office bully
- How to handle moody people,
including long-standing relatives
- How to deliver an effective
reprimand
This self help training also
reveals:
- The little known truth
about negative emotions
- The mystery behind procrastination
and de-motivation and how to infuse unceasing energy into your life
- How to remove self-created
suffering from your life (even the Dahlai Lama agrees)
- An Olympic gold medalist's
method for programming himself for success and confidence
- Why positive thinking is
overrated and how you can move through inner barriers of fear
I'd love to see you in my
training.
For
a complete description of the course curriculum, go to:
http://www.lisabrown.ca/catapult_course.html
I'll
talk to you again soon.
Your
friend,
Lisa B.
Advanced
Self Help Institute
#106, 527 - 15 Ave
SW
Calgary, Alberta T2R1R5
Ph: (403) 261-2726 Fax: (403) 261-2725
Email: info@self-helpnow.com
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