Friday, Nov 20, 2009

"Three-a-Days"

By Denise Berard, Ph.D

Friday, Nov 20, 2009 12:04

Hello again!  A new year is just around the corner, the air is crisp and it's time to buckle down and get to the job at hand.  For many, that's easier said than done.  So many of us have one big thing holding us back from achieving all we could.  It's a simple little time waster that many of us suffer from at one time or another. So, what am I talking about?  Procrastination!  I was the queen of procrastination.  I swear, if you looked the word up in the dictionary you saw a full color picture of me.  Ok, perhaps I exaggerate a little, but I have had my share of unscheduled down time. You know how, sometimes when you have a bad habit, you feel you're the only one.  This can make you feel guilty -- which seldom helps the situation.  Other times, you find out that you're not alone - that you may even be part of a large sector of the population who are all in the same boat. Well, that's exactly what happened to me.  I was going about teaching my seminars and I noticed similar questions kept coming up from my students -- and many referred to the problem of procrastination.   Now, we all know that procrastination can wear many faces and can stem from many roots; perhaps we lack self confidence, don't know which way to turn, have no idea what we want or how to accomplish it, are afraid to go further, fear that we'll make a mistake and think it's better to do nothing than do something and fail. Back up a minute.  What was that last excuse?  In my study of the subject, I realized that fear of failure was the number one reason for procrastination.  Well, we all know that the biggest failure is in not trying.  So what if I told you that I came up with a simple solution that would allow you to prove to yourself that you couldn't fail?  Then would you stop stopping yourself and begin trying again? Well, this is your lucky day, because I just happened to have done just that and I call it, "Three--a--Days".  It's a simple process that produces huge results. First, go out and buy yourself a spiral notebook.  Yep, just a cheapo you can get anywhere.  On the first page, write the date.  Beneath that, in the column to the left, number downward 1 -- 2 -- 3. Next to each number, write one thing you plan to do today.  Anything.  For instance, do your filing -- make 3 sales calls -- clean up your desk -- respond to 1 client.  Whatever you need to do that you've been putting off. (For this writing, I'll refer to them as goals because that's what most people are accustomed to, but in a future article, I'll explain why I prefer to refer to them as plans and why that little mind shift can make a huge difference.) So now you should have a list of three simple things you want to get done today (similar to a to-do list, but so much more effective).  It is critically important that it be not only possible, but also simple to begin with.  Three things you're absolutely sure you can accomplish today before you go home. Begin with 1.  Do it -  and when it's complete, don't scratch it off -- HIGHLIGHT IT!  What happens in your head when you scratch something off?  It's gone and most likely forgotten.  But when you highlight something, you see it's significance and you remember it.  This is an important step. Continue through your list, doing and highlighting, until you've accomplished all three goals.  Most people say they get so excited that they want to do more.  That's fine, but make sure you begin with the three on your list. The next day, do the same thing.  On the same page, write the date, schedule 3 very simple tasks, do them, highlight them.  Continue through the week.  For Saturday and Sunday, if you don't work, schedule things like -- rubbing your spouse's shoulders for 5 minutes, reading a book to the kids, tossing a ball to your teen, relaxing in a bubble bath, cleaning out a closet, reading a chapter in your favorite book.  Anything!  The important part is to continue setting goals and seeing them through.  Don't forget to highlight and be sure you complete all three before going to bed. As you get into the habit of setting simple goals and accomplishing them, you can begin to make them more involved or more complicated.  Just be sure they are never too grand to be completed that day -- no matter what else comes up, no excuses! So, what will this accomplish?  By the end of 30 days, you will have 90 goals that you have set out to do and completed.  You will have proof that what you set out to do, you accomplished. You will be in the habit of disciplining yourself and you will find, as you go along, that it's fun to stretch yourself and see just how big a goal you can set and still achieve.  As in any stretching exercise, with time comes strength and power. As time goes by, it becomes easy.  You will overcome your fear and see each day as a new, exciting challenge. All right then…get to it!  And let me know how well you do.  You can always reach me at the website link. ODE TO PROCRASTINATION Original Poem By Tony Blyth Last paragraph added by Denise Berard Oh, how I procrastinate, I wait and wait and wait and wait The weather's fine, it's much too hot It's raining now, the day is shot. I think I'd better leave my work To go and have a little shirk Tomorrow is the perfect time To ring up all those clients of mine. I'll start the day at half-past five. Boy!  Will I show them who's alive. I'll sit right down beside the phone And ring my finger to the bone. But wait!  Tomorrow, Friday's here My clients will all be drinking beer. If I should ring on such a day, I'm bound to turn them all away. I'll tell you what I think I'll do I'll start on Monday, wouldn't you? Of course!  That makes a lot more sense That way they can't all take offense. And in the meantime I can plot A way to make my prospects hot. Aha! I think I've got it beat This time wasting I will defeat. How will I do it, you may ask? I'll set right out and DO the task. I used to fail in many ways Until I mastered Three-A-Days! s

Denise Berard, Ph.D. website

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