Productive Procrastination Book

Nichepert’s Note - Rethinking Resolutions 

Why New Year’s Resolutions Are a Bad Idea

Inspirational Quotes

A NOTE FROM THE PROCRASTIVITY NICHEPERT

   Has the new year started off well for you?  Was it easy or difficult - or somewhere in between - to get back into the swing of things?  It was harder for me this year as my mind and body really needed to slow down and take a real rest.  I knew that losing my momentum would mean I’d have to push myself a little harder to get back up to speed. The sweet rest, relaxation, even taking time away from email and housekeeping, felt so good that I wanted it to continue for a while longer! 

   The year started without resolutions - “What!?” you say?  “The procrastivity expert doesn’t have any New Year’s Resolutions?”  Nope!  Read why below, in this month’s tip.

   On a professional note, I was asked (and elected) to become part of the Board of Governors of the International Association of Coaching.  I’ve been credentialed by them for a number of years, and it’s now my pleasure to give back to the coaching community with this three year commitment.  

   If you’re following my doctoral study progress, I’ve passed my comprehensives, have submitted the 3rd revision on my concept paper, and have my first dissertation committee meeting in a week.  I’d set a huge goal for last year’s end, a higher bar than I knew was likely (having a rough draft of my dissertation proposal) and I’m not far away from it.  While I didn’t reach that goal (I didn’t really expect to) by setting that bar high I’m considerably farther along in the program than if I’d had a smaller goal.  

   If procrastination still dogs you, consider the Procrastination Solutions Kitand my books Stop Procrastinating Now and Productive Procrastination, you’re just a few clicks away from rethinking your approach to better circumstances and more satisfaction.  Remember, discipline and will-power only take you so far - you’ve got to have a lot more arrows in your quiver than just them.

   Wishing you a delightful start to the year and, as always, optimal procrastivity,

Kerul 

Kerul Kassel, Author of Productive Procrastination - Make It Work For You, Not Against You and the award-winning Stop Procrastinating Now - Five Radical Procrastination Strategies To Set You Free, both available at www.Procrastivity.com

Why New Year’s Resolutions Are A Bad Idea

   Did you make resolutions, or did you throw up your hands in frustration (or barely give it a thought), knowing that you’re unlikely to make those resolutions stick? For most people, resolutions are something that goes in one year and out the other. 

   Because they’re so fraught with a history of failure, maybe it’s time to nix resolutions entirely, or at least temporarily (like Strategy #2 from my book Stop Procrastinating Now), for this year.

   But that doesn’t mean we should give up on making improvements to our habits and circumstances.  Instead of making resolutions, make PLANS.  Plans are better than resolutions because usually they’re more practical, specific, scheduled, and broken down into manageable slivers.  You can also adjust them as you go, week by week, because life will inevitably intrude and mess them up (yes, you know it will, so plan for it!).

   They shouldn’t be big, daunting plans, just something to either get a little you more of what you do want (more productive, effective, more fit, more savings, better relationships) and/or less of what you don’t (less wasted time, less debt, less weight, less smoking).  Even 10%, 15%, or 20% of an improvement is a help, particularly when the alternative is giving up on a resolution entirely.

   Want help in incorporating plans into your professional or personal life?  I have room for 3 new clients in January.  Email or call if you’re interested.

 INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

“Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account.” ~ Oscar Wilde

“New Year’s Day… now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.” ~ Mark Twain

“May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions!” ~ Joey Adams

In This Blog Post

Nichepert’s Note - December Indulgence & January Regrets, Orlando Book Signing

Why So Many New Year’s Resolutions Fail

Inspirational Quotes

A NOTE FROM THE PROCRASTIVITY NICHEPERT

   Even though it’s the start of the holiday season and we’re inclined to take it easy and enjoy, most of us have experienced January regrets for having spent and eaten too much and having planned and strategized too little in December.  

   If you’d like to use the start of a new year to launch some goals, reach some dreams, or change some habits it’s a wise idea to start thinking about  those intentions in December, so you’re well prepared to succeed come January.  For some ideas, see the article below, which I originally published exactly five years ago.  It bears repeating!

   If you’re in the Orlando area and like books, I’m doing a book signing at Urban Think, a great indie bookstore in downtown Orlando. The signing is 2-5pm on Saturday, December 5, 2009.  Here’s a link for the store:http://www.urbanthinkorlando.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp

   Christmas Eve marks the one year anniversary of my brother’s sudden and unexpected passing, and I’ll be heading out to Palm Desert to spend time with my mom at my brother’s place there.  

   If you’re thinking about holiday gifts, the Procrastination Solutions Kitand my books Stop Procrastinating Now and Productive Procrastinationare just a few clicks away.  Or, give yourself these gifts.

   Wishing you a wonderful, healthy, blessing-filled December and, as always, optimal procrastivity,

Kerul 

Kerul Kassel, Author of Productive Procrastination - Make It Work For You, Not Against You and the award-winning Stop Procrastinating Now - Five Radical Procrastination Strategies To Set You Free, both available at www.Procrastivity.com

Why So Many New Year’s Resolutions Don’t Work

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

 The Best Prayer I’ve Heard In A Long Time

A NOTE FROM THE PROCRASTIVITY NICHEPERT

    It was Halloween last Saturday, and the Christmas commercials on television have already started.  I wondered if that was a new record for early Christmas TV advertising.  

   Well, one good strategy to avoid procrastination is to start with reminders early.  Of course, if you ignore the reminders or take no action to make sure things happen, the reminders end up being little more than annoyances - that is, until they’re late enough that they’re catalysts for the cold sweat felt when a deadline is fast approaching.  

   How do you handle deadlines?  Do you like the whooshing sound they make as they pass you by?  Or do you find yourself in that cold sweat more often than you like?  

    It’s your priorities that determine which outcome you get.   And in my professional experience I have found that often people are not even aware of the priorities that are motivating their choices. Does a priority of productivity cost you in terms of relationship happiness?  Or is it the reverse: a need to be liked results in not setting boundaries or making others accountable?  

    If this subject resonates for you, read the article below.  You could win a free month of coaching (3 half-hour coaching sessions by phone) if you write and share your story with me [one response will be chosen - the deadline is 12pm noon Eastern Time on November 12, 2009].

    Oh, before I forget, I’ll be doing a book signing for both of my books, Stop Procrastinating Now and Productive Procrastination, in Orlando and the famous Urban Think bookstore on Saturday, December 5, 2009 from 2-4pm.  If you’re in the area I’d love to see you there.  You might even win a copy of the books.

    On another note, if your networking efforts aren’t going well, try Blitz Time , a new service that offers a new way of networking - on the phone from the convenience of wherever you happen to be (in your PJs or sweats!), with no mediocre meal you’re paying too much for, and no travel and traffic, to meet a bunch of small business owners looking to network with others.  Check it out here.  

    For those of you following my doctoral studies pace, I have my doctoral committee together (except for the external reader), have submitted a first revision of my concept paper, and am waiting for comprehensive assessment feedback. What does that mean?  I hope to have a draft of my dissertation proposal done by the end of the year (about 1 year and 8 months into the program).  That’s less than 2 months away!!! Yikes!  Wanna know one of my motivators for getting through the program swiftly?  The cost of tuition, which I divided by day, so every day I don’t make a good effort I think of the money down the drain.  It works as a good “hit man” for me (a reference from my book “Stop Procrastinating Now - more below).

  I’d love to hear from you if you have any thoughts about personal development strategies that have worked for you.  You might even be featured in an upcoming newsletter!

    Finally, if you haven’t yet gotten your copy of either of my books, remember they’re available at both www.Procrastivity.com and www.Amazon.com. 

      Wishing you all optimal procrastivity, as always, and a fabulous November,

Kerul 

Kerul Kassel, Author of Productive Procrastination - Make It Work For You, Not Against You and the award-winning Stop Procrastinating Now - Five Radical Procrastination Strategies To Set You Free, both available at www.Procrastivity.com

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

 “Action expresses priorities.”  ~ Mahatma Ghandi

“Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it.  Establish your priorities and go to work.” ~ H. L. Hunt

“There can be no happiness if the things we believe in are different from the things we do.” ~ Freya Stark

   Do you ever set a deadline, not meet it, and then make yourself miserable?  Been there, done that.But I’ve learned a few things, and I’ll illustrate by using an example from my own life.  I’m almost half way through the doctoral program I’m working my way through and am now focusing on the comprehensive assessment, which I’d hoped to complete by the end of August.While working on the three essays that comprise this required assignment I realized that my ideas were not as informed or crystalized as I need them to be.   Racking own brain to further develop ideas wasn’t fruitful.Instead of beating myself up about it, I’ve been using the last to two weeks to sponge up and filter through more literature.  I’m reaching out to the academic community through reading and writing to scholars in this area to help these assigns take form.  (See tip on not being independent, below).  This work will also help me in other upcoming assignments.  Rather than attempting to push through and being frustrated, I’m reaching out for help.  You should, too, whenever you hit a snag or are struggling.  Independence can sometimes be over-rated.On another note, I’m hosting a Blitz Time networking call this month on Getting Out Of Your Own Way and I’d love for you to join me - there’s not cost involved except possibly your long distance carrier’s charge. It’s on Tuesday, September 8 at 12pm Eastern/US. Here’s the link:http://www.blitztime.com/events/3347-1128767668-179608Blitz Time, by the way, is a new service that offers a new way of networking - on the phone from the convenience of wherever you happen to be (in your PJs or sweats!), with no mediocre meal you’re paying too much for, and no travel and traffic, to meet a bunch of small business owners looking to network with others.  Check it out here.I’d love to hear from you if you have any thoughts about personal development strategies that have worked for you.  You might even be featured in an upcoming newsletter!Do you need a vacation?  On a budget?  Check out the blurb below for information on opportunities, from Margie, a woman I met through BlitzTime.Finally, if you haven’t yet gotten your copy of either of my books, remember they’re available at both www.Procrastivity.com and www.Amazon.com.Wishing you all optimal procrastivity, as always, and a fabulous August,KerulKerul Kassel, Author of Productive Procrastination - Make It Work For You, Not Against You and the award-winning Stop Procrastinating Now - Five Radical Procrastination Strategies To Set You Free, both available atwww.Procrastivity.com

7 TIME MANAGEMENT PITFALLS THAT ARE COSTING YOU MONEY, RESULTS, AND THE MOST PRECIOUS COMMODITY ANYWHERE - TIME

What NOT To Do To Get Dramatically Better Results

         DO NOT attempt to be independentDo you think extremely successful people get that way by doing everything themselves?  Not a chance!They understand that they have particular gifts, and that’s where they focus their efforts.  They leave the rest to others because they know that doing otherwise will hamper their effectiveness, and reduce their potential for success.If you’re not effectively and continually delegating whatever you can, wherever you can, you’re limiting your results, and your satisfaction.  Don’t use lack of funds as an excuse.  Whether you have money to pay other people or not, there are ways to delegate or barter that don’t require the exchange of funds.  Use your imagination and reach out to others – there’s always a way.These days, with the advent of Elance.com and Guru.com, and in these days of professional organizers, and virtual and personal assistants, there is a huge pool of  skilled, experienced, and inexpensive helpers.  If applicable, negotiate with your superiors by proving you’ll be more valuable to the company by delegating.Yes, I know that there’s a risk that someone else won’t do a task as well or as quickly as you could, and that there will be an initial investment of time to find the right people and get them up to speed, but it’s a better investment that doing it yourself.Activities you hate doing or aren’t good at are two areas to start picking from to delegate.  After all, how much time are you losing by not applying yourself to what you *are* good at?  There are also the activities you might not mind, but they may still not be the most productive use of your time.Start small and experiment, and you’ll find that your life won’t fall apart, nor will you become a snob, if you start removing tasks from your plate that someone better suited could be doing for you.  Don’t expect that all experiments will go well – some, perhaps many, won’t.  Don’t let that stop you.INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES”Interdependency follows independence.” ~ Stephen Covey“A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.” ~ Albert Einstein”Diversity: the art of thinking independently together.” ~Malcolm Stevenson ForbesNeed a vacation?  On a budget?Do you NEED a vacation?  Do you like to vacation 1st class but have the beer budget?  Are you booking your vacations online?  Do you get a check back with your confirmation?   Would you shop at stores that would guarantee you the best deals & guarantee you up to 20% cash back?  Contact Margie Basaraba @ Check It Out Travel for more info & a FREE VIP shopping pass!  509-924-3476 or www.checkitouttravel.info

“That’s human nature. Nobody does anything until it’s too late.” ~ Michael Crichton I’ll add that we rationalize our inaction or deny any problem. Crichton has written that global warming is a hoax. Ironic, no?

Go to www.StopProcrastinatingNow.com to find out!  (Click on the quiz link)

   Do you ever set a deadline, not meet it, and then make yourself miserable?  Been there, done that.But I’ve learned a few things, and I’ll illustrate by using an example from my own life.  I’m almost half way through the doctoral program I’m working my way through and am now focusing on the comprehensive assessment, which I’d hoped to complete by the end of August.While working on the three essays that comprise this required assignment I realized that my ideas were not as informed or crystalized as I need them to be.   Racking own brain to further develop ideas wasn’t fruitful.Instead of beating myself up about it, I’ve been using the last to two weeks to sponge up and filter through more literature.  I’m reaching out to the academic community through reading and writing to scholars in this area to help these assigns take form.  (See tip on not being independent, below).  This work will also help me in other upcoming assignments.  Rather than attempting to push through and being frustrated, I’m reaching out for help.  You should, too, whenever you hit a snag or are struggling.  Independence can sometimes be over-rated.On another note, I’m hosting a Blitz Time networking call this month on Getting Out Of Your Own Way and I’d love for you to join me - there’s not cost involved except possibly your long distance carrier’s charge. It’s on Tuesday, September 8 at 12pm Eastern/US. Here’s the link:http://www.blitztime.com/events/3347-1128767668-179608Blitz Time, by the way, is a new service that offers a new way of networking - on the phone from the convenience of wherever you happen to be (in your PJs or sweats!), with no mediocre meal you’re paying too much for, and no travel and traffic, to meet a bunch of small business owners looking to network with others.  Check it out here.I’d love to hear from you if you have any thoughts about personal development strategies that have worked for you.  You might even be featured in an upcoming newsletter!Do you need a vacation?  On a budget?  Check out the blurb below for information on opportunities, from Margie, a woman I met through BlitzTime.Finally, if you haven’t yet gotten your copy of either of my books, remember they’re available at both www.Procrastivity.com and www.Amazon.com.Wishing you all optimal procrastivity, as always, and a fabulous August,KerulKerul Kassel, Author of Productive Procrastination - Make It Work For You, Not Against You and the award-winning Stop Procrastinating Now - Five Radical Procrastination Strategies To Set You Free, both available atwww.Procrastivity.com

7 TIME MANAGEMENT PITFALLS THAT ARE COSTING YOU MONEY, RESULTS, AND THE MOST PRECIOUS COMMODITY ANYWHERE - TIME

What NOT To Do To Get Dramatically Better Results

         DO NOT attempt to be independentDo you think extremely successful people get that way by doing everything themselves?  Not a chance!They understand that they have particular gifts, and that’s where they focus their efforts.  They leave the rest to others because they know that doing otherwise will hamper their effectiveness, and reduce their potential for success.If you’re not effectively and continually delegating whatever you can, wherever you can, you’re limiting your results, and your satisfaction.  Don’t use lack of funds as an excuse.  Whether you have money to pay other people or not, there are ways to delegate or barter that don’t require the exchange of funds.  Use your imagination and reach out to others – there’s always a way.These days, with the advent of Elance.com and Guru.com, and in these days of professional organizers, and virtual and personal assistants, there is a huge pool of  skilled, experienced, and inexpensive helpers.  If applicable, negotiate with your superiors by proving you’ll be more valuable to the company by delegating.Yes, I know that there’s a risk that someone else won’t do a task as well or as quickly as you could, and that there will be an initial investment of time to find the right people and get them up to speed, but it’s a better investment that doing it yourself.Activities you hate doing or aren’t good at are two areas to start picking from to delegate.  After all, how much time are you losing by not applying yourself to what you *are* good at?  There are also the activities you might not mind, but they may still not be the most productive use of your time.Start small and experiment, and you’ll find that your life won’t fall apart, nor will you become a snob, if you start removing tasks from your plate that someone better suited could be doing for you.  Don’t expect that all experiments will go well – some, perhaps many, won’t.  Don’t let that stop you.INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES”Interdependency follows independence.” ~ Stephen Covey“A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life depend on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving.” ~ Albert Einstein”Diversity: the art of thinking independently together.” ~Malcolm Stevenson ForbesNeed a vacation?  On a budget?Do you NEED a vacation?  Do you like to vacation 1st class but have the beer budget?  Are you booking your vacations online?  Do you get a check back with your confirmation?   Would you shop at stores that would guarantee you the best deals & guarantee you up to 20% cash back?  Contact Margie Basaraba @ Check It Out Travel for more info & a FREE VIP shopping pass!  509-924-3476 or www.checkitouttravel.info

Do you ever say you want to do something and then not follow through?  Yeah, right - who doesn’t do that sometimes.  As you might imagine, it’s a recurring theme when I coach clients.  Usually, there are one of two things going on (and often both):1.  You haven’t committed enough space in your calendar to accomplish the task.  The simple fix for this is to estimate from 25% to 300% more time than you think you need and schedule it for specific times/days.  2.  You have some (often unrecognized) resistance to the goal which is metaphorically like having one foot on the accelerator and the other on the brake: you’re using up your gas but going nowhere.     I discuss these sorts of things in Productive Procrastination and give you real solutions that work.  And during the month of May you can get this book free when you order Stop Procrastinating Now (yes, that’s two books for the price of one) through this link: http://tinyurl.com/dlq53r    You’ll pay $16.95 plus $4.95 shipping (for medial mail delivery in the USA - for shipping elsewhere, please email me at kerul@newleafsystems.com) and you’ll get both books.  For more ideas on making good on your goals, see the article below.  On a personal note, Darla arrived at our doorstep on April 30th.  She’s a little bundle of a puppy, yet feisty, smart, and completely adorable.  She’s also our dear Gracie’s half sister (same father), but 6 years younger.  She hasn’t met a thing she doesn’t want to bite, and she’s not yet housebroken, but she’s getting there.  Gracie and Violet growl and snap at her, and she respects them - they’re better at teaching her manners than we are!!  To see this cutie-pie, visit her album at http://tinyurl.com/cpqpx7 Wishing you all optimal procrastivity, as always, and a fabulous May,Kerul   

Kerul Kassel, Author of Productive Procrastination - Make It Work For You, Not Against You and the award-winning Stop Procrastinating Now - Five Radical Procrastination Strategies To Set You Free, both available atwww.Procrastivity.com

7 TIME MANAGEMENT PITFALLS THAT ARE COSTING YOU MONEY, RESULTS, AND THE MOST PRECIOUS COMMODITY ANYWHERE - TIME 

What NOT To Do To Get Dramatically Better Results

1. Don’t Use Your Calendar For Appointments (only)

   This is a very common pitfall for many small business owners and professionals.  We sit down in November or December to create an annual business plan, then review it in the middle of the next year.  That’s definitely helpful, especially if you have a staff that will be responsible for implementing the plan.  But unless you’re clear about how that plan dictates your important actions, and unless you integrate your own personal plan into the mix and review those plans each week - breaking them down into smaller increments and actions - it’s probable you’ll have difficulty achieving your goals and dreams.

   We fail to establish plans because we get daunted by the idea of creating them, or we get so busy with details that there’s little time to devote to something that feels less urgent.  We also think it will take too much time and be troublesome and awkward to implement our plans, and we get overwhelmed by all we need to do.  

   Some of us create to-do lists, which in the end frustrate and shame us - that’s not a very productive strategy!  (Request my Special Report “3 Simple Secrets To Tripling Your Productivity Sustainably” at www.StopProcrastinatingNow.com for more on effectively and efficiently completing to-do’s).

   Others fill their calendars with recurring daily and weekly tasks which they then ignore, usually because these actions aren’t sustainably designed or scheduled.  

   Once you accept these initial reactions, and how normal they are, you can get beyond them to the few minutes each day it will take to focus on the critical and important actions that will give you the results you want.  

   Composing a plan for the day, using your calendar and longer-term objectives, takes just 5 minutes or so, and can easily result in a 50-300% increase in productivity.   Doing this in the morning, or the evening before at the end of the previous workday, gives you a head start and sharpens your focus.       When you take a few minutes to plan each day ahead of time, using hoped-for weekly and monthly milestones as a guide, you automatically prevent a whole lot of poorly-used time.  Regularly glancing at that daily plan 4-6 times during the day, you’ll be able to weave in any newly developing circumstances, while still making swift advancement. 

 INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail. ~ Benjamin Franklin