{"id":343,"date":"2012-06-13T08:22:45","date_gmt":"2012-06-13T12:22:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dealersinhope.wordpress.com\/?p=343"},"modified":"2013-02-19T21:28:52","modified_gmt":"2013-02-20T02:28:52","slug":"overcoming-procrastination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/patserver.ddns.net\/dealersinhope\/?p=343","title":{"rendered":"Overcoming Procrastination"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’ve come across a great article on procastination. It’s short, simple, and clear.
\nHere’s the article from Dr. Anthony Fernando’s site Dare To Dream<\/a><\/p>\n

______________________________<\/span><\/p>\n

When you face a difficult task, it can sometimes feel like you\u2019re trying to move a mountain.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Mountain\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The longer you stare up at the mountain, the more overwhelming your task seems. In this situation,\u00a0it\u2019s very easy\u00a0to start procrastinating by finding other things to do.<\/span><\/p>\n

Procrastination is one of the major obstacles that you need to overcome in order to make your dreams a reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

The secret to overcoming procrastination is to stop looking up at the mountain and start looking down at your wheel barrow.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let me explain\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

When you look at a complex task in its entirety, it is very easy to become paralysed by the sheer amount of work that you need to do. Your mind starts telling you that \u2018it\u2019s impossible\u2019 and you spiral downward into a sea of negativity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Mountain1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The way to overcome this paralysis is to change your focus and stop thinking about the overall task you need to complete. Instead, just concentrate on something you know you can achieve.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Mountain2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at an example to see how this works in the real world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Peter is facing the \u2018mountain\u2019 of writing a PhD thesis. When he thinks about writing a 500 page document, it just seems too overwhelming and so day-after-day he procrastinates and avoids getting started.<\/span><\/p>\n

Each morning, Peter asks himself, \u201cCan I write a 500 page document?\u201d and his internal answer is \u201cNO WAY!\u201d so he procrastinates and looks around for other things to do \u2013 He takes his kids to school, goes to the gym, does the shopping. Anything to avoid the mountain that is sitting in his study.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, Peter realises that the best way to overcome procrastination is to stop looking up at the mountain and start looking down at his wheelbarrow.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead of asking himself, \u201cCan I write a 500 page document?\u201d he begins his day by asking, \u201cCan I work on my PhD without being distracted for 1 hour?\u201d \u2013 his internal answer to this question is \u201cYes \u2013 I can easily do 1 hour\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Peter blocks out all distractions and works on his PhD for 1 hour. At the end of the hour he feels like he has made a small amount of progress. He asks himself again, \u201cCan I work on my PhD without being distracted for 1 hour?\u201d \u2013 Since he has already done this, he knows the answer is \u2018Yes\u2019 so he does it again.<\/span><\/p>\n

By the end of the day, Peter has completed four hours of effective work on his PhD. He is tempted to look up at the mountain but he knows it is much better if he just focuses on moving his wheelbarrow one hour at a time.<\/span><\/p>\n

After a month of following this routine, Peter takes a look at his mountain and sees that his 1 hour blocks of action have made a dramatic impact. This gives him even more confidence and momentum to keep moving forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

Step-by-step, one hour at a time, Peter moves his mountain.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are currently trying to move a mountain in your life, here are the steps you need to take in order to overcome procrastination and get the job done!<\/span><\/p>\n

This Weeks Action Steps<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

(1)\u00a0Stop thinking about the overall task you need to complete.<\/span><\/p>\n

(2)\u00a0Instead, focus on a small component of the task that you know you can achieve.<\/span><\/p>\n

(3)\u00a0Ask yourself, \u201cCan I work on this task without being distracted for 1 hour?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

(4)\u00a0Forget about everything else other than working hard for 1 hour.<\/span><\/p>\n

(5)\u00a0At the end of the hour, ask yourself the same question again.<\/span><\/p>\n

(6)\u00a0Move your mountain one hour at a time.<\/span><\/p>\n

(7)\u00a0Enjoy the amazing sense of achievement that comes from completing a difficult task.<\/span><\/p>\n

Until next time,<\/span><\/p>\n

Dare to dream!<\/span><\/p>\n

Anthony<\/span>
\n______________________________<\/span><\/p>\n

Let’s go move mountains!
\nThanks for reading,\u00a0Patric J. Dufficy<\/p>\n