Get On With It

“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” ― Charles Dickens

There are days I tell myself, "This is the day I'll get back to writing my new book."

For others it might the challenge of going on a diet, searching out a new job or just about anything else you want to start but don't. A fair share of this is caused by procrastination. The act of putting off doing something for one reason or another.

For me, I find a lot of excuses such as not enough time, too busy, too tired or I'll get to it tomorrow.

The problem is tomorrow never comes, it remains tomorrow, which turns into next week and then next month. Before you know it, the years have drained away and you are left looking back wondering what happened to tomorrow.

For others, procrastination involves their work or marriage. We put off dealing with things within our own particular lives.

In an old publication called Gwinnett Life Magazine, the founder of Greenleaf Counseling Services offered the following six possible reasons for procrastination.

1. You're bored. Ask or say to yourself...
- What excites me or charges my battery? What am I about? Why?
- What kind of learning am I truly interested in?
- Do I see the short term and long term payoff of applying myself to my studies or my work?
- Realize that the world is not responsible for making you happy.

2. You are overwhelmed. Ask or say to yourself...
- Am I a perfectionist? Do I not get started on something unless I know I will get it exactly right or until I know I have all of the information or pieces to get it done?
- Do I let things pile up instead of dealing with each task one by one?
- Remember that inch by inch anything's a cinch.

3. Your confidence is low or has slipped. Ask or say to yourself...
- What are some of the things I fear the most? Disappointing someone, getting a less than perfect grade, can't be all that someone wants my to be, etc.?
- When I have to make decisions regarding relating to other people (who to go out with, which friends to do activities with, whether to go and visit with dad, etc.) do I make firm decisions or do I waffle back and forth with my thoughts and feelings?
- Procrastination equals your level of self-doubt.

4. You have low self-worth. Ask or say to yourself...
- Do I deserve good things in life? This is not the same thing as entitlement. The world does not owe you anything. The question is whether you have inherent value as a human being.
- Do I know of people who are glad that I am in their life and I can easily believe it?

5. You are doing thing you really don't enjoy. Ask or say to yourself...
- Successful people do the things that unsuccessful people often don't like to do.
- Are you willing to take some risks to try and do things differently than before?
- There is a saying in chemical dependency recovery circles that goes like this - "If you always do what you've always done, you always get what you've always got." Sounds silly but the essense of its meaning is true. So remember, to get a different result you must do something different.

6. You are easily distracted or just lazy. Ask or say to yourself...
- Success takes effort and consisten, focused activity.
- What distracts you the most from getting your work done?
- Think - "If it is to be, it's up to me." Be proactive and make good things happen instead of waiting for good things to come to you.

Do any of these reasons fit you? Are you putting off things in life that could be propelling you to something greater? If so, work on resolving those things which cause procrastination in your life.

It is only holding you back.

Stay inspired my friends!

Never Fear Striking Out

“Never allow the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game!” ― Babe Ruth

Guess what folks?

Only 14 days, 17 hours and some odd minutes and second until spring training starts.

Like clockwork the seasons come and go. Winter will cease and our hearts will grow.

There will always be opportunities to stand tall and take a swing at success. What you are up against may result in striking out many times that you do step up to the plate.

Historically, Ty Cobb leads all professional players with a batting average of .366.

Think about that. Over the course of his 24 years playing baseball, Ty Cobb struck out 63% of the time. Even Babe Ruth struck out nearly 66% of the time he came up to bat.

Then again, Babe Ruth hit a home run roughly once in every twelve at bats.

Success can never happen if you quit swinging for it.

Play Ball !!



Stay inspired my friends!

Just One Decision

“Every moment is a moment of decision, and every moment turns us inexorably in the direction of the rest of our lives.” ― Mary Balogh

One decision can change the outcome.

Just one decision can alter one or many lives.

With that one decision, how will you respond?

The Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League were one yard away from scoring in final minutes of the championship game. Very likely the trophy was on the other side of the goal line. Only three feet to go as the decision came in from the sidelines.

The New England Patriots were defending their stake to claim the trophy. It was a four point game and a touchdown by Seattle would have nearly sealed the game. All seemed potentially lost and then one decision changed the entire course.

A decision to throw a pass when running the ball was clearly the high percentage call.

The decision resulted in the opposing team intercepting the football and winning the game.

This time the victory for New England was not a clear victory but a gift handed to them. And this time Seattle clearly outsmarted themselves from victory. But that is what one decision can do in life. That one decision we wish we could change.

All of that is football, a sport, a game played for our entertainment purposes.

Real life decisions are played out everyday. Not only with game deciding decisions but also in the decisions we make regarding family, love, and life. These singular decisions have varied consequence on our lives and of those around us.

One decision can change the outcome.

Just one decision can alter ours or many others lives.

With that one decision, how you respond determines how things move forward.

Good decisions are never fully explored because we move on, happy, content, nothing to cause concern. But a bad decision becomes the central focus of all we do. We go through regret, pain, anger and a host of other emotions. Our lives begin to stall.

There are some people that never recover from the pain or consequence of a bad decision. They have no capacity or will to move beyond and turn the decision back into something positive in their life. They are forever stuck in the mud unable to bring themselves out of it.

When a decision is made, good or bad, where you find yourself is not an endpoint but a new starting point towards your goals. It is a launch pad where you stand, with new knowledge that will bring you closer to your target.

One decision can change things but one decision can also be the greatest thing in your life.

Stay inspired my friends.

Sandstorm of Change

“When a great moment knocks on the door of your life, it is often no louder than the beating of your heart, and it is very easy to miss it.” ― Boris Pasternak

Could this be a picture from the Mars Land Rover?

Of course the trees give it away and for some of us, it is a long way from home. This picture comes from an area north of Baghdad in the country of Iraq. As happens in this and other parts of the world, a sandstorm was occurring this particular day. These type of storms are not a pleasant thing to experience. There are other things in life you would rather not experience as well.

It is in the experience that you learn and change.

It could be anything from witnessing a horrible accident to seeing the wonderful birth of a child. Every one of these experiences have an impact upon us. It can cause change in your life to occur.

You wonder how a sandstorm could change your life?

- Inspires you to develop a product to improve the lives of those who living in these areas.
- Motivates you to move where sandstorms do not occur and you meet the love of your life.
- Fills you with stories that will inspire and motivate your children and your grandchildren.

Every life event, every life experience, every new perspective can change your life.

Stay inspired my friends.