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3 Keys to Side-Stepping Procrastination

Guest post by: Monique Gallagher

Article Overview: It’s Wednesday and you have two days to complete an offer for a joint venture opportunity. This alliance has the potential to double your revenue. You’re excited about this opportunity, so you make time to sit down at your desk to outline the joint venture project. Then it happens-something stops you...procrastination. Find out what causes it, how to stop it and move forward quickly so you can be 'in the zone' and achieve success.

3 Keys to Side-Stepping Procrastination

It's Wednesday and you have two days to complete an offer for a joint venture opportunity. This alliance has the potential to double your revenue. You're excited about this opportunity, so you make time to sit down at your desk to outline the joint venture project. Then it happens-something stops you.

Your enthusiasm is replaced by anxiety, so you check emails and shop online to release the tension. However, the few moments checking emails and shopping turn into two hours. Before you know it, you've got to pick up your children from school, make dinner, help with homework and do laundry. How the heck are you going to give this project the time and attention it deserves, so you can reap maximum results?

You feel stressed out and get angry with yourself. How did you let this happen? You were hoping for a chance to expand your reach, and now you may have botched your opportunity!

What do you do when you procrastinate? Do you beat yourself up for everything that you aren't doing?

There are three main reasons for procrastination patterns, and they have nothing to do with laziness. Rather, they are blockers sabotaging your success. They are:

• 1. Not enough information - When you don't have all the details to complete a project, this may keep you from moving forward.
• 2. Not for your highest good - Sometimes, you may procrastinate on a task when you intuitively know that the action isn't for your highest good, or the timing simply isn't right. All you see is the outside symptom-you feel blocked. Unless you have a way to translate your gut messages, you might make matters worse by ignoring your feelings, pulling out the whip, and forcing yourself to do projects you despise.
• 3. Your internal dialogue - Your internal dialogue may try to inspire you, despite your negative feelings, and it's all about pushing your way through. It may sound like this: "I can make this work, I can make this work..." until you're utterly exhausted. This dialogue usually comes on strong when there's a threat of your growing beyond your current comfort zone.

Procrastination also occurs because we're bombarded by too much information on a daily basis. In essence, there's too much to do, read and respond to in our day-to-day living. Because we don't want to miss out on anything, we also suffer from terminal 'over-commit' and 'under-perform' habits and take on too many projects, creating stress and producing work that is below our standards.

That's not real living, and it's a sign of a self-sabotaging blocker. You need to get to the core of this particular procrastination pattern and unlock yourself from this negative mindset, so you can say "No" to inappropriate projects and "Yes" to those that fit your life vision. Then, you can accept the projects that align with your core nature and propel you forward.

However, before you can fix the procrastination habit, you need to clearly recognize when you're off track.

How do you know when you're off track?

You feel overwhelmed and unfocused, you take on too many projects, you miss deadlines and feel guilty - you're distracted, tired, irritable, anxious or unable to finish a task or project.

In contrast, when you're 'in the zone' and not procrastinating, you feel energetic, everything flows, and you accomplish a great deal. Your actions come naturally, you don't have to think all the time, you're calm, you feel engaged, and you love what you're doing. Time disappears, and you're not even aware of noise in the environment. As a result, income growth becomes a natural side effect of being 'in the zone.'

If you find yourself procrastinating, how do you tackle it? You begin by paying attention to what you are procrastinating on. Then, you build a zone of competency, learning how to listen to your true self and unlock the power that resides within you. The following three key secrets create your zone of competency:

Key #1: Align your head and gut with your projects

This rule is tricky. From childhood on, we've been trained to ignore our gut (unconscious) feelings and listen with our analytical mind. However, when we're not in alignment with what we really want and need, we're conflicted, and we procrastinate.

When you're out of the zone, you need to slow down and pay attention to why you might be out of alignment. Do you dislike a task, do you lack the skill set to complete the challenge, or are you tired, overwhelmed or unfocused? Listen to your gut and see how you might make the task more appealing.

Key #2: Watch for synchronistic signs to ease your path

If you're aligned with your true self, and are acting on your gut instincts, you calm down and notice your environment. Your power of focus becomes automatic, and you see places, people and things that can help you on your path to accomplishing your goal. You often think these types of events are 'coincidences,' but they are actually the byproduct of working 'in the zone.'

Here's an example. When I sold my house, I was considering buying a townhome across from my son's favorite park. It had all the features I wanted, but when I investigated the cost, the homeowner dues and property taxes were as much as the mortgage was! That didn't seem like a great fit, so I decided to wait.

A few months later, browsing online, I saw an ad for a townhome. There was no location or picture provided, but I had the urge to call. The agent wasn't available, so I left a message. After several more messages and an almost two-week wait, the agent finally called me back. As I was driving to see the condo, it dawned on me-the place was exactly what I had considered buying! As I walked into the unit, I knew it was right for my son and me. I gave the agent a cash deposit and faxed the rental application.

Sometimes, we have to be patient in order to get what we want. My unconscious wanted to live in that development, and it created an opportunity for us to live there at a great price. Long story short-my rent was approximately half of what it would have cost me to purchase the property!

Key # 3: Commit to action when you see the signs

In my example, I recognized the signs, realized the townhome was what I needed and wanted, and I reacted immediately. I committed myself by signing agreements and paying cash right away; I didn't procrastinate.

You need to commit to action when you find a match for your quest.

If you follow these three keys, you will unlock your power of focus, and you'll have the energy and motivation to move forward and get more done. Your true self will be aligned and you'll feel energized and 'in your zone of competency' more often.

What can you commit to this week?

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Article Tags: be in the zone, comfort zone, get motivated, in the zone, incomplete projects, inner blockers, inner voice, internal dialogue, move forward, negative mindset, off track, procrastination, procrastination habit, stop procrastination, stuck, success and motivation, success in business and life
Referred by: http://www.escapethepace.com



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