Why Is The Last 5% So Hard To Do?

Most everyone has those unfinished projects. They exist everywhere from fixing the little things around the house to very important projects at the office. I feel the first 95% is in the choose to range while the last 5% lives in the have to range. Have to lives where you don't like to go. The sticky gooey stuff. The little details. Have to is like work. Choose to is like fun. This is a rather simple observation but a grunt in real life. No one want's to do what they don't like doing.
Where does the answer lie? The smart money knows you do the part you don't like to do first. Once that's behind you it's clear sailing. The very best sales people do this when they have call reluctance. Get those first few calls behind them in the morning. Beware of what happens when you leave it to the afternoon. Your day has become busy doing stuff. Procrastination rarely shows up in the choose to realm.

I believe the best way to approach this is the same whether or not it's working toward your goal or chipping away at the to do list. It's called planning. There are all sorts of experts out there who will help reduce the clutter on your desk, tidy your office and clean up your priority list. All good stuff. Stripped down to the barest what needs to be cleared first is your mind. One must understand why the block is there. If your honest with yourself and take a look you will see what it is. You don't like that part. You are not comfortable in that space. I expect if you study it and get comfortable with it the confidence level will go up. Perhaps you need to seek some outside help. If you look at it from the perspective that all the time spent on getting the first 95% done will go to waste if you do not finish the project. This alone is reason enough to complete the project. Take stock of yourself and learn how to put a value on your time.

You need to turn the "Have To" things into "Choose To" things to get those tough unfinished projects behind you. Just think of how your career will take off. Senior Management will come to you because you get the job done and done well. The most important factor in all this is the feeling of accomplishment. After all, your worth it. Aren't you?

Success Takes Energy And Focus

Staying focused on our goals can be very difficult when our energy levels come and go. This thought came to mind this morning as I am out of town on business and feeling this desire to just loaf the day away. I have a lovely hotel room overlooking the harbor and it has put my mind at ease. I have been on a great run with business this pass year. I have also been busy writing my book and planning my Executive Coaching business. The tug of war is on. Relax or get at it. The pace I have been going at has robbed me of some energy. I find when the energy level drops, so does the focus. The two are very much connected.

So my challenge today is to write an article on success then complete a presentation I am presenting as a guest speaker on Tuesday morning. I am presenting to an executive team tomorrow morning on a large project our company is proposing to a client. I have in my brief case a book and CD for an exercise and weight loss program I want to start. I also have some reading and studying to do for my coaching business. My website needs some updating. It looks like today is not a day for procrastination. Loafing is out of the question. I am focused. I could feel overwhelmed but I am not. I am just not sure my energy level is there. It's time to create some energy. I will be back.

So I now have some renewed energy. It came from going to the Hotel Health Club and hopping on the tread mill for 45 minutes. Yes exercise can and will increase your energy level. I ran out to the supermarket and got some healthier food. A salad, apples and soda water. I am certain a lunch full of carbs would have me taking a long after noon nap. So here I am, back at it.

Before you say don't bore me with all this Paul, ask yourself how often does this happen to you? You just blow off the day. Exactly. If this is what you do, tomorrow is going to be a day that controls you. Why? Because you are not fully prepared. You will be rushing and reacting. You will be exhausted at the end of the day and not certain of the outcomes from your day. What an awful place to be.

So here is the process that went through my mind this morning. It's about making a deliberate decision.

• I created a list of the have to do, followed by choose to.
• I prioritized them.
• I looked at the time I had to complete them.
• I reminded my self that I will be sailing to Bermuda and taking two weeks of in June.
• I reminded myself that I am going to Australia for three weeks this September.

The decision became easy. I was going to have a ton of what I call "gliding days" coming up. So as you can tell I have finished my article and I am now getting to work on Tuesday's speech which is already written in my head. I just need to get it to paper. Next I will get at my website. Make some necessary changes. Then have a half hour nap. I will then do some studying while I watch the golf. I will review tomorrows presentation this evening. The diet and exercise program will have to wait. But wait. I did get my exercise in and I ate healthy. Not a bad result for a winter Sunday in a hotel room.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6905020

Every Day You Procrastinate Is A Day Lost In Achieving Success

Procrastination is the number one stumbling block to achieving your dreams and your goals. Procrastination is the ball and chain that will always be with you until you make the decision to push through the pain associated with change. I believe that procrastination exists because there is the fear of rejection or fear of failure associated with the task or goal before you. Yes procrastination can appear in the things we hate to do but it still relates back to pain. In an earlier article "Achieve Success By Changing The Daily Have To Things Into Choose To Things" I discussed the theory about the mindset and why you should take this approach. Lets imagine you have bought into the idea of Choose To Over Have To, but you have hit the wall and can't get past taking the first step. Your procrastinating. You know you need to get at it but you just can't. Keep in mind we can plan until the cows come home but nothing happens until we do something. Your thinking you will turn on your power of attraction mindset and it will happen. No. That's no going to happen either. It boils down to actually doing something and you get the ball rolling. There is no one simple winning formula. Here are four ways to help put your mind more at ease in dealing with procrastination.

1. The number one thing I do, and yes it does happen to me too, is I write down how I will feel once I get the task or change required completed. Write down what is the absolute worst thing that can happen if you do not succeed in tackling our in making this change. Please believe me. It's not front page news. Not even the last page.
2. Take the personal out of it. Some one says no or the idea does not work. The worst thing they can say is no. No one thinks the worse of you. In fact the person who said no might even being saying I wish I had the nerve and the ability to be able to do that. Yes it takes guts to make a tough ask and face rejection. But they have not rejected you. They rejected what you were trying to sell.
3. Let 's look at something that is not sales related. Lets consider the case of building a website for example. Lets imaging once again that you are not that technologically inclined and you are trying to build a web site. You have this mental block towards the pain of doing this. My suggestion is just imagine the joy of actually completing it. Imagine what you have learned. Imagine how it will help grow your business. Yes it might take a day locked away in a room but you wrestled with the monster and you got the job done. Yahoo.
4. Face the fear and do it anyway. Covey has said it in his book the "The Seven Habits of Highly Success People". Jack Canfield has written about it in His Book "The Success Principals". Susan Jeffers has written a book about it called"Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway" All great reads to help you get past the fear and the pain of rejection.

Some one has said no and you have survived. That wasn't so bad. Maybe I will try that again. In summary I suggest you look at it this way. Everything is easier to do the second time around. Success is just the other side of some pain and anguish. That pain will go away. In fact the pain will be very short lived. You have blazed a new trail. Each and every trip down that trail gets easier especially if the trail leads to your future success.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6114923