Dear Monday Morning Coach Readers --

You'll notice a whole new look to Monday Morning Coach this week. And I'm also excited to announce that I have updated my website, featuring not only the new look but new content as well. Please take a moment to visit www.dynamic-coaching.com, and let me know what you think!

Procrastination Breakthrough

Perhaps there is no experience as universal as that of procrastination. Almost everyone confesses to procrastinating sometimes and a lot of people are chronic procrastinators, up to 20% according to an article published several years ago in Psychology Today magazine . When I conduct a Best Year Yet retreat* it is often the #1 stumbling block people identify that keeps them from achieving goals or simply getting more done.

Regardless of how much you procrastinate--a little or a lot--here are my top 10 ways to have a "procrastination breakthrough" in 2008!

1. Declare a rule for yourself to "Act on it now." Several years ago, this became one of my Best Year Yet guidelines and it became so imbedded in my gray matter that I naturally found myself acting more and delaying less. I periodically need to remind myself that there will NEVER be a better time than now to take some positive, productive action on what matters to me.


2. Actually estimate the amount of time a given task will take. If you have a proposal to do, instead of operating on the assumption that it's so big you simply can't start now, define realistically about how long you think it will take to complete. We often grossly overestimate in our minds how difficult a given task will be. This (and the next strategy) is what I used to tackle a complete re-do of my website (www.dynamic-coaching.com) last summer. It was a task I had put off for over a year! In my head, while I was busy building a case against getting it done, my website rewrite was sure to be a 30-40 hour project. Once I got real about how many pages were involved, my time estimate became 10-12 hours, which didn't seem nearly so daunting.


3. Break the big task down. The proverbial elephant gets eaten one bite at a time, not in one gigantic gobble. If you have a project that you estimate will take you 12 hours to complete and you keep looking for a 12-hour block in which to complete it, you'll never start. But if you block out 15 minutes a day, in less than 2 months (48 days) it will be done. Need to produce a result quicker, then adjust your time accordingly. My website rewrite took about two weeks working 15-30 minutes a day, and some days, once I got started, I actually worked longer than I had planned so the work got done faster.


4. Use your "peak time" for priority tasks. We often plunge right into the pile in front of us without stopping to think about key results we need or want to produce in a given time or day. Then when we "run out of gas" or get interrupted it seems we have no time for the important but not urgent activities that will really make a difference. So instead of starting at whatever makes the most noise when you get into the office, start with what will matter most at the end of the day.


5. Reward yourself for progress along the way not just at the end of the project. Somehow we've acquired the belief that "rewards" can only be given out at the finish line. Imagine running a marathon and not being "rewarded" by cheering fans or cups of water along the way. If a task is particularly unpleasant to you, find a way to reward yourself for taking small steps towards its completion. Sometimes just the progress alone is rewarding, but if it takes something tangible like a trip to Starbucks for your favorite latte or something else you enjoy, so be it!


6. Create deadlines and install consequences (or rewards) for meeting them. We humans tend to work better when we know there are "due dates" on things. We pay bills by their due date or suffer the consequences. The same thing can happen with our task lists. It might be helpful to enroll a coach, friend or other accountability partner to support you. Imagine giving yourself the next 30 minutes to make 5 prospect calls. It's amazingly motivating to give yourself a challenge and meet it.


7. Give up the myth of perfection. There are actually very few things in this lifetime that have no margin for error. Perfection is a myth and the sooner you stop letting it rule your life the more effective you'll be. When my checkbook doesn't balance but the difference is less than $20, I give Quicken permission to auto adjust. Some of you reading this might consider that accounting heresy, but what is your time worth? Have a book or article that is still unwritten because of your fear it won't be perfect? Even the best writers have editors who will tell you, it's never perfect the first time out. Get writing and save the perfecting process for later.


8. Consider delegating or outsourcing things you don't like to do. With the proliferation of virtual assistants available, even a very small business or independent contractor can afford to have someone else handle the adminis-trivia. Think about how you could use that time to make more money or enjoy your life more and suddenly the exchange of your cash for someone else's time seems like a bargain.


9. Give up delusional thinking, primarily in the form of "I'll feel more like doing it tomorrow." If you trust your "feelings" to guide you to action you'll likely find the procrastination roadblock getting larger. But act on that thing now and watch your feelings follow suit. Someone has said, it's easier to act your way into a new way of feeling than it is to feel your way into a new way of acting. This can be particularly true if you've procrastinated on an exercise program or some other healthy lifestyle change. Act on it today and you're more likely to "feel like it" tomorrow.


10. Never delay sending a friend or loved one a card or note, telling someone you love them, or issuing an apology to repair a relationship. Years ago, I put off sending an Easter card to my dear aunt Martha. I thought about sending it, even signed, sealed, addressed and stamped the envelope. Then, one day before Easter, I got the call that my dear aunt had passed away. She lived less than two miles from my home. Oh how that missed opportunity haunted me! I have long-since forgiven myself, but I have not forgotten the important lesson I learned from it. Today is the only time we have for letting others know how we feel about them or for repairing (or making the attempt anyway) that damaged relationship. None of us is promised tomorrow, so "act on it now."

Quote of the Week:

"The problem in my life and other people's lives is not the absence of knowing what to do, but the absence of doing it."

~~Peter Drucker

"Transforming Your Potential into Performance!"
Betty Mahalik, PCC Life & Business Coach, Trainer bettym@dynamic-coaching.com www.dynamic-coaching.com	Dynamic Solutions 5240 Mustang St. Las Vegas, NV 89130 tel: 702 658-4425 fax: 702 658-5802 mobile: 702 443-0175
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