Strategies to Beat Procrastination

Everyone experiences procrastination from time to time but not everyone puts strategies to beat procrastination to work in their lives. Some people are chronic procrastinators, while others claim they work better under pressure. It’s not about being lazy, but often people run out of time or take on too many projects. Some of the things we never get around to doing are boring, difficult, overwhelming, and complicated. Most people procrastinate due to feeling overwhelmed.

Like many things, procrastination is a habit, and habits can be broken and retrained. Are you one of the millions who procrastinate. English actor Christopher Parker said, `Procrastination is like a credit card: It’s a lot of fun until you get the bill.’

Here are some great strategies to beat procrastination:

1. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. One of the best strategies to beat procrastination is to divide big projects into smaller more manageable pieces. The first key is to break down projects. This can be at home or at work. For example you are given an assignment to write a 400 page novel. For the majority of people this would seem like a daunting task. But what if we re-worded the project and it asked you to write a page a day for a week, a month, or a year? To most people, that would be a lot less overwhelming.

2. Write it down. This can be listed in no particular order and will give you a handle on just what you need to accomplish. A calendar (with plenty of room for notes) is a useful way to schedule short and long term goals. Often it is easier to start with the worst task.

3. Schedule priority items. One useful way to schedule items in order of priority is to use deadlines. For example if you have a 5 page paper to write, scheduling to work on a page each day from 6:00 until 7:00 each night from Monday until Friday for one week will allow you to finish your paper on time. This can apply to many other items as well, such as paying bills or writing a proposal for work.

4. Schedule in breaks and rewards. When working on strategies to beat procrastination, be sure that you dont forget to take a break! One form of a break might be relaxing or meditating for 3-5 minutes between work sessions. Others enjoy more social relaxation such as a movie, TV, phone call, a date or a trip to a coffee shop. While others enjoy a walk or some exercise, others may enjoy a food or drink treat such as chocolate. Others may enjoy some music, a new item of clothing or a book. Yet others may enjoy a bubble bath, flowers, or candles. Leisure time or time doing a hobby or taking a trip may also be a satisfying reward.

5. Find yourself an accountability partner. This should be someone to help monitor your progress. Tell them your plans and continue to tell them as you proceed. Another accountability option is to send email messages to yourself asking for progress reports and reminding yourself of important tasks to do. Sometimes your accountability partner can be used to help delegate tasks to others.

6. Don’t be too hard on yourself. The more stressed or worried about what you have to do, the less likely you are to do your work. Concentrate on your strengths and develop a `can do’ attitude. Things don’t always have to be done perfectly, just do it! Go on–admit that you have some fears and anxieties about your ability to get the

4 Great Tips to Help Reduce Stress

Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand on you (internal or external). We all experience stress from time to time. Let’s face it, we live in a fast paced world and we come across stressors daily.

When stress becomes too much, it can take a toll on our overall wellbeing and health. Stress drains your body of energy and over time it can cause any of the following problems:

• Insomnia
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• High Blood Pressure
• Depression
• Anxiety Conditions

Whether you deal with stress once in a blue moon or on a day-to-day basis, there are things you can do to reduce stress.

Quiet the Noise: The world is full of hustle and bustle and you can be subjected to it on a daily basis. Be sure to schedule several short breaks for yourself throughout your day to help minimize your stress. You can accomplish this whether you have a corporate office job, work out in the field or work at home. Take the time to get up and stretch, read a book, go for a walk or simply sit quietly and take a few deep breaths. Prayer and meditation have been proven to help alleviate stress and anxiety as well as boost your health. Add your quiet time to your daily schedule and be sure to make the most of it.

Move Your Body: Getting regular physical activity is a great way to help deal reduce stress. Exercise decreases your body’s stress hormones, releases endorphins (your brains ‘feel-good’ transmitters) and it gives you a natural high. You don’t have to join a fancy gym to exercise regularly, try walking, bike riding or simply exercising in the comfort of your own home. Exercise has been proven to help relax the body as well as the mind and while you exercise you bring in more oxygen which in turn increases focus. With increased focus and a relaxed mind, you may be able to see solutions to the problems or concerns that are causing you stress.

Manage Your Time Effectively: Many times we feel stress when we feel as if we can’t control or keep up with the many things that we have to do daily. It is very important to manage your time effectively so that your day isn’t a constant 24 hour battle of ‘Beat the Clock”.

It is important to keep a to-do list or daily planner (written or electronic) handy and begin to prioritize the tasks that you have to do. Here’s an idea — for the next 3 days, write down the tasks that you do on a daily basis. Yes, make a list.  After the 3 days are up, sit down and take a good hard look at the list of things that are on your list.   Evaluate the list and ask yourself:

1. Can I delegate some of the items to someone else?
2. Can I move any items to another day/time that is more convenient?
3. Can I just say “NO”?

Take a look at question number 3 above.  “No” is the 2 letter word that packs a powerful punch. Don’t feel guilty when you have to tell others no because taking on additional projects or for others when you are already stressed will only add to it.  Reducing your stress may mean a few tweaks need to be made to your daily routine.

Find Someone Trusting to Talk To: When stress seems to be all around you and closing in – releasing that stress by verbalizing yourself can be a big help. Whether you are looking to just unload a burden and get the stress off your chest or you are looking to express yourself and get feedback on how to make a change, talking can be a big help. If you feel like you can’t talk to your family or a friend, talk to someone outside the situation. This could be your priest or minister, a therapist, your family doctor or a coach. The key is to get it out and not keep it all bottled up

Stress is a part of daily life and society. You can’t get away from it, but you can find ways to help reduce it. Just being aware that you’re stressed and need to deal with it is a great start. Be sure to find the way that works for you to release the stress that you may be feeling.

Question – what is one thing that you can add to or take away from your life and/or daily schedule that you feel would remove some stress?

If you’re struggling with how to deal with stress and anxiety and would like someone to talk to who can really help, contact me for your 20 minute free consultation. I would love to talk with you about how I can help you overcome stress and anxiety in your life and in your business.

It is OK to Think Small

Somewhere in your life right now there is a small, positive change you can make in the way you live each day. When you make that small change, and stick with it, the results can profoundly influence your entire world. — Ralph Marston

Think small! Yes, I know we are accustomed to being told to think big, but for just a few moments, I would like you to think small. Take a moment to look at yourself. Not just the outside, but also on the inside. Look at your life, your personality, your habits, home, etc. and just think of one (or a few) small positive changes that you could put into action today and do it. So, if your change is to simply walk to the post office instead of driving there, start today. If your change is to eat more fruits and vegetables, do not put it off, start today.

It is amazing how just one or a few small positive changes that we make can transform into very positive habits for our future.

Some possible small positive changes could be:

• Taking a daily walk.
• Making time for yourself to relax (start small and simply carve out 15 minutes a day).
• Get back in touch with a friend that you lost touch with
• Eat healthier snacks.
• Give one extra hug to each family member a day.

Every morning ask yourself: “What one thing can I do today that would make a positive difference in my life and/or the lives of those around me?” Now, go out and do it.

Keep adding new and positive changes and be sure to take notice of how these changes make you feel.

If you need help with setting and reaching goals, simply sign up for one of our affordable coaching packages. You can also grab your free 20 minute coaching consultation to find out more about how a life coach can assist you

Simplify the Holidays with Organization

The holidays are quickly approaching and if you’re a work at home mom, then you may be in a bit of a panic right now. While working from home is the ultimate dream for most women, those of us who do it, know that it is way more challenging then it appears to be. Especially when the holidays roll around because not only do you have to find time to get your work done, but you’ve also got to make time to attend social events, cook holiday meals and keep your kids busy while they’re on “vacation.” Therefore, getting organized is essential for you during this time of year so that you can simplify the holidays and remain stress free.

1. Think about Your Priorities.

The best time to start to simply the holidays is right now!  Yes, before the holidays get here, you need to take the time to think about the next 2-3 months and what you’re personal, business and family goals/priorities are. For example, family gatherings, work deadlines and other scheduled events are priorities. You should also be thinking about things like having family pictures done, sending out Christmas cards and other holiday activities your family does to. Write each priority down on a piece of paper so you know what you HAVE to get done.  This will help to greatly reduce holiay stress.

2. Get Things Scheduled.

Even though we are a month or two away from the holidays, it’s never too early to start making schedule for yourself. If you already have some work deadlines scheduled for November and/or December, begin scheduling time in your calendar to work on these deadlines. As you block off time for work in your calendar, begin to block of time for the activities you currently know about. You may even want to try and get certain activities/events (family pictures, date/time for Thanksgiving Dinner, etc.) scheduled now so they won’t be last minute later.  This will help to simplify the holidays and clear up your schedule for other things as the holidays get closer.

3. Never Put Off Tomorrow What Can Be Done Today.

You know you’ve heard this “tip” before, but it’s very true for the work at home mom gearing up for the holidays. There are a lot of little tasks that have to be done to prepare for the holidays and finding time to do them can be hard as the days go by. Therefore, if you find yourself with a little extra time one day, take that time to complete one of these little tasks. For instance, who says you have to fill out your Christmas cards the night before you send them? Why not get them done now (October or November) and wait to mail them out until December? You can also create your holiday dinner menus, and many other things, in advance too!

Making it through the holidays while maintaining your sanity can be hard to do when you’re a work at home mom, but it is possible.  You can simpilfy the holidays using the three tips above and get organized and stay on top of things this holiday season.

Think you can’t do much in 20 minutes? Schedule a free 20 minute coaching consultation with certified Personal Life Coach Aurelia Williams and start forming your plan of action today

Persevere Through Rough Times to Reach Your Goals

You may be going through a really tough time right now in your life, but don’t let this stop you from reaching your goals. The truth is that everyone has rough times in their lives, but these situations don’t have to stop you from achieving the success you’ve always dreamed of. Below are some tips to help you persevere through your rough time to reach your goals.

 

1. Stay Focused

Staying focused is a critical part of reaching your goals, and it doesn’t matter what other difficulties you’ve got going on in your life. You need to keep your “eye” on the goal if you want to reach it. Once you let your mind start thinking about things other than your goals, your problems will begin to look that much bigger and your goals less achievable. However, if you spend the majority of your time thinking about your goals, your brain will start “brain storming” ways for you to reach those goals.

2. Think About the Positives.

You’ve likely heard the saying, “every story has two sides.” Well, this is also true about your problems. While you may have some tough problems in front of you right now and all you can see are the negative aspects of them, there are also going to be some positives to be found within these troubles too. So, take the time to sit down and list out the positives that can come from these problems.

 

For example, let’s say you’re facing bankruptcy right now, but have the goal to be financially independent one day. One positive that can come from your current financial situation is that you learn from the mistakes you made and when you do become financially free, you’ll have a remarkable testimony that will motivate others going through the same thing. (Think about Dave Ramsey)

3. Take Responsibility.

The next thing you have to do before you can begin to work through your problems and reach your goals is to take responsibility for the things you’ve done to contribute to these problems. For instance, if you’re facing bankruptcy, you’ve not been financially responsible in the past. Instead of living within your means, you over-extended yourself and when the economy busted, you weren’t able to pay all of your bills. Taking responsibility is vital for perseverance and obtaining success after tough times.

 

4. Don’t Take the Easy Way Out.

Finally, while it may seem easy to give up on your dreams and concentrate on your impending problems, this isn’t the path you want to take. Be a fighter and fight your way out of it. You can do it, but you have to be willing to do the work and fight for it. Once you do, you’ll realize you can achieve your goals and when you reach those goals, victory will be even sweeter. Why? Because you didn’t take the easy way out and quit. Instead, you stood up and fought for what you wanted…and you won!

If you need help getting through a rough time,  increasing your personal growth, or if you want help with reaching your goals, simply sign up for one of our affordable coaching packages. You can also grab your free 20 minute coaching consultation to find out more about how a life coach can assist you.

Self Esteem – My Personal Story

I am a living testimony as to how growing up with negative self-esteem can spill over into your adult life and affect everything you say and do.  

People used to say that I wouldn’t amount to anything.  I was brought up in a household where both of my parents were alcoholics and drug users and their first priority was getting their next high and their last priority was meeting the very tender needs of me, ‘their daughter’.  Growing up, I would go months and months without a kind word and that began to mold my self esteem.  As a child, if you don’t hear anything good, only hear the bad,  treated like dirt… well, then you soon begin to feel like dirt.

Low self-esteem can be devastating, especially for children.  If not dealt with, it can spill over into adulthood as it did with me.  During my young adult years, I didn’t think too highly of myself and it showed in some of the choices I made and many of the things that I allowed into my life.  My childhood low self esteem began to slowly  invade every part of my life and it led to negative results. Negative friendships, relationships, smoking, and quite frankly, I simply lost the will to even try to create a full and happy life for myself.   

For me, in order to improve my self-esteem, I had to go to the root of the cause of my low self esteem.  It was necessary for me to combat the negative things that I was taught about myself, confront the negative situations that I was placed in and allowed myself to be in, and I also had to just accept that I, as an adult, was in control and without help, I would never begin to shake the shackles that my low self esteem had on me.

At times when you are at a cross roads like this, professional help may be warranted.  Speaking to someone who can be totally objective can have a profound affect on the path you will eventually take to free yourself from whatever is holding you back.  At some point, you have to realize that you are worth the best life possible and it is up to you to at least take the 1^st step to ending whatever internal bondage is holding you back. It takes courage and determination to face your own fears and to seek help. You can be assured; however, once you do there will be no need to ever look back…..unless it is to help others.

I felt the need to share a bit of my own personal story with you.  If there is anyone out there that is struggling with something inside — Now is the time to get out of your own way, and find the truth within.  Self-esteem issues can be resolved.  All it takes is one step toward the direction of the light; leave the darkness forever behind you.

Take a look at your personal story.   Are there any changes that you would like to make because of your story?

Think you can’t do much in 20 minutes? Schedule a free 20 minute coaching consultation with certified Personal Life Coach Aurelia Williams and start forming your plan of action today!

Organizing Your Household

Do you have trouble getting your family on board for being organized? Sometimes, they may just think it’s too complicated. What we’ve learned to do without thinking about it seems so simple to us, but we forget that we haven’t always communicated what we want from our family members. Most of the time, we just want them on board.

Following are some simple tips to help you in organizing your houshold. Using these tips you will get your family to think organized–sometimes without realizing that’s what they are really doing!

1. Family Meeting

Hold a family meeting and explain to your family that you need help to be able to maintain the family home. You aren’t the only person in the family and shouldn’t be the only one doing all the work. BUT, the family needs to know what and how to help you. Don’t just dictate what will be done, but ask for their input and take their suggestions seriously. One of the advantages of the whole family working together to keep things organized and clean is that it takes much less time, leaving the whole family free to pursue fun activities together.

2. Chore Charts

One of the outcomes of your family meeting can be dividing chores up. When you beging organizing your houshold you can gather input from the family as to which chores they’d prefer to do, set up a chore chart that lists everyone and the chores they are responsible for. Explain too that none of the assignments are set in stone, they can be re-negotiated in the future. Everyone likes to have some choices and this is a good way to do that.

3. Make it Simple

Do your children just toss their clothing into the closet without hanging it up? Maybe the problem isn’t that they don’t want to do it right, but that they just can’t. When it comes to organizing your houshold, make it as easy as possible for all family members. Ask yourself — Is the closet rod too high for them to reach? Are the hangers too big for their clothing? You can lower the entire rod, or if you want to have room for hanging cubes, add a lower rod to one side. You can install a lower rod in half the closet, simply by hanging it from the upper rod. This will leave the other side free for hanging cubes that can also be used for storage. In addition to lower rods, purchase some smaller hangers so that they aren’t so bulky and frustrating for the kids.

4. Dirty Clothes Piles

Does your spouse consistently toss his/her dirty clothing in a single spot on the floor? Help to get your better half to think organized by placing a hamper in the exact spot he/she tosses those dirties. This way you are making it easier to `think organized’ without having to pick up piles of your spouse’s dirty clothes.

5. Toys Everywhere?

Do you have toys all over the place with no one putting them away? If you have small children, make it easy for them. First, pare down the amount of toys. Many times, our children have more toys than they ever play with. Find their favorites–those toys they play with consistently. Then pack up the rest. You could donate them, or just pack them up and store them to be rotated. Second, get rid of the toy box. Kids can’t find anything in a toy box so they won’t use it, or if they do, the mess from trying to find something is all over. Use cubbies, or cubes that you can find in any department store. Third, if your children are very small and aren’t reading yet, use pictures to label each bin so that they know exactly what goes where. When there isn’t an overwhelming amount to be picked up, and they know exactly where it goes and that they can easily find it later, they are much more able to keep the toy mess to a minimum. You might also make a rule that only one toy at a time can be out. For them to be able to play with a new toy, the old one has to be put away. This rule works, if you enforce it.

6. Label, Label, Label!

Do you despair that nothing will ever be put in its proper place? If you don’t already have a label maker, buy one. They are a very helpful too–for your pantry, linen closet, medicine cabinet, kitchen cupboards and drawers. Label what goes where. The labels are small enough to fit on the face of a shelf and big enough to be easily read.

7. Rewards

Don’t we all like rewards? Our families are no different. The rewards don’t have to be monetary. They can be a favorite meal prepared, a favorite movie or even a day out with Mom or Dad. There are a number of rewards that will work. Very small children love to get stickers, or lollipops, or pinwheels. Older children may enjoy one-on- one time with Mom or Dad, or both. Dad’s reward could be an afternoon fishing or golfing. Mom’s reward could be spa time (at home or at the spa). There are any number of ways that you can reward the family for ‘thinking organized’. Find what works best for your family and your situation.

8. Make it Fun

One of my favorite tips re: organizing your houshold is to make it fun! None of us like to do drudge work, including our children. When most people have a bit of drudgery to do, they tend to put it off as long as possible, even to the point of avoiding it altogether. Our families are no exception to this rule. Young children, especially, like to race the clock, so set a timer and challenge everyone to a beat-the- clock game. In a specific amount of time, see how much stuff everyone can pick up and put away. When it’s fun, everyone enjoys participating.

9. Lighten Up

This is applicable in more ways than one. It is impossible to organize clutter, so if you have too much stuff, you need to lighten your load. Donate items that are in good condition (gently used), or hold a family garage sale. Set the sale up so that each member of the family gets the proceeds from their items. Or, you could agree as a family to combine the proceeds for a special treat, maybe a trip to an amusement park or similar attraction. Give your family an incentive to part with things and they will more than likely be willing participants. Another way to lighten up is in our attitudes. Sometimes we get so focused on the things that need to be done all around us that we forget to just enjoy our families. Don’t make that mistake.

10. Enjoy Your Organized Family

It only takes doing something 21 times to make it a habit. Introduce these suggestions slowly and when each one is a habit, start on a new one. Then you will have a home that requires less care, one because you have lightened the load, and two because the whole family is taking part in the care and maintenance of the home. This leaves you free to enjoy more family time together.

By using any or all of the tips above, you will start on your journey of organizing your houshold and the benefits will be endless.

Using Positive Self Talk to Conquer Any Goal

Do you feel like you are always talking yourself out of success?  As soon as you start to set goals for yourself, do you suddenly have nagging thoughts about how you aren’t up to the task or how you simply aren’t qualified to carry it through? 

If you have ever experienced either situation, you need to change the way you respond to your inner dialogue.  Instead of obeying your negative commands, you can use positive self-talk to counter the negativity and overcome nearly all anxious thoughts.

 

Setting Goals and Sticking to Them with Positive Self-Talk

Are you initially filled with excitement when you first set goals for yourself? Are these thoughts then followed by self-doubt and self-defeating thoughts that stop you in your tracks before you even get started?

It can be difficult to make the most of your life when you are constantly talking yourself out of being a success.  It can be frustrating and discouraging to have these thoughts constantly plaguing you. Many of us, in fact, don’t even realize we have them! All we know is that we don’t have the confidence to stick to our plans and reach our goals.

But there’s another way!

Positive self-talk is an effective way to set goals and ensure that you stick to them, even if you have never been able to do this before.  The way this works is that you decide what goal is important to you, and then you plan the logistics of how you are going to attain this goal.  When self-doubt starts kicking in, you will respond with affirmations that prove your success without surrendering to the negative pressure. Since you’re reading this article, it’s clear that you’re no quitter and you’re certainly not a failure, so start believing in yourself!

Affirmations are essentially positive statements that re-program your mind for the positive. The moment you have a self-defeating thought you’d be able to counter the negative with a motivating statement. An example of a positive affirmation is: “I am worthy of great success,” or “I see myself in the winner’s circle.”  What this does is replace negativity with thoughts that will help you move toward your goals instead of further away from them.

Positive self-talk is easier to implement than you might think. You may not be aware of the severity of the negative dialogue currently within your mind. However, once you begin with positive self-talk, you will suddenly realize that you are self-sabotaging the goals you set for yourself from the minute that you make them. This process can open your eyes to exactly how much this inner conversation has been interfering with your life. You’ll feel hopeful that you can now set goals and surpass them.

Through positive self-talk you will be able easily set long and short-term goals for yourself. And when you use affirmations, you’ll have accessible tools to help you push yourself further than ever before. Learning to quiet negativity with positive thoughts is a great move toward setting and attaining future goals with ease.

If you’re having difficulty cutting the negative self talk, contact me for a free 20 minute consultation. I want to help you set and achieve your goals and see your dreams come true.