“EdgeUtainment“ E-message
December 2007
Question: Do You Know Who Came Up With The Idea For A New Year’s Resolution?
Answer: The Greatest Procrastinator In The World!
We are now in the midst of the holiday season and rapidly approaching the ringing in of the New Year. So, what does this mean for most people? It means a chance to procrastinate and wait even longer to make the changes necessary to achieve their goals.
Isn’t it amazing how we decide to make changes in our lives based upon the time of year it is? Well, that’s what people do every New Year! I was recently on a radio talk show (This show will be archived on the GA Website, in Gregg’s Media Center, under Gregg In Action) and the host of the show asked me my thoughts about New Year’s resolutions. I said, “Ultimately you don’t want a New Year’s resolution because anytime you want to make a change, you should do it immediately…you should do it NOW!”. Think about it. What has your history been involving change and accomplishing your goals when it revolved around a New Year’s resolution? I believe the majority of the people functioning this way never really change or end up achieving their particular goal. Be honest and ask yourself what’s been different in previous years when you decid! ed to put things off until New Years? Think back. How many years have you made New Year’s resolutions only to have history repeat itself by being in the same situation 12 months later? On the other hand, where would you be today if every time you wanted to change the direction of your life (whether it be financially, spiritually, socially, physically, mentally, or emotionally) you could do so and in just a matter of seconds? Are you thinking how? It’s simple…make a decision to do it now! That’s all it is and it only takes seconds. Not only will this eliminate procrastination from your life, but it will also eliminate one of the stresses we have in our lives as well. It is no secret that procrastination means putting off something we don’t want to do or that we are afraid to do, and that’s stressful. In addition, by putting things off ! until New Years, it gives us an excuse and allows us to justify why we can regress or be less productive. Here’s an example. It’s September, 2007, and we’ve made a decision to lose some weight and begin an exercise program but instead of beginning immediately, we tell ourselves we’re going to get started January 1, 2008. What we’ve just done is allowed ourselves three to four months of not watching what we eat, over indulging, gaining weight and not exercising. We have justified and believe that it doesn’t matter because come New Years, it’s all going to be different. For most, it won’t be different because something will come up as an excuse and justification why now is not a good time either and the cycle begins all over. It will be 2009, 2010, 2011. When will you realize, it will always be something to prevent you from doing it now? Don’t fall into this! trap of procrastination, begin now!
Understand, it’s great to have hope and to imagine that 2008 will be great, 2009 will be fine and 2010 you’ll get it done then, because we all want to be positive and see our lives improving and having a fresh, new start but, just remember, New Years is just an illusion because you can and should live life like everyday is New Years!
Let’s help you overcome the deadly habit of procrastination.
Five simple things to do now:
1 - Make a decision to change. Then, once a decision is made, take action toward your desired change! Don’t get ready, to get ready, to get ready, to get ready, to get ready to make that decision to change and then, upon making that decision, don’t get ready, to get ready, to get ready, to get ready, to get ready to take action. Realize that in your life there will never be a perfect time to change and there will always be something in your life to justify why now is not the right time. Now is the only time…DO IT NOW!
2 – Realize you don’t have as much time as you think…there is no time to waste. Let me give you a great visual as to how serious you need to be about urgently utilizing your time. It was three weeks ago that my wife and I gave birth (well, I was there to watch) to our new baby boy and as this great miracle was taking place, I had an epiphany. I thought of the hour glass analogy I always speak about. Imagine if, when you were born, a physical hour glass appeared and it was immediately turned over with the sands of your life moving rapidly toward the end of your life. Imagine knowing that from that day forward this physical, visible hour glass was going to follow you around wherever you went and you could see your time elapsing. (You will get to read more about the hour glass in my new book! to be released in 2008). You would live your life more urgently, wouldn’t you? You wouldn’t wait until New Years if you could do it now, would you? Well, let it be known that each of us does have an hour glass and our sands of time are running out. We all have a different amount of sand left and, because our hour glass is invisible, we don’t know how much time we have. But we all know we have no time to waste. I know my time here is limited and so is my son’s and that’s why I will never wait until New Years to get things done. So what’s the theme? DO IT NOW!
3 – Use a daily planner which includes a daily action worksheet. We all need to be held accountable. Growing up, our parents, loved ones and teachers did that for us. They told us to do our homework and clean our rooms, just to name a few, and they checked on us to make sure we did it. They didn’t say, “Beginning New Years, you’re going to start”. No, it was all the time, everyday. Well, as we get out in the real world, we may have a boss that holds us accountable but, if you are an entrepreneur or working independently in whatever you are doing, who is holding you accountable? Or, how about in your personal life? What? You actually have to hold yourself accountable? Sounds easy enough but believe me, it’s easier said than done. So, in order to hold yourself accountable, you have to have some organized structure to help yourself. Get yourself a simple daily planner (If you’d like, you can use the simple one that I created for myself and that I use. It’s available in the GA Shopping Cart). It helps you plan each day before it begins. It includes a things-to-do list, phone calls to make and your day’s appointments. First, list the most important and urgent things needed to get done each day. Make sure to stay focused and to stay on task, meaning if you get a phone call or you get a thought, write it down or take a message and call them back. If you want to get more done and be more productive, you really need effective planning. Effective planning will give you the freedom to handle a day’s responsibilities and eliminate the dreaded procrastination.
4 – Work with a coach, a mentor and, if need be, a drill sergeant. This part is simple. Are you doing what you are supposed to be doing to achieve the results you want? If not, get someone who will push you to do it. As an example: I know myself, so when it comes to working out I know I’m not going to do what I’m supposed to do, so I work with a personal trainer because he pushes me to do more than I would do on my own. I’m not afraid to be honest with myself and know when I need help to get something done. I understand that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, but to the contrary…a sign of strength. I hope you’re strong enough to ask for help. One of my greatest passions is to coach and mentor individuals who really want to reach the pin! nacle of success and fulfill all their talents and abilities. I am hard on people; I am a drill sergeant that holds you accountable for the goals you set. I’ve primarily worked with professional athletes, high-level executives and top salespeople, but I feel limited. That’s why I’m so excited about the Power Coaching Program launching January 2008. Now, I can work with everyone and everyone has access to the drill sergeant at a fraction of what a private coaching session would be. This is truly a unique, never-before-done opportunity! (Make sure you read the information at the bottom under Coming January 2008, and visit www.pureedgeutainment.com to learn more about the Power Coaching program, read testimonials and to become a member).
5 – Use the buddy system. They say that teamwork makes the dream work and, if that is true, why would you do it by yourself? Find someone in your life that has similar ambitions and desires and wants to be held accountable. Even though your goals may be different and your path to your goals may be different, you can still hold each other accountable. Each week, email each other your goals and plan of action for the week and then have a weekly follow-up meeting or phone call to go over your progress. You’ll be amazed as to how much more you will get done when someone else is expecting you to complete the tasks. We simply work harder for someone else than we do for ourselves so, if results are all we’re after, use the buddy system. Now remember, a good buddy doesn’t accept ex! cuses and justifications…a good buddy holds his/her partner accountable!
So, don’t wait until 2008. Because yesterday is history…tomorrow is a mystery…today is a gift…that’s why it’s called the present!! DO IT NOW!
Happy Holidays from all of us at Gregg Amerman Companies and especially from Frenita, myself and our three (wow…three) wonderful children!
Live with Zero Doubt!
Gregg Amerma