Overcoming Procrastination...

 
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In This Issue:
     Quotes of the Week
     Overcoming Procrastination
     Bookmark - Self-Discipline
     Inspirational Words
     Spiritual Centre
     Story Time
     Time to Smile
     Feedback
 
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"Change Gears" eZine is a no-cost electronic newsletter dedicated to helping people be more effective and fulfilled--to be masters of change instead of victims of change. What follows are tips, strategies, quotes, resources and shortcuts to getting more done in less time and having fun in the process--to living a more productive and fulfilling life. We're always on the lookout for information to help you live and work more effectively.
 
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Quotes of the Week

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"If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine - it is lethal." - Paulo Coelho

"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves." - Edmund Hillary

"What we observe is not nature herself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning." - Werner Heisenberg

"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." - Howard Thurman

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Overcoming Procrastination
by Michael Locklear

Millions of people struggle with completing goals and overcoming challenges due to the habit of procrastination. In fact, it's one of the most common personal issues that people seek help for. There are several reasons why people procrastinate or avoid tasks. They can range from simple, basic laziness to fear of failure, lack of confidence in your ability, or simply a strong dislike for the task at hand.

People commonly put off doing things because they don't know what to expect or what the outcome may be. They might fail, other people might laugh at them, they might look foolish, there may be a lot of stress, or any number of nonspecific anxieties. We all struggle with the fear of the unknown on a daily basis. It's the way we think and our perception of things that paralyze us and keep us in a pattern of avoidance. If you believe that something is unpleasant or distasteful, or that you'll fail if you try to do it, or if you believe that you will somehow lose something, you will probably make sure you never get around to it. In most cases, this only creates high levels of stress, or brings unpleasant circumstances. When you get in touch with how much pain you feel when you procrastinate, you can begin the first step to overcoming it.

Many people procrastinate because of a lack of motivation. To fight this kind of procrastination, you can set rewards for doing these undesirable things. If exercise is difficult, try giving yourself a reward every time you go to the gym. You deserve it for having persevered. Next time, you may be just that much more motivated.

For many people, procrastination consumes major amounts of time in their daily lives. Because of this habit, they don't get things done. This results in more stress, and more frustration. In the end, procrastination makes things far more difficult than they would be if you simply completed the task. Stopping procrastination means you can avoid all the pain of the failure procrastination causes.

Other reasons why people procrastinate:

    A lack of faith in your own abilities
    Fear of trying anything new because of past failures
    Low self esteem
    The goal is not associated with a reward

Procrastination is one of the most time-consuming activities one can engage in. It causes a great deal of stress and frustration. Here are five steps you can take to make overcoming procrastination simple.

Step 1: Find your direction.

Every time you procrastinate, write down the task you are avoiding and your justification for avoiding it. Keeping a record will help you understand how your attitudes are related to your procrastination. Then you can identify strategies to redirect yourself when you feel the desire to procrastinate. Always focus on the task you wish to perform and your reward when you succeed. Focusing on your reward is the most powerful way to overcome procrastination.

"If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else."

-Yogi Berra

Step 2: Get focused

You can easily become overwhelmed if you try to do everything at once. Instead break your goals down into simpler tasks. Start putting them into action, one at a time. Start as soon as possible. Take time every day to work on your goals.

If you find it really hard to get started on a task, try working on it for ten minutes. This will usually help you get some momentum, and help you feel like continuing. Start with a simple task first, and be sure to visualize yourself completing the task. This will help you to focus on the goal, and the reward you will receive upon completion.

"Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives."

-Tony Robbins


5 Steps for Overcoming Procrastination
Michael Locklear
By Michael Locklear
See all Articles by Michael Locklear
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Millions of people struggle with completing goals and overcoming challenges due to the habit of procrastination. In fact, it's one of the most common personal issues that people seek help for. There are several reasons why people procrastinate or avoid tasks. They can range from simple, basic laziness to fear of failure, lack of confidence in your ability, or simply a strong dislike for the task at hand.

People commonly put off doing things because they don't know what to expect or what the outcome may be. They might fail, other people might laugh at them, they might look foolish, there may be a lot of stress, or any number of nonspecific anxieties. We all struggle with the fear of the unknown on a daily basis. It's the way we think and our perception of things that paralyze us and keep us in a pattern of avoidance. If you believe that something is unpleasant or distasteful, or that you'll fail if you try to do it, or if you believe that you will somehow lose something, you will probably make sure you never get around to it. In most cases, this only creates high levels of stress, or brings unpleasant circumstances. When you get in touch with how much pain you feel when you procrastinate, you can begin the first step to overcoming it.

Many people procrastinate because of a lack of motivation. To fight this kind of procrastination, you can set rewards for doing these undesirable things. If exercise is difficult, try giving yourself a reward every time you go to the gym. You deserve it for having persevered. Next time, you may be just that much more motivated.

For many people, procrastination consumes major amounts of time in their daily lives. Because of this habit, they don't get things done. This results in more stress, and more frustration. In the end, procrastination makes things far more difficult than they would be if you simply completed the task. Stopping procrastination means you can avoid all the pain of the failure procrastination causes.

Other reasons why people procrastinate:

    A lack of faith in your own abilities
    Fear of trying anything new because of past failures
    Low self esteem
    The goal is not associated with a reward

Procrastination is one of the most time-consuming activities one can engage in. It causes a great deal of stress and frustration. Here are five steps you can take to make overcoming procrastination simple.

Step 1: Find your direction.

Every time you procrastinate, write down the task you are avoiding and your justification for avoiding it. Keeping a record will help you understand how your attitudes are related to your procrastination. Then you can identify strategies to redirect yourself when you feel the desire to procrastinate. Always focus on the task you wish to perform and your reward when you succeed. Focusing on your reward is the most powerful way to overcome procrastination.

"If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else."

-Yogi Berra

Step 2: Get focused

You can easily become overwhelmed if you try to do everything at once. Instead break your goals down into simpler tasks. Start putting them into action, one at a time. Start as soon as possible. Take time every day to work on your goals.

If you find it really hard to get started on a task, try working on it for ten minutes. This will usually help you get some momentum, and help you feel like continuing. Start with a simple task first, and be sure to visualize yourself completing the task. This will help you to focus on the goal, and the reward you will receive upon completion.

"Most people have no idea of the giant capacity we can immediately command when we focus all of our resources on mastering a single area of our lives."

-Tony Robbins

Step 3: Be aware of your thoughts.

The more you procrastinate, the more monumental the task becomes in your mind. Allowing limiting beliefs to control your actions becomes a parasite on your chances for success. You must confront your beliefs about yourself and the task, and face your fears.

Instead of daydreaming about your failure, and all the things that could go wrong, and how hard it's going to be, fantasize about how good you will feel having gotten the task out the way, how confident you'll feel when you complete it successfully, and how confident you will be about your ability to do the next thing. Keep your focus positive, and this will build a new attitude that will overcome all your limited beliefs, and defeat procrastination.

Learn how to separate your anxious thoughts from your realistic thoughts. Imagine the worst-case scenario. Then, make a plan to get back on your feet if the worst should happen. Chances are you would recover relatively quickly, and resume your normal life.

"Our attitude toward life determines life's attitude towards us."

-John N. Mitchell

Step 4: Build your tolerance to negative emotions.

Fear and stress are normal. They come from being uncertain, or feeling threatened in some way. Most of the time they're just feelings, and there is no real danger. Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the ability to continue in spite of it. Courage is required to overcome procrastination.

When you persist in pursuing your goals, you build up your tolerance for stress and anxiety. In time you will feel more confident, more capable, and far less stress and overwhelm. When you don't fear the feelings of anxiety, you will procrastinate less.

Meditation is a powerful way to build your resistance to negative emotions. Major universities all over the world have found that it reduces stress and anxiety, elevates your mood, and improves your ability to focus.

Step 5: Take command of yourself.

Success always means going outside of your comfort zone. No matter how unpleasant the results of procrastination, the habit remains part of your comfort zone. One very important first step is to stop complaining about what you have to do. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy, and complaining only drains away your will to succeed.

Focus your mind on all of the benefits you will receive from being successful in whatever you need to do. Keep your mind focused on how wonderful you're going to feel and all of the wonderful things that are going to happen to you when you are successful.

"Self-command is the main discipline."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Overcoming procrastination is not as hard as you might think. Once you take these five steps for overcoming procrastination, your fears and anxieties will melt away, and you will experience the many benefits of being in control of your life.

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Bookmark - Self-Discipline: The 7 Laws Of Self-Discipline: Become Strong, Become Confident And Create Your Success
Author: Brian Cagneey
Price: Rs.581/-

Would you like to feel:

Strong?

Confident?

Focused?

Disciplined?

and Successful?

If so, you must read Brian Cagneey’s The 7 Laws of Self-Discipline: Become Strong, Become Confident and Create Your Success!. Part of the popular “7 Laws” series, this book contains proven steps and strategies for mastering your mind, avoiding distractions, and increasing your willpower and productivity. Brian provides a wealth of simple, easy-to-follow techniques and leads you through this challenging and rewarding journey of self-discovery!

The 7 Laws of Self Discipline can change your life! Inside this insightful book, you’ll discover:

The 1st Law of Self-Discipline: Do It 100% Every Time

The 2nd Law of Self-Discipline: Begin With Small Things

The 3rd Law of Self-Discipline: Train Your Focus

The 4th Law of Self-Discipline: Burn Your Boats

The 5th Law of Self-Discipline: Set Your Autopilot

The 6th Law of Self-Discipline: More Than One Goal

The 7th Law of Self-Discipline: The Foundation of Self-Discipline

Most self-control books teach the basic white-knuckle approach to discipline, but with this powerful self-discipline and willpower book, you can understand the barriers to progress, like excuses, blame, and denial. You’ll have the strength to see reality as it really is – and start telling yourself the truth. By giving yourself simple, easy-to-achieve goals and choices, you can rewire your brain for success!

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Inspirational Words

"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." - Joseph Campbell

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." - Winston S. Churchill

"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." - George Bernard Shaw

"Without music, life would be a mistake." - Friedrich Nietzsche

"Be the change that you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

"Think for yourselves, and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too." - Voltaire

"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none." - William Shakespeare

"Happiness is like a butterfly: the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder." - Henry David Thoreau

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Spiritual Centre - Silk Thread

It is only in a spiritual family that we can have love united with discipline; where we can have love with arguments; where we can have love with differences between ourselves; where we can have love uniting people of many races, many tongues, many professions, because there is the silk thread of love that runs through us and holds us together!

(C) Shri. Kamlesh D. Patel - President, Shri Ram Chandra Mission - https://www.sahajmarg.org

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Story Time - The Great Horse Knowing-one

Once upon a time, King Brahmadatta ruled in Benares, in northern India. He had a mighty horse, who had been born in the land of Sindh, in the Indus River valley of western India. Indeed, this horse was the Enlightenment Being.

As well as being big and strong, he was very intelligent and wise. When he was still young, people noticed that he always seemed to know what his rider wanted before being told. So he was called Knowing-one.

He was considered the greatest of the royal horses, and was given the very best of everything. His stall was decorated and was always kept clean and beautiful. Horses are usually faithful to their masters. Knowing-one was especially loyal, and was grateful for how well the king cared for him. Of all the royal horses, Knowing-one was also the bravest. So the king respected and trusted him.

It came to pass that seven neighbouring kings joined together to make war on King Brahmadatta. Each king brought four great armies - an elephant cavalry, a horse cavalry, a chariot brigade and ranks of foot soldiers. Together the seven kings, with all their armies, surrounded the city of Benares.

King Brahmadatta assembled his ministers and advisers to make plans for defending the kingdom. They advised him, "Do not surrender. We must fight to protect our high positions. But you should not risk your royal person in the beginning. Instead, send out the champion of all the knights to represent you on the battlefield. If he fails, only then must you yourself go."

So the king called the champion to him and asked, "Can you be victorious over these seven kings?" The knight replied, "If you permit me to ride out on the bravest and wisest, the great horse Knowing-one, only then can I win the battle." The king agreed and said, "My champion, it is up to you and Knowing-one to save the country in its time of danger. Take with you whatever you need."

The champion knight went to the royal stables. He ordered that Knowing-one be well fed and dressed in protective armor, with all the finest trimmings. Then he bowed respectfully and climbed into the beautiful saddle.

Knowing-one knew the situation. He thought, "These seven kings have come to attack my country and my king, who feeds and cares for and trusts me. Not only the seven kings, but also their large and powerful armies threaten my king and all in Benares. I cannot let them win. But I also cannot permit the champion knight to kill those kings. Then I too would share in the unwholesome action of taking the lives of others, in order to win an ordinary victory. Instead, I will teach a new way. I will capture all seven kings without killing anyone. That would be a truly great victory!"

Then the Knowing-one spoke to his rider. "Sir knight, let us win this battle in a new way, without destroying life. You must only capture each king, one at a time, and remain firmly on my back. Let me find the true course through the many armies. Watch me as you ride, and I will show you the courage that goes beyond the old way, the killing way!"

As he spoke of 'a new way', and 'the true course', and 'the courage that goes beyond', it seemed the noble steed became larger than life. He reared up majestically on his powerful hind legs, and looked down on all the armies surrounding the city. The eyes of all were drawn to this magnificent one. The earth trembled as his front hoofs returned to the ground and he charged into the midst of the four armies of the first king. He seemed to have the speed of lightning, the might of a hundred elephants, and the glorious confidence of one from some other world.

The elephants could remember no such horse as this, and so the elephant cavalry retreated in fear. The horses knew that this their relative was the worthy master of them all, and so the horse cavalry and the chariot brigade stood still and bowed as the Great Being passed. And the ranks of foot-soldiers scattered like flies before a strong wind.

The first king hardly knew what had happened, before he was easily captured and brought back into the city of Benares. And so too with the second, third, fourth and fifth kings.

In the same way the sixth king was captured. But one of his loyal bodyguards leaped out from hiding and thrust his sword deep into the side of the brave Knowing-one. With blood streaming from the wound, he carried the champion knight and the captured sixth king back to the city.

When the knight saw the terrible wound, he suddenly became afraid to ride the weakened Knowing-one against the seventh king. So he began to dress in armour another powerful war horse, who was really just as big as Knowing-one.

Seeing this, though suffering in great pain from his deadly wound, Knowing-one thought, "This champion knight has lost his courage so quickly. He has not understood the true nature of my power - the knowledge that true peace is only won by peaceful means. He tries to defeat the seventh king and his armies in the ordinary way, riding an ordinary horse.

"After taking the first step of giving up the killing of living beings, I cannot stop part way. My great effort to teach a new way would disappear like a line drawn in water!"

The great horse Knowing-one spoke to the champion knight. "Sir knight, the seventh king and his armies are the mightiest of all. Riding an ordinary horse, even if you slaughter a thousand men and animals, you will be defeated. I, of the mighty tribe of Sindh horses, the one called Knowing-one, only I can pass through them harming none, and bring back the seventh king alive!"

The champion knight regained his courage. The brave horse struggled to his feet, in great pain. While the blood continued to flow, he reared and charged through the four armies, and the knight brought back the last of the seven warlike kings. Again all those in his path were spared from harm. Seeing their seven kings in captivity, all the armies laid down their weapons and asked for peace.

Realizing that the great horse Knowing-one would not live through the night, King Brahmadatta went to see him. He had raised him from a colt, so he loved him. When he saw that he was dying, his eyes filled with tears.

Knowing-one said, "My lord king, I have served you well. And I have gone beyond and shown a new way. Now you must grant my last request. You must not kill these seven kings, even though they have wronged you. For a bloody victory sows the seeds of the next war. Forgive their attack on you, let them return to their kingdoms, and may you all live in peace from now on.

"Whatever reward you would give to me, give instead to the champion knight. Do only wholesome deeds, be generous, honour the Truth, and kill no living being. Rule with justice and compassion."

Then he closed his eyes and breathed his last. The king burst into tears, and all mourned his passing. With the highest honours, they burned the body of the great horse Knowing-one - the Enlightenment Being.

King Brahmadatta had the seven kings brought before him. They too honored the great one, who had defeated their vast armies without spilling a drop of blood, except his own. In his memory they made peace, and never again did these seven kings and Brahmadatta make war on each other.

The moral is: True peace is only won by peaceful means.

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Time to Smile - Life is Like That

My Son, the Chicken...

"Doctor, I have a son who thinks he's a chicken," said the man.

"Why don't you bring him in for treatment?" asked the doctor.

"We need the eggs," replied the man.

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