DO IT... NOW!!!

Change your mindset to conquer procrastination.

We are slowly rolling into the last quarter of the year. I’m sure this year was different for everyone. For some it was great, for others not so much, for most it was about the same as previous years. If this year wasn’t your best year yet then now is a great time to reflect on the past and plan for the best 2020.

You won’t know how to get to where you want unless you know where you are. How can you get directions to somewhere without knowing the starting point? Best way I know of to determine your current position in life is by self analysis - have an honest sit-down with yourself and answer some questions. You can design your own questions or the ones below may point you at the right direction:

• Am I where I want to be at this point in my life?

• Does life happen to me or do I control my reactions to life events?

• Do I blame circumstances or do I take responsibility?

• Do I drift in life or do I follow my plan and pursue my goals?

• Do I feel down and depressed or do I feel successful and prosperous?

• Do I complain about what I don’t have or do I appreciate and give thanks for everything I have - however little or much it may be?

• Am I WILLING to do what it takes to change my life if I’m not satisfied?

If you your answers reveal that you are not where you want to be then don’t worry, you can change it. Jim Rohn said “If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree.”

There is an enormous difference between wanting things or wishing for things and being WILLING to work for them. Change is work - no doubt about it. But the amazing rewards you will experience as a result of changing your life will far out outnumber the work.

Here are some suggestions for making positive changes in your personal life starting in now .

1. Start a gratitude journal. Sounds like a lot of work? I assure you just the process of writing down (or typing) the things you are thankful for will feel incredible. You are alive, you can see, you can hear, you are in a comfortable home with hot and cold water, you live in the land of opportunity… These are just some of the items you can list on your first day. I’m sure you will think of many more. Make it a habit to write down a new entry at the end of each day. When I started my gratitude journal on January 5th, 2015 I had 25 entries on the first night. By the end of the year the list was upwards of 300. What’s even more amazing is that some of the things I was genuinely thankful for in the beginning of the year had gotten even better: my family expanded with the addition of my daughter, I took on a better job, better car, better house etc. As I reflected back at the end of the year I truly understood the power of the statement “Whatever you think about and thank about you bring about”. You will too if you make practicing gratitude a habit.

2. Have definite goals. “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible”. Tony Robbins. Write down what you want to accomplish in your personal life and in your business in the coming year. Write down what kind of person you want to become. What skills you want to obtain? What awards you want to win? Be specific and don’t forget to give yourself a deadline.

3. Go out of your comfort zone. “If you do what you’ve always done you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” Tony Robbins. Think about it. Doesn’t it make total sense? How on Earth can you expect a different result if you keep doing the same thing? The answer is you change your actions, you start doing things differently, you do things you haven’t done before and some of them will be outside of your comfort zone. It shouldn’t stop you. On the contrary, it should inspire you. Every time you push yourself outside of your comfort zone you grow. And when you grow your results will grow. Jim Rohn says “To have more you simply have to become more”. Try paying for the person behind you at a drive through, attending and participating in different events, volunteering in the community etc. The point is the more you go out of the box the better you will become.

4. Learn how to handle adversities. It seems like it was intended that we all undergo adversities. It’s not what happens that determines the major portion of our lives. What happens, happens to us all. It’s what we do about what happens. So when you are faced with a difficult situation acknowledge it but don’t let it take you down. “Every adversity carries with it a seed of an equivalent or greater benefit” says Napoleon Hill. Look for that seed and you will find it every time. Use the adversities as opportunities to learn.

5. Share your knowledge. As you make progress through life, you will learn new techniques, come up with better ways of doing things and become a leader in your field. It is important to remember helping others by sharing your knowledge. Why? One reason, you can’t add any more water to a full cup unless you spill some of it out. Another reason - we learn best by teaching others. Last but not least helping others will make you feel good and that in itself is a huge reward. Zig Ziglar once said “If you help enough people get what they want you can have everything you want in life”.

6. ACT NOW !!! “What we think or what we know or what we believe is in the end of little consequence. The only thing of consequence is what we do”. John Ruskin. So make the rest of 2019 and 2020 a time of action. Say good-bye to the lengthy list of excuses. If you know there is something you need to do, don’t procrastinate, do it now! No more hesitation. If something needs to be done, do it now! Challenge yourself, push yourself, motivate yourself, inspire yourself, respect yourself, love yourself. Become the best version of YOURSELF. We only get one shot at this thing called life. Why not make best of it?