How To Vanquish Procrastination...

Color Commentary for Monday, January 29, 2007
By Maikel Bailey

"Do you know what happens when you give a procrastinator a good idea? Nothing!"~ Donald Gardner

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TQ Note:

We asked Maikel Bailey, a noted expert on sales and professional development, to comment on the reasons behind our success-limiting procrastination.

Maikel is in the process of completing a sensational new book entitled The Rules Of Insanity: The Fears That Drive Us—The Desires That Inspire Us.

As we say in our Miracle of The Goal TeleSeminar, people have three primary fears:

• The fear of success...

• The fear of failure...

• And the fear of the future.

As you will see, these fears are easily vanquished!

We are happy to present Maikel's views in this series of 4 wonderful articles, and grateful to him for sharing his thoughts well before the book's publication!

Vanquish Procrastination...

Clip and Hang.

When it comes right down to it, there are only two main motivators in the universe—desire and fear.

When we are motivated by desire we come up with reasons, justifications and motivations to go after and get what we want. With that focus, intent and action we use "getting strategies."

For example, I'll get that read, I'll get that written, I'll get that planned, I'll get that organized, I'll get that list, I'll get that taken care of, I'll get that done. All of these are based upon what I really want, not just say that I want.

When we are motivated by our fears we come up with reasons, excuses, and justifications as to why we don't do. Here the focus is on what I do not want.

The strategies used here are avoidance strategies. It is all about what I don't want and shifting the responsibility away from any commitment of mine. This shifting moves my responsibility on to others and/or events around me and/or my inadequacies.

There are two main parts of this shift—procrastination and blame:

• Rob: "I meant to do that, but I had so many other things to do."

• Terrie: "I meant to do that, but I just couldn't tell Judy no when she asked for my help."

• Lisa: "I meant to do that, but I was afraid I just wouldn't get it right."

• Andy: "I meant to do that, but I couldn't fit it into my schedule."

• Rocky: "I meant to do that, and I tried, but I just couldn't pull it off."

Is it possible to tell the difference between the two? Oh, yeah. It's easy.

By asking any of the five people above how they felt about what they were to get done. What they will have felt is fear, not desire. They may have said they would or wanted to get the thing done, but underneath, like an anchor dragging them to a stop, was their fear.

It is that fear associated with the task that creates resistance and procrastination. Of course, we then have to "explain ourselves" (to ourselves and others, after all we are rational beings, right?) and so we come up with "our story."

For the most part, and for most rational people that hear our story, what we tell about how come we didn't do such and such seems very believable, very credible. So, we save face with ourselves and others and move on down the road with our "story" tucked firmly under our arm ready for the next challenge.

And the truth is, we might have "many stories" tucked under our arm ready to pull out at any instant and explain away any "how come I didn't." While in that relieving moment we save face, we know inside we have sold out. There is this irritating gnaw that we have let ourselves down, that we have fallen short, again, of what we could do, could have and could be.

The moment is subtle and fleeting, but like one more rock dropped in a bag of rocks, which we have carried around for years, dropping in rocks day after day, it grows heavier with each step. And so we actually come to believe that which we could accomplish, achieve and succeed at, we sell ourselves on the notion we really couldn't, anyway. And with that we fall short of all that could have been ours.

Sad? Yes. Maddening? Definitely. Unnecessary. Absolutely!

Talk to the TQ authors personally, and learn the inside secrets to setting and achieving WOW Goals for the next 5 - 15 years ahead!

Please attend The Miracle of The Goal TeleSeminar! We have custom-designed 2 great, 1-hour classes to support individuals, coaches and trainers in setting and achieving WOW goals for 2007... 2011... and beyond. This is your opportunity to talk directly to the authors of TQ, and get YOUR personal questions answered. See Class Schedule...

Two Simple Steps...

The first step is to become aware of the fears that drive us and how they work. Next is to find out how to turn them around to our benefit to learn, do and become all we truly can be, do and have.

Is it scary? For sure, but what's new about that?

Is it doable? Completely.

And the great thing is, not only is it much more fulfilling it's a heck of lot more fun to live this way!

Next week we will advance this thought a step further. In the meantime, please take a few minutes this week to answer the Integrating Questions for TQ Act Now Factor 10D:

"Use fear as a call to action, and act without delay to reduce the threat."

TQ Ideas For Action...

Understanding how TQ Factor 10D drives your performance is key to improving it. Sometimes a small shift in perspective gives you a huge shift in power.

Print this page, take out your pen and invest a few moments to answer the following questions.

Do it now.

Each one is designed to shift your perspective, change your point of view, and to invite specific action.

"Point of view is worth 20 IQ points."
~ E. R. Haas

Power Up Questions:

1. What's one thing you want to accomplish, but you've been afraid to start? Wouldn't a concrete plan help?
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2. What's the one item on today's schedule you fear most? What's one thing you can do to confront that fear right now?
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3. What steps can you schedule right now to begin tackling your biggest fear?
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4. What one step out of your comfort zone will you take this week to tackle your biggest fear, head on?
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5. What fear is nagging at you right now and stealing your energy?
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6. Can you identify the exact source of your greatest fear right now?
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7. What small step will you take today to face something you've been avoiding?
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"Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed." ~ Michael Pritchard

Insight Questions:

1. What fear did you overcome last?
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2. What scares you most on tomorrow's agenda? Are you willing to make a pact with yourself to tackle it first?
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3. What positive result can you create from any "negative feelings" you have right now?
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4. What positive actions can you take before you leave work today to make use of any concerns you might have awaiting you tomorrow?
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5. Are you anxious about anything on tomorrow's agenda? Can you be more specific?
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6. What missing information could help you address your concerns today?
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"Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted, the indifference of those who should have known better, the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most, that has made it possible for evil to triumph."~ Haile Selassie

Perspective Questions:

1. If, magically, you had no fear, what would you take on first?
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2. When today could you add more details to a new plan for something you want, but have always been afraid to start moving toward?
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3. Why not take a moment right now to quickly jot down a couple of critical but scary objectives necessary to get you what you want?
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4. Are you willing to consciously choose a more positive outlook right now?
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"If you're never scared or embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take any chances."~ Julia Sorel

About Maikel Bailey

While Maikel may not have done it all, at times it feels like it. From digging ditches, framing houses, teaching personal development before it was called personal development, selling business to business, seminar speaker and leader, selling personal development for Denis Waitley and Zig Ziglar, coaching others how to achieve their dreams personally and professional he has covered a lot of ground over the years. He now owns and runs a coaching business that trains individuals how to transition from "employee thinking" to the "entrepreneurial mindset" and establish a successful online marketing business. With an elite stable of 10 coaches and outstanding support staff, Maikel is responsible for the "coaching of the coaches", and curriculum development.

Maikel is married to Michelle Winslow, the love of his life. They are the parents of seven children and nine grandchildren with two more on the way at this time.

Contact Maikel...