Here’s Reason #7 in the “Why Procrastination Is Genius In Disguise” series:
First: The Get It Done Teleclass Workshop Starts TODAY And It Is NOT TOO LATE to sign up! Click here to order: http://www.GetItDoneTeleclass.com/fall (and if you sign up and then don’t care for it, just let me know and I’ll refund your money right away, no questions asked.)
Also – if money is the only reason you’re not doing this, then call me right now at 818-468-0540 and we’ll work something out, OK? Good.
So far we’ve covered:
1) Procrastination is Genius because underneath the pain of it (the hunger pain), it reminds you of your true desire.
2) The nonstop nagging isn’t working (never does).
3) You haven’t moved forward yet because – for whatever reason – it just hasn’t been the right time. And maybe you’ve been a bit scared, which is OK, but we’re not going to let our fear make our decisions for us.
4) You need to get unstuck from the past, bless it correct, forgive yourself (easier said than done, I know) move on in the only way we can: from right here, right now.
5) Allotting some time and money each day to your project allows for incremental progress (baby steps!) and feels GREAT.
6) You can allow your intuition and your imagination to help you to create a new vision of your future. You have the weapons and the support to slay your Procrastination Dragons and rescue your Projects from the tower!
The Get It Done Workshop Starts TODAY And It Is NOT TOO LATE to sign up! Click here to order: http://www.GetItDoneTeleclass.com/fall (and if you sign up and don’t like it, just let me know and I’ll refund your money pronto presto, no questions asked.)
Also – if money is the only reason you’re not doing this, then call me right now at 818-468-0540 and we’ll work something out, OK? Good.
Now, let’s get you moving forward on your project TODAY.
“Could Do” Lists
First of all, get out a piece of paper and title it, “Could Do.”
This is because I think “To-Do” lists are dictatorial and they make me feel pressured and antsy and reluctant and even belligerent – like a high-schooler who’s being harassed to do her homework: pouty!
But “Could Do” puts me in a place of choice.
I could do the laundry, or I could walk around in nasty dirty clothes. I have a choice 🙂 Even if it’s something I know I must do, I feel more relaxed if I remember that I have the option to not do it.
Plus, we’re not trying to think of things that you WILL do for sure, we’re just brainstorming things that you COULD do. Maybe you will and maybe you won’t – we don’t know yet. We’ll have to see how you feel when we’re done.
(And sometimes writing down something that you would never, ever in a million years do can inspire some great idea that you’re really eager to do.)
1) Write down the name of someone who could really help you out on this project. Maybe it’s someone you know, or maybe it’s a hero who inspires you, or maybe it’s even someone from ancient history who might serve as an imaginary guide.
You might also want to make a note about how they might be of assistance. Could they give you advice? Introduce you to someone? Cheerlead? Proofread?
I have noticed that while people are fairly indifferent to generalized requests like, “I wish someone would help me…(sigh)” specific requests like, “Could you give me dialogue notes on Act One?” or, “Could you recommend a good watercolor instructor?” are usually responded to swiftly and in the affirmative.
2) Write down the name of someone who will NOT help you out on this project. It might be someone who will be helpful to you down the road (but not right now), or someone you know who is always a big ol’ Debbie Downer…but take a moment to think about the person with whom you will not discuss your project today.
Notice that it doesn’t mean that you don’t love them, admire them, value their opinion, whatever – it just means that as of today, you are going to consider the option of keeping this project out of their sticky, sticky hands.
3) Write down one simple, easy and affordable step you might take toward your project. This should be something that will take you less than 15 minutes and that you can very easily afford.
That’s right – I’m talking BABY STEP.
What is some tiny, incremental gesture you might make toward your project today?
- Something you could research?
- Some tool you could buy or borrow?
- Some small action you could take?
- Some doodle or outline you could sketch out?
- Some phone call or email you could easily execute?
Yep. That’s it.
That’s all there is to it. If you do this every morning (BEFORE you check your email!) you will make astounding progress and – bonus – you will feel GREAT.
Because as much as procrastination hurts your heart, moving forward – even just a little, tiny bit – feels absolutely wonderful.
Good luck!
And please, stay in touch with me and let me know how it all unfolds for you. I love hearing from you!
The Get It Done Teleclass Workshop Starts TODAY And It Is NOT TOO LATE to sign up! Click here to order: http://www.GetItDoneTeleclass.com/fall (and if you sign up and then don’t care for it, just let me know and I’ll refund your money right away, no questions asked. Guaranteed.)
Also – if money is the only reason you’re not doing this, then call me right now at 818-468-0540 and we’ll work something out, OK? Good.
______________________________________
“Your tele-seminar was awesome from start to finish — and you’ve motivated and encouraged me greatly just in this one session! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! Life has been very challenging, and you’ve given me practical, creative ways to fit working on my own dreams/goals into each day. I appreciate the time you gave us, sharing your expertise and gift of encouragement through your caring heart. I will put into practice what you’ve offered/shared… to realize that the world needs what I have to offer, because I’m the only one who can do what I do — that we’re all unique with unique gifts and ways of expressing those gifts. THANK YOU, SAMANTHA!!!!!!!!!”
– Sandra H., actress
“Thanks for offering such an insightful teleconference on procrastination. You really delivered lots of practical information, exercises and tips. The exercises are straightforward, easy to use and yield “can do” action steps. Very impressive! So many of these “free” calls are mostly fluff and advertising!
I appreciate the insight that the brains of creative people get overloaded and shut down because of too many variables and unknowns. That right there explains a lot!”
Elizabeth Hyland, M. Div.
Author of Surviving The Unemployment Roller Coaster: From Stress To Success
www.UnemploymentRollerCoaster.com
“I loved this morning’s call and I got a LOT from it that I’m sure I’ll use. I love your energy and the way you cut through resistance quickly in simple ways … so I’d love to work with you because I’m sure your ideas will be helpful.”
Virginia Ellenson
http://www.GetItDoneTeleclass.com/fall
Here’s Reason #6 in the “Why Procrastination Is Genius In Disguise” series:
Go HERE to get your recording of this information (it’s waaaaaaaaaay down at the bottom of the page): http://www.getitdoneteleclass.com/fall/
So far we’ve covered:
1) Procrastination is Genius because underneath the pain of it (the hunger pain), it reminds you of your true desire.
2) The nonstop nagging isn’t working (never does).
3) You haven’t moved forward yet because – for whatever reason – it just hasn’t been the right time. And maybe you’ve been a bit scared, which is OK, but we’re not going to let our fear make our decisions for us.
4) You need to get unstuck from the past, bless it correct, forgive yourself (easier said than done, I know) move on in the only way we can: from right here, right now.
5) Allotting some time and money each day to your project allows for incremental progress (baby steps!) and feels GREAT.
The Most Fun, Wackadoodle, Creative, Intuitive, Ingenious 5-Minute Breakthrough Exercise That The Get It Done Workshop Has Ever Invented (so far)
Now – the fun part!
This is a fairly new exercise, so I’d love to hear about your experience with it.
It is designed to help you access your intuition and your inner wisdom, and to help you think about both your project and your procrastination in a new way.
Once again: there are no rules. You can’t screw this exercise up. There is no “right” way to do it.
It’s also designed to be completed in less than 5 minutes.
So take a deep breath, get centered, and allow your imagination to play for a minute or two.
Work right off the top of your head. No pondering allowed.
Imagine A Piece Of Paper
Or, if you feel like drawing, grab yourself an actual sheet of paper.
Now, we’re going to create a little one-frame Fairy Tale about you and your project.
(And if you know anything about the power of myth in our lives, you know that this exercise is not quite as frivolous as it seems.)
The Princess
1) In one of the right-hand corners of the paper, draw an image, symbol or word that represents your project. This is the “princess locked in the tower.”
Again – don’t ponder – whatever idea rises to your mind first is the right one. If it turns out to be not-quite-right later on, you can always revise it. But for now, stick with your FIRST idea.
Maybe you’ve drawn a book cover, or maybe it’s a heart. Maybe it’s an actual princess wearing a nametag that says, “My Happiness.” Whatever you’ve drawn – hooray! Good start.
The Dragon
2) In front of the princess I want you to draw the dragon that stands in the way. This is the dragon of your procrastination.
Give the dragon a name and a shape. Maybe the dragon is a big ball of fire, or a brick wall. Maybe the dragon is a clock or a pile of clutter. Maybe it’s an actual dragon named, “Fear.”
Whatever occurs to you first is just perfect – just sketch it out quickly and don’t evaluate.
The Hero
3) Now in front of the dragon, in about the middle of the page or so, draw you. You are the hero of this story. Draw an image or word that represents you – don’t be afraid to have fun and be silly with this.
The Sword
4) Draw your weapon. This is the sword you will use to fight the dragon. So maybe it’s a sword named, “Good Taste” or it’s a light saber labled “TALENT.” Maybe it’s a smoke-screen or a bow and arrow or a pen or a camera or a flower. Allow yourself to imagine how this weapon is going to help you slay this dragon.
The Sidekick
5) Standing beside or behind you, draw your sidekick. Your sidekick is the person, organization or quality that you know you can count on, no matter what. Maybe it’s a friend or partner, or maybe it’s your sense of humor or your Inner Wisdom. Maybe it’s an angel or spiritual entity, or maybe it’s your MacBook. Just go with your first idea – one that makes you smile – and draw the image, word or shape that represents your trusty sidekick on this journey.
Your Loyal Fans
6) Excellent – almost done. Somewhere else on the page – wherever you like – I want you to draw an image or word that represents me and the participants of the Get It Done Teleclass. Whether you are enrolled in the class or not, I want you to know that we are with you, we are on your side and we have your back.
We believe in you. So if your faith in yourself ever falters, please borrow confidence from us – we know you can do it!
So you can draw us as another sidekick, or as an international army of artists marching over the hill to help you. Maybe we’re the stars in the sky shining down on you, or maybe we’re sound of applause. Whatever makes you feel supported, loved and cared for – draw that image or word.
Fabulous! You’re done! (The End.)
Make whatever finishing touches you like, and then take a moment to notice what this drawing has to teach you.
- What are you taking away from this exercise?
- What surprised you?
- Did anything strike you emotionally?
- Are you inspired to take any new action based on this drawing?
- Has there been any shift in your attitude about your project or your procrastination? If so, what?
Feel free to use this exercise anytime you want to get unstuck from some old thinking and show your imagination a good time 🙂
If you want to get the recording of this information, go to www.GetItDoneTeleclass.com/fall and there’s also some more information about the upcoming 6-week Get It Done Teleclass (we start TOMORROW!) at http://sambennett.wpengine.com/workshops/get-it-done-workshop/
Here’s reason #3 why Procrastination Is Genius In Disguise:
Go here to get the recording of all this (it’s waaaaaaaaaay down at the bottom of the page): http://www.getitdoneteleclass.com/fall/
Well, Of Course You’re Scared!
Maybe you haven’t moved forward on your projects because you are a little bit scared. Or a lot scared.
And that’s OK.
My goodness – of course you’re scared. Hundreds and hundreds of you were so great and forthcoming about the projects you’ve been procrastinating – and so many of you were so funny! I love that!
Here’s a sample:
* finishing your book
* personal financials
* getting certification or a degree
* cleaning out your house/clutter clearing
* working on your art
* your jewelry design
* your blogging
* your music
* taxes
* writing a script
* living highest purpose
* getting a new job/career change
* your sculpture
* your body – exercise & health issues
* staying in touch with friends
* growing your business
* true happiness
* book proposal
* EVERYTHING
This is some big, life-changing stuff, and it’s no surprise that it sets off the panic button and makes us want run and hide like a little kid.
Here’s one strategy for diffusing the fear that I use in the Get It Done Teleclass which starts next week. (More info about Get It Done here: Check it out here: http://www.GetItDoneTeleclass.com/fall)
Teaching Our Shadows Grace
I borrowed the phrase “Teaching Our Shadows Grace” (from Zoe Moon Astrology) because I think it is a very beautiful way to express our capacity to just be with our fears without panicking.
I love to imagine just laying in bed next to my frightening thoughts – not holding hands, just laying on our backs, side by side, willing to be in each other’s presence without running away.
Let me explain a little bit:
There is a common phrase in the self-help world that says, “What you can’t be with, runs you.” Also sometimes expressed as, “What you resist, persists.”
In other words, if you are afraid of being rude – if you can’t even handle the idea that you might be rude sometimes – then the fear of rudeness will be making all of your decisions for you.
Put in slightly more concrete terms, if you are terrified of spiders, then your whole life will be spent avoiding places that you think might contain spiders. But if you have the ability to just BE WITH spiders (even if you don’t like them) then you can go anywhere.
Write down one sentence that someone could say about your work that would really hurt your feelings:
_______________________________________________________________
Let’s say you wrote down something like, “People might think my work is boring.”
Now say that sentence aloud, peacefully and calmly, altering it slightly each time. Let each sentence circulate through your body – imagine it running through your veins. Breathe.
“People might think my work is boring.”
Breathe. Just let that idea be.
“My work is boring.”
Breathe. You don’t have to agree with this idea, you just have to let it be.
“My work is boring sometimes.”
Breathe. Is it true? Of course it is. Everyone’s work is boring sometimes. Can you just be with that idea without fighting it? Can you think of an example of when it has been true?
“Some people think my work is boring.”
Breathe. Is it true? Yes. Is that OK? Of course. No one can be interesting to everyone all the time – that would be ridiculous.
“Sometimes I think my work is boring.”
Breathe. Is that true? I bet it is.
“Sometimes I think other people’s work is boring.”
Breathe. Feel where this is true for you.
“My work is boring sometimes.”
Breathe.
“My work is not boring sometimes.”
Breathe. Also true, right?
Keep going until you have examined the thought from all angles and the fear is completely diffused.
Keep asking yourself:
* Can you see/feel that it is the truth that sometimes you are that way?
* Can you find a specific example of when it has been true?
* Can you peacefully accept that?
Repeat this process with each fear that occurs to you, attempting only to feel some grace around each one.
Having the ability to gracefully sit with a self-concept that frightens you allows you to develop the ability to (psychically, creatively, spiritually, interpersonally…) go anywhere.
It’s OK to be afraid. But fear does not get to make our decisions for us.
If you like, go ahead and say this out loud: It’s OK to be afraid, but my fear does not get to make my decisions for me.
P.S. This exercise is derived from The Work of the amazing and brilliant Byron Katie (www.TheWork.com) – ssb.
MORE TOMORROW….
And if you’d like help moving forward on your projects, consider the Get It Done Teleclass that starts next week. I’d love to have you there.
Here’s Reason #2 why Procrastination Is Genius In Disguise:
Go here to get the recording (it’s waaaaaaaaaay down at the bottom of the page): http://www.getitdoneteleclass.com/fall/
We discussed in yesterday’s email about how Procrastination is your friend, because it is really just a REMINDER about your DESIRE.
After all this time, you are still thinking about it. It hasn’t fallen away like some things do.
That’s great! When your desire for a project stands the test of time, that’s great!
And here’s another way Procrastination Is Genius – and this is the Disguise part – once you get underneath all that blame and nagging, you have all the information you need to move forward.
The desire itself contains within it all the information about what your next move should be (more on this when we get to Reason #7).
We just have to quiet the mind a bit in order to hear the answer.
Here’s an example: Susan’s Unfinished Book
Susan wants to finish the book she started writing three years ago. When she began the project she wrote like wildfire, but then she started to falter. Then her daughter fell ill, so Susan dropped the project altogether to care for her over the next few months. Next thing you know, her daughter has fully recovered and Susan’s got 150 pages gathering dust.
Every day Susan berates herself for having put the project down.
Every day she re-runs old mental tapes about how she should have done things differently and how it’s probably too late now.
Every day she picks at herself, going back and forth about whether her book was ever even a good idea to begin with.
Self-Doubt Can Be Paralyzing
Here’s what I notice: all that self-doubt is paralyzing.
And unless Susan finds some peace around what’s already transpired with her book, she’s going to have a hard time moving forward.
So let’s pause our story here and focus on that for a moment. Let’s get beyond all the eye-rolling and recriminations and self-blame and see if we can’t get to the TRUTH of what’s been going on here.
Peaceful Thought: It Just Hasn’t Been The Right Time
What I know is true is this: You haven’t moved forward on your projects yet because it hasn’t been the right time.
Maybe it hasn’t been the right time because of life circumstance (like having a baby or a health issue or a money issue) or maybe it hasn’t been the right time because you haven’t been ready (you didn’t know enough, spiritual development, that mysterious “right moment” thing) or maybe you’ve needed to wait for some technology to be invented, or you’ve needed to wait for the right people or the right partner.
But whatever the reason: it just hasn’t been the right time.
And I know that for a fact because if it had been the right time, you would have done it.
So let that sink in and think about how that might be true for you: Up to now, it just hasn’t been the right time.
Even say it out loud to yourself: “Up to now, it just hasn’t been the right time.”
Maybe make some notes about what you notice about this concept in relationship to your own project.
Good.
MORE TOMORROW….
And if you’d like help moving forward on your projects, consider the Get It Done Teleclass (www.GetItDoneTeleclass.com/fall) that starts next week. I’d love to have you there.
Here’s reason #1 why Procrastination Is Genius In Disguise:
Procrastination is genius because it hurts.
Procrastination causes you pain.
It would be one thing if you could put stuff off and then just la-di-da around all carefree and happy. But you don’t – you put it off and it hurts and it’s a weight on your mind and on your heart.
Why is that genius?
Because the pain procrastination causes serves to REMIND you that your projects are important to you.
Procrastination is your friend, tapping you on the shoulder and saying, “Hey, remember how much you care about this?”
And really, it’s not just tapping – it’s nagging. Loudly.
Newsflash: nagging doesn’t work. It doesn’t work with your spouse, it doesn’t work with your kids and even YOU can’t nag you into doing the projects that really matter to you. So if you catch yourself nagging a lot, you might want to try another strategy.
So here’s my little quiz:
I want you to think about one particular project you are procrastinating – you might have lots, but let’s just pick one – whichever one comes to the top of your head first.
OK? Got a project picked out?
Great.
Now – working quickly and without pondering – answer YES or NO to these 5 questions:
1. Is this project important to you?
2. Will completing this project make a difference in your life?
3. Will completing this project make a difference in the world?
4. Does your soul ache to do it?
5. Ten years from now, will it matter whether you have done this or not?
Good.
Take a minute to make a note about what you notice about your answers.
And if you discovered that the project you were thinking about really doesn’t matter to you, then maybe think of another project that does. (And for crying out loud – cross that first one off your list or delegate it or something! Why torture yourself about something you don’t even care about!)
Honey, it is time to move your work to a bigger venue. Today, if possible.
I know it doesn’t feel ready and I know you’re not sure how and I know the new website isn’t up yet and you haven’t lost the weight and your not sure if your skills are what they should be and there are those changes that you know really need to be done before anyone sees it and..and…and…
I get it.
Me, too.
But seriously – we are in no position to judge our own work. And we’re certainly in no position to judge the work that’s been sitting there pawing at the front door waiting to go out for heaven-knows-how-long.
So take a chance. Publish it. Send it out. Post a picture of it. Share it. Make a one-minute movie of it.
Just get it out there so that we have a chance to enjoy it, too.
Because perhaps the most important part of art is what the audience brings to the piece, and if you don’t share it, we can’t experience it.
And let me know how it goes for you, OK?
P.S. Have you signed up for the “Procrastination Is Genius In Disguise” teleclass tomorrow 10/6? Register for free here: http://www.GetItDoneTeleclass.com (no cost, no commitment, no commute!) and you’ll get the recording as my gift to you, too! YAY!
