Subscribe to the Blog

Mailing list

Sign up for my news & announcements list, and you'll receive a free e-book: 10 Ways To Nourish Your Inner Zen!

Downloads

Shop
The Blogshelf

Elsewhere

"Everyone knows somebody that needs to read this book (Perseverance) !" –Kathie Lee Gifford, Live on NBC’s Today Show

"Perseverance offers… profound insight for all of us seeking to lead a meaningful life." –Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of A Whole New Mind

»More Reviews


Buy Perseverance

Archive for the ‘Goals & Productivity’ Category

You Are Here Now

January 10th, 2011 | 5 Comments »

Happy New Year! I hope you’ve relished some beautiful moments over the past couple of weeks — even amidst the craziness (crazy good oftentimes, but crazy nonetheless) of the holiday season.

A quick update before I get into this post’s topic — what I’ve been up to since my last post: my little sister got engaged (!), went on my honeymoon for 8 days (!!), relaxed at home with my family for a few days, had my wisdom teeth removed, was a good patient and spent most of last week resting up after the surgery, celebrated my sister’s engagement, came back to boston last night, writing this blog post right now :)

As you will notice from that little list, I did not do ANY work — none at all. While I feel wonderfully refreshed, I also feel so horribly guilty. This sense of guilt led to lots of procrastination today and a sense of overwhelming anxiety about where to begin. This feeling led me to think about how to shift from a mindset of guilt to a mindset of progress — so let’s get started (see, we’re making progress already!).

Am I focusing on the past or the future?

The New Year came along and all I could think about was what I am not doing right (compared to the past) and how will that impact me (future)? All this thinking merely led to guilt and an overwhelming sense of dread. Everything became huge; and no matter where I began I would be behind – so why start? But this guilt just becomes bigger if no action is taken. So, rather than wait for January 1, 2012 to roll around and start anew, I’ve decided to make today January 1st rather than January 10th (just erase the little zero and everything is all better). It’s daunting to think about how you can make this year a great year and especially to begin taking action on a clean year – if you tend to be a perfectionist and want to get things right (like me), then this task begins harder.

Where am I right now – in this moment? What do I choose to focus on – in this moment?

I am here. I am present. I am ready to begin.

This question allows me to think about the present and how I can create with intention from this moment forward, rather than try to catch up on all the missed chances behind me, or worry about the ones I might miss that are ahead of me. I’m in this moment and I choose to focus completely on writing a new post. I give myself permission to work on this activity and have fun! This shift changed my momentum from a mindset of guilt to a mindset of progress.

I haven’t done XYZ -> I am doing ___.

This shift is powerful and can make the difference between a day spent dreading your to-do list to a day spent crossing items off of that scary big to-do list and making it a DONE list!

Where are you right now? What are you doing?

Does the New Year ever fill you with a sense of guilt or overwhelm you?

image: farouche

Posted in: Goals & Productivity

The Art of Non-Conformity: Review & Giveaway!

November 8th, 2010 | 27 Comments »

Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with their song still in them. –Henry David Thoreau

Life is a journey that can never be defined by odds. We—not others—choose how we live our lives. If we decide to believe in ourselves, then nothing can diminish our potential.

Chris Guillebeau’s new book, The Art of Non-Conformity, ingeniously presents a different way to live your life, a life that you wholeheartedly desire based upon your own rules. While I tend to shy away from books with such lofty goals (i.e., read me and change your entire life!), I knew this book would be different due to Chris’ real-life experience, truly walking the talk and sharing his journey (the ups and downs, with life lessons always learned) with full transparency on his blog.

Before I continue, I must reveal that I hesitated writing about The Art of Non-Conformity. With so many people singing its praises within the blogosphere, I didn’t want to seem disingenuous. But I never write about other books so a desire to write about this one in particular has to mean something, right?!

AONC in 140 characters:

Empowering readers to let go of labels and expectations, to embrace the unknown, and to begin to transform “someday” into “today.”

AONC in more than 140 characters:

The Communicatrix says it best:

From the beginning, where he establishes the likely mindset that indicates readiness to explore an unconventional life/style through the end, where he wraps up with a sensible warning that everything he’s gotten you fired up about is always fiery at a cost (and, like its rewards, an unending one), Chris slowly conditions your brain for the thrilling, difficult work ahead. The book is generous, it’s unrelenting, it’s highly specific in its instructions and it’s thoroughly, impeccably earnest.

If I’m making AONC sound just a bit overwhelming, that’s because it’s very possible that it is—at least, to someone who’s not in the place to hear or use it. That’s fine. As Chris himself says at the outset, this book assumes four critical prerequisites (numerals mine):

  1. You Must Be Open to New Ideas
  2. You Must Be Dissatisfied with the Status Quo
  3. You Must Be Willing to Take Personal Responsibility
  4. You Must Be Willing to Work Hard

One of my favorite sections is entitled: Smashing Through the Brick Wall of Fear. In this section, Chris outlines seven highly personal things that he was afraid of at the time of writing. I plan on sharing my personal fear list in an upcoming post.

The Silver Lining (the little details that did not go unnoticed):

- Quote Selection and Placement: Chris could compile the quotes selected for this book and sell them as a completely separate book. They are brilliant and placed not only in the beginning of each section, but in the sidebars with the themes aligned with the content. As a writer, this is TEDIOUS to do and quality is almost always sacrificed. Not here.

- Personalization of all the common book standards (ex. “extraordinary praise” rather than “praise” or “advanced praise”; “gratitude” rather than “acknowledgments”), using Chris’ language to replace the normal stock copy that is placed in books that as a reader you never notice, until of course, it changes.

- Summaries at the end of each section entitled, “Remember This” that are truly remarkable.

- An online emporium of resources and additional content that allow the book to evolve beyond its pages.

The Take-Home Message:

If you’re ready for a new perspective that will steer you towards creating inner harmony, The Art of Non-Conformity will help you prepare to play a bigger game, translate knowledge into action and action into change, and of course set you up for world-domination!

Need to Start Reading NOW?!

Well of course you do! Leave a comment below for a chance to receive one of two copies that will be given away on A Beautiful Ripple Effect!

–> Comments open for the giveaway until Sunday November 14th at 5:00 PM EST. The recipients will be announced on A Beautiful Ripple Effect on Monday November 15th!

* I received this book from Chris prior to release. However, I only decided to review it after spending an entire day devouring each section (canceling all appointments and emailing Chris to let him know that he owed me an apology** for “ruining” my schedule!).

** For the record, Chris apologized.

Tags: , ,
Posted in: Goals & Productivity, Tips + Techniques, Treasure Chest

Get More Done #2: How to Set Powerful Goals and Take Meaningful Action

August 10th, 2010 | 6 Comments »

If you haven’t read part one in this series, Get More Done #1: How to Confront and Weaken Analysis Paralysis, you might want to head there first.

Why are you doing what you are doing? Without a goal to connect to your actions, it is difficult to maintain momentum and motivation. When the actions of a task are tedious and not intrinsically exciting, it can feel as if there is no larger purpose to them. But there is always a goal, and without acknowledging it, you are walking down a dark and windy path with no map in hand.

Reconnect with Your Overarching Goal

Get Excited. Reframe your work in a way that excites you. What will spark your energy? Use your imagination to create a compelling reason to attract you to your work. Try thinking about how you could persuade someone else to do what you do, and be as genuine as possible. Find the silver lining and magnify it. In his groundbreaking book, The Now Habit, Neil Fiore writes, “The type of work and commitment that is more compatible with the Now Habit is a commitment to a mission that focuses your energies and brings about inner harmony, a commitment that comes from a pull toward a goal and an excitement about the process of getting there.”

Create a Goal Statement. There are many ways to create a goal statement that you can use to remind yourself of your greater purpose. For the purpose of overcoming analysis paralysis, I try to create a statement that is specific to the task at hand and has a deadline within four weeks. Let’s start with an example that I recently utilized (Thank you to Aby Garvey for teaching me this wonderful goal-setting technique!).

“Today is September 1, 2010. I am confident and calm now that my research proposal is complete.”

  • Include a specific date in your goal statement. Mark this date in your calendar.
  • What will you complete by your set date? Don’t set yourself up to fail. Keep your expectations realistic.
  • How will you feel when you complete this goal?
  • Create your goal statement using the steps outlined above and display it where you can see it throughout the day in order to maintain focus on why you are doing what you are doing! It can be helpful to create sub-goal statements as well if your project is especially long and arduous. To create a sub-goal statement, you follow the same formula as outlined above, but use specific milestones toward the main goal. For example, “Today is August 12, 2010. I am confident and calm now that my research proposal’s appendix materials are complete.”

Restart Your Engine with Intention and Ease

Now that you have faced your analysis paralysis head on, you have tremendously weakened its resolve. Spend a few minutes refocusing on the task at hand. Do you have everything you need to complete your work? Collate all of your materials near your command center. Then, determine what actions you want to take today. Rather than focus on completion, concentrate on starting to maintain momentum.

Create a Mind-Map. If you are still feeling resistance, utilize a mind-map to break down the actions into micro-actions (each action should take less than 5 minutes). In the middle of the mind-map, you want to write your main goal to keep it front and center. For reference, you can see my simple example below.

Focus on Action. You are ready to take action! Often, preparing to take action can become quite draining so you need to rev yourself up again to actually make progress. To help give you that much-needed push, try the following focusing exercise from The Now Habit. The exercise below is a shorter version than the one outlined within the book (the full exercise begins on page 150 of the paperback copy of the book).

“Focusing is a two-minute procedure for shifting rapidly to the flow state by replacing guilt and stress with stress-free focus on the present.”

With each breath I am tapping into my creative self, opening more and more of my brain power to approach my task. My conscious mind may not know yet what to do, just as it doesn’t know how a puzzle will look until it’s finished. I may not know how I’m going to do this, but soon something will come to me, and then a little bit more will come. I will find the process very interesting, because while I don’t know yet what the solution will be, I do know that I will do it, and that part of me already knows how to do it. It will also be interesting to see how time feels different at this level of the mind and to discover about how much I will accomplish in such a short period of clock time.

Counting up from 1 to 3, I am becoming more quietly alert, and I am now ready to work in a focused, concentrated way, rapidly going from not knowing to knowing how to start: 1. I am more alert, relaxed, and energized, ready to use the superior wisdom of my subconscious mind. 2. I am ready to come all the way up to full alertness with my eyes open, eager to work in conjunction with the creative faculties of my mind. 3.

By taking action, you will begin to create momentum by weakening the resistance you feel between you and the finish line. Moving forward, you will likely confront analysis paralysis again, but each time you do, you can approach it with strength rather than letting it seize your control.

Chime in! What are your thoughts on getting more done or analysis paralysis? Or just say hello, it’s always nice to know that others can relate :).

… For some great discussion on the topic of inspiration, head on over to Spring for a brand new video!

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in: Goals & Productivity, Tips + Techniques

Get More Done #1: How to Confront and Weaken Analysis Paralysis

August 5th, 2010 | 7 Comments »

This is the first in a two-part series about getting more done, what is stopping you from maintaining momentum – and what you can do to start getting more done, now! Stay tuned for the second part on Tuesday (you might want to grab the A Beautiful Ripple Effect RSS feed, or subscribe to be notified via email).

As I write this blog post, I am facing analysis paralysis, one fierce letter at a time. My mind feels like it is miles away, twisting and turning amid my graduate school research. Big projects, looming deadlines, and sometimes even mundane daily events can easily cause one to become detached, an observer of an experience rather than an engaged and mindful participant. Once you feel detachment, you feel less in control of your own life, starting an upsetting cycle that can lead you to over-analyze what you’re doing in an effort to become more immersed in the moment; however, as a result, you dig yourself into a deeper hole, leading to a feeling of being stuck, out of alignment due to analysis paralysis.

Power blogger Chris Garrett defines this yucky stage aptly. He writes, “Analysis Paralysis is where you can’t make any forward progress because you bog yourself down in details, tweaking, brainstorming, researching….”

So what do we do to break the cycle and confront the pesky instigator?

Modify Your Perspective

Often you can get so knee deep in the details of a scene that you can no longer see the landscape. But your mind doesn’t want to see the landscape, right? You need to focus on the details to get this done already! However, if you don’t take the time to remove yourself from the micro-level, you may be creating more work for yourself, or worse; you could cause yourself to meet some major hurdles down the road. Try adopting a different perspective to gain greater awareness of other aspects of your situation.

Find the middle ground between worst case and best case. Rather than think in extremes, think in shades of gray. Ask yourself: What is the worst case scenario? What is the best case scenario? Then, move towards the middle, a much more realistic scenario to plan for.

Alter your expectations. If you expect the journey to be steady without bumps or turns, you are setting yourself up for disappointment along the way. At the outset, prepare for roadblocks to appear as you take your plan into reality.

Engage Your Right-Brain

In order to overpower analysis, the brainchild of your left-brain, it is critical to awaken your right-brain’s creative muscles. Personally, this step is the most difficult for me to put into practice while under the power of my left-brain; however, this action is akin to magic dust, the secret potion that greatly weakens the reigns of analysis paralysis.

Trick your left-brain. Let your left-brain think it’s still in power by slowly warming up your right-brain. You can do this by introducing one “creative” element into your work at a time. If you’re working in an Excel File, try shading the columns into a fun array of colors. If you’re typing, use a fun font and/or play with the font colors. If you’re working away from the computer, you have the most wiggle room. I love using a whiteboard to brainstorm with big multicolored markers and make drawings. Or you can use colored pencils, crayons, and big pieces of paper – let your imagination run wild while still embracing your left-brain’s need to keep working.

Unleash your creativity. Take a break for a minimum of 10 minutes (use a timer if you must). Move away from your computer or simply turn off the monitor and focus fully on a single creative activity. You may want to draw on a piece of paper, write a fun letter, or snap a photo. The possibilities are endless.

Great Creative Fuel

Move Your Body

It is easy to get stuck in your head and continue the cycle of over-analyzing even the simplest of tasks. I’ve found that the quickest way to gain momentum and take meaningful action is to move my body. As simple as it sounds, it works! And it can take as little as 10 seconds.

Move away from your chair. Stand up and try jogging in place for 5 to 10 seconds. Notice how your body feels. Where are your arms? Are they tense by your side or swaying freely? Is your upper body slouched over or upright? How does your neck feel? Now, try moving again for another 5 to 10 seconds, but this time, explore your space. If you’re in a public office, try walking swiftly to another area of the office. When you let your body move to another location (rather than staying in place), you will notice changes in your body and mind. Do you feel a little more relaxed? Is the hamster wheel in your mind slowing down a bit? Take note of any changes you feel and experiment with this activity over time. Then find what works best for you as a quick way to engage your mind-body connection during your hectic work schedule and utilize this activity as often as you can throughout the day.

. . . . .

On Tuesday, I’ll be exploring how you can begin reconnecting your actions to an overarching goal, and how you can focus on getting more meaningful work done each day.

In the meantime, if anything in this article has struck a chord with you, I’d love to answer questions, offer support or simply hear your experiences. Just leave a comment, drop me an email, or use the contact form.

image: katie kirk

Tags: , , ,
Posted in: Goals & Productivity, Tips + Techniques

How to Motivate Yourself: 21 Quotes to Help You Refocus and Renew

July 22nd, 2010 | 14 Comments »

Quotes are a wonderful source of inspiration. Many people collect quotes (myself included) or display them in their physical space as personal reminders. I love reading quotes when I need an energy boost or a little help getting motivated to tackle my daunting to-do list. For this post, I decided to share the quotes I return to most often to spark my motivation.

Mindful Reading Tip! Try reading the quotes slowly. Allow your eyes to gently soften then close after you read each one, visualizing the words and what they mean to you. Just like a delicious piece of cake that you want to savor! But not all cakes are created equal, so taste this collection and notice if one outshines the rest. Then, sit with that quote for a couple of minutes and let its words work their magic! Below are 21 curated quotes just for you!

The great opportunity is where you are. Do not despise your own place and hour. Every place is under the stars, every place is the center of the world. -John Burroughs

Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vantage point. -Harold B. Melchart

Don’t be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves. -Dale Carnegie

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault. -John Henry Newman

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity. -Albert Einstein

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? -Marianne Williamson

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. -Lao-Tzu

Things do not change; we change. -Henry David Thoreau

It isn’t that they can’t see the solution. It is that they can’t see the problem. -G.K. Chesterton

Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. -St. Francis of Assisi

Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall. -Confucius

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. -Helen Keller

The greatest mistake a man can make is to be afraid of making one. -Elbert Hubbard

It’s not that some people have willpower and some don’t. It’s that some people are ready to change and others are not. -James Gordon

You have to get to the point where going for it is more important than winning or losing. -Arthur Ashe

Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity. -Louis Pasteur

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. -Ambrose Redmoon

Often you just have to rely on your intuition. -Bill Gates

It’s easier to live with disappointment than regret. -Andre Agassi

The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are. -J. Pierpont Morgan

Did you have a favorite quote? Do you have another quote to add to the mix? Please share!

. . . . .

Thank you to @chadrem and @SafetyInNumbers for contributing to this post on Twitter!

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in: Creativity & Inspiration, Goals & Productivity, Tips + Techniques

You Can’t Quantify Value

June 7th, 2010 | 16 Comments »

If less is more, why do we seem to be sticking to the adage that more is better? How many items did you complete today on your to-do list? How many words did you write for your book? How many e-mails did you receive? How many of your tweets were re-tweeted? How many new followers did you gain today? How many comments did you receive on your blog post? How much money did you make last month?

Is your brain spinning yet? We try to quantify almost everything we do. It provides us with a method of comparison – self-comparison and comparison to others. And this comparison leads to judgment.

For example, I just was reading a blog post by another blogger and noticed feeling deflated when I got to the end of the post. The content of the post was neutral so why did I react so negatively?

I scanned the number of comments the blog post had received, well over 50, and immediately compared that number to the number of comments that I receive on a typical blog post, much less. My automatic response led to the conclusion that my content is less valuable. Is that true? Maybe; maybe not.

We’ve learned to associate quantity with value. But value often is subjective, creating a gap that we must learn to fill ourselves by challenging quantity with quality.

By focusing on the quality of your experiences, you create space for more meaning and growth. You are living with flexibility, challenging the limits defined by others. Lasting success and change manifest from a burning passion that cannot be measured.

. . . . .

-> Are you ready to bridge the gap between your reality and your vision? Sign up here for my advance notice list and be the first to learn about my new service, Discovery Sessions, focused on bridging that gap!

Tags: , ,
Posted in: Creativity & Inspiration, Goals & Productivity

How to Recharge and Get Motivated

June 5th, 2010 | 11 Comments »

Do you find that you’re working more than before, but getting less done? Do you ever feel drained or stuck? If you’re nodding your head, you’re not alone. We live in an amazing time filled with great opportunities, and it’s exciting to realize how much you can get done, but it can also be exhausting!

We aren’t machines. After participating in so many activities, we feel drained, emotionally flattened and stuck. Yet, we seldom stop to allow our bodies to replenish our energy. Too often, time dictates our breaks, not our body. We are conditioned to think that when more needs to be done, we must increase the amount of time spent working and decrease the amount of time spent refueling. This thinking causes a strange sense of obligation to sacrifice our wellbeing due to the time crunch and demands of the situation.

While it may seem counterintuitive, during the most hectic of times, we actually need more time to recharge.

We have a primal need for pleasure and recreation—but, as humans with free will, we can choose to ignore this need, to overcome our instincts and go against nature. We convince ourselves that there is no limit to how far we can push ourselves, that just as science produces better, faster, more reliable and steady machines, we too can hone our abilities through modifying our nature. Many of us attempt to train ourselves to need less down time—to sleep less, to rest less, to cease less—to do more and stretch beyond our limits. But, like it or not, there is a limit, and if we continue to violate nature’s demands, to abuse ourselves, we will pay the price—individually and as a society. –Tal Ben-Shahar, Ph.D., Even Happier

In any area of your life, in order to recharge and get motivated, it’s important to give yourself permission to pause. These pauses provide you with the time and space needed to redirect your focus and energy. Over time, I’ve learned to take breaks and focus my attention on mini-activities that quiet my judgmental left-brain and ignite my inner passion. After these little timeouts, I usually discover that my productivity actually increases, as does the quality of my work.

A few activities in which I recently indulged:

Cleaning my office. Did I really need to re-organize all of my files last week? No. The files themselves could wait, but the act of organizing allows me to cleanse and recharge my mental energy. When I was done, I had the energy needed to get more done.

Creating a collage. I also didn’t need to make a collage, but the process of making art allows me to turn off part of my brain so that it can rejuvenate.

Writing in my journal. A couple of years ago, I started keeping a journal. It’s such a release for me at the end of the day to write, doodle, or tape photos to the pages.

In addition to taking breaks, it’s important to notice how you talk to yourself. Are you focusing more on what you don’t want to happen or what you DO want to happen? Do you ever say to yourself, “I am not going to procrastinate”? You probably have a laundry list of things that you don’t want to do. This list is draining your energy from what you want to be doing.

Pause and think about what you want to do. What do you want to work on today? Of course, you may not “want” to do everything that is on your plate; however, you do want to get it off of your plate, which will only happen if you take action. The key is to emphasize moving forward and to use language that supports your goals. You want to be your biggest cheerleader.

The Take-Home Message:

You are in control. Recognize when you feel drained and when you lack motivation. Rather than punishing yourself or focusing on what you should be doing, reconnect with your inner compass and determine what you want to do. Then, let the energy restoration begin!

When you are busy, what do you do to recharge? Leave a comment!

. . . . .

-> I am busy, busy, busy pulling together the final details for a new service that I will be launching online SOON! This new service is focused on helping you discover innovative ways to create big changes in your life.  Sign up here for my advance notice list.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in: Balance & Simplicity, Creativity & Inspiration, Goals & Productivity, Tips + Techniques

How to Take Action on a Daunting Project

May 19th, 2010 | 2 Comments »

As children, projects were usually fun, creative activities that allowed us to explore ourselves and the world around us. As adults, our projects become a bit more complex-and often downright frightening. Personally, I seem to commit subconsciously to daunting projects on a regular basis. I enjoy the fear and excitement that accompanies projects that are not predefined. Yet when faced with a project that seems completely overwhelming and practically impossible, it’s easy to become paralyzed by fear and resist engaging with it altogether. So how do we move past feeling powerless in order to begin taking action? Below are some of the methods I rely on to turn fear into action.

Recognize the Daunting Project

What projects are you resisting? Write down one project that you would particularly like to begin working on. Now that you have formally recognized that the project is a bit daunting, you have taken the first (and often the most difficult) step towards taking action.

Define Completion

It’s very hard to take a trip when you don’t know your destination, and the same goes for an action about which you are unsure. Define a specific, measurable, and exciting goal for the completion of that project. Of course, that daunting project may have specific milestones or goals defined by a boss or team, but redefine that goal into one that will motivate you personally. Steve Chandler, the author of 100 Ways to Motivate Yourself, explains why he believes goals are often not reached.

“Usually, a goal is just a goal. But a power goal is a goal that takes on a huge reality. It lives and breathes. It provides motivational energy. It gets you up in the morning. You can taste it, smell it, and feel it. You’ve got it clearly pictured in your mind. You’ve got it written down. And you love writing it down because every time you do it fills you with clarity of purpose.”

In essence, you want to define completion objectively so that you know exactly what you’re working towards. You need to define it subjectively as well so that you are motivated and excited to take action. This combination taps into the strengths of both your left and right brain.

Cross-Examine Your Fears

Knowledge is power; however, some knowledge can reduce our personal power if it remains out of sight. With that in mind, write down all of the fears you’ve associated with the project. Then, take all of these fears and cross-examine them. Be ruthless. Determine how you can turn these strength-sapping thoughts into powerful, positive motivators for action. Yes, it sounds a bit far-fetched, but redefining your perspective to enable you to focus on creating-rather than worrying-is essential for personal success. For example, how often do you fear failure, imperfection, or the judgment of others? These fears are draining and really don’t do much to help you feel powerful and ready to tackle a daunting project. When I fear failure, I find it helpful to flip the switch and think about what I will do to create success. In essence, I define what will make me feel successful with regard to a specific project. What can I do to be proud of my work? I acknowledge the fears I have and then remove the power I’ve attached to them. It’s important to remember that we always have the ability to choose our personal perspective.

Create a Personal Road Map

As we start our trip, we must know at least two key points on the map: our place of departure and our destination. The area in between these two points represents the land of uncertainty. In order to take action, we must first plan a successful strategy. To do that, we need to divide our completion goal into more manageable sub-goals. Not sure how to begin? Research some ideas by looking online, offline, and asking others. But don’t let “research” overwhelm you.

Create limits on how much time you’re willing to spend on that research and when the time is up, stop! Then, explore what you found by creating mind maps, outlines, charts, or any other method that allows you to be creative and put the pieces together in a way that makes sense to you. Next, use all of this knowledge to determine mini-goals that you’ll use as benchmarks for your completion goal. Typically, I create 5 to 10 mini-goals for complex projects. A mini-goal may be to write the outline for a novel (main goal: write a novel) or determine the right project management system for your business (main goal: create a virtual business). Then, focus on one mini-goal at a time and break it down into specific, daily action items.

Action items and mini-goals will help you create a personal road map for the project. The key is to ensure that you create a map that is capable of changing. As obstacles arise, you must be able to modify your map. With this map, you should be able to see the details of the project and the big picture-both perspectives are critical when working on a complex project.

Track Your Progress

Keep a daily action log so that you recognize that you are indeed taking action. Clearly, it’s sometimes difficult to understand that we’re taking action when the results are not immediate; after all, we’re very accustomed to instant gratification. A daily action log will also help you see what’s working and what still needs some tweaking. It’s helpful to be able to understand when something seems to be preventing you from moving forward. Most importantly, track your progress so that you can reward yourself for taking action. Positive reinforcement is essential to overall success both personally and professionally.

How do you take action on daunting projects?

. . . . .

On June 10th, I will be launching a new service to help you discover innovative ways to create big changes in your life. Sign up here to receive insider discounts, news, and freebies!

image: jessica swift

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in: Goals & Productivity, Tips + Techniques

Five Essential Questions to Ask Yourself Daily

April 21st, 2010 | 12 Comments »

I adore questions. Actually, I think I’m obsessed with questions. This strange love affair has led to tremendous self-discovery. Questions prompt me to dig deep and often unveil beautiful aha! moments. I journal daily and created a book solely devoted to journaling questions.

While flipping through my journal today, I realized that five questions appear over and over again. So I decided to write them on a sticky note and put the note inside my journal cover for easy reference. Now, I am challenging myself to answer these questions daily for 21 days. Up for a challenge? The single requirement: a desire to spend a few minutes each day connecting with your essential self.

The Daily Questions

  1. What am I feeling?
  2. What do I want to start?
  3. What is working? What isn’t working?
  4. What must I release or let go of?
  5. What am I grateful for? What made me smile today?

What question(s) would you add? Do you have a daily journaling ritual?

{image: papaya!}

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in: Authenticity, Creativity & Inspiration, Goals & Productivity, Personal

How to Talk Your Way to Greater Productivity

April 19th, 2010 | 12 Comments »

“It is not discipline, willpower, or pressure from others that facilitates adherence to a challenging course of action. Rather, it is the freedom to choose among alternatives, the personal commitment to a mission, and the willingness to take responsibility for the consequences of our decisions that steels the will and emboldens the spirit.” -Neil Fiore

It’s no secret that we love to talk to ourselves, more commonly known as “self-talk.” Our self-talk can communicate a message of productivity (commitment to action) or a message of procrastination (resistance to action). We have the power to recognize different messages and choose which we prefer to utilize. Self-talk typically occurs subconsciously, however, which makes us often ignore limiting or self-defeating language much more easily. But by doing that, you remain powerless over the impact of subliminal messages, which reaches far beyond our subconscious.

Overview: Notice, Rephrase, and Commit to Action

First, notice counterproductive vs. productive self-talk.

Second, rephrase your counterproductive self-talk by utilizing more effective language.

Third, translate your knowledge into the context of change. Focus on utilizing effective self-talk to create positive behavioral changes, thereby increasing your commitment to action and avoiding the paralysis of procrastination.

Notice How You Talk To Yourself:  Recognize Counterproductive Messages

When you talk to yourself in an authoritarian voice, you are subconsciously communicating a message of fear and resentment to both your mind and your body. Fear of course can be a great motivator, but to what end? And how much fear is too much fear? There is no clear threshold here. However, when you begin only reacting out of fear or procrastinating just due to fear, it’s time to change your voice. Below are a few examples of self-talk that can trigger a fear-based response.

  • I have to…
  • I should…
  • I must finish…
  • I must be perfect…
  • I don’t have time to take a break.
  • I need to finish this really important and HUGE project very soon/immediately.
  • What am I forgetting to do?
  • Why didn’t I start this task earlier?
  • I’ll never finish this project.
  • This project has to be done perfectly or else.
  • What’s wrong with me?
  • Why do I make so many mistakes?
  • Why can’t I do just this one thing right?
  • I have to finish everything.

Just typing these statements produced a tremendous sense of fear within me. I noticed that I began to type faster and felt a much greater resistance to the overall goal of this post. I got lost in my thoughts – and even began to think along the same lines as in “I need to write this post perfectly or else…”  Then, I caught myself (thankfully). So I took a deep breathe, moved my fingers away from the keyboard, and focused on the big picture – my personal goal for the post. The paralysis dissolved and I was back in action.

Can you relate to any of the statements above? Try printing out this article or writing thoughts down on paper that you can relate to easily. This exercise will give you greater leverage and help in rephrasing these statements and moving forward.

Bottom Line: Notice your self-talk and how it makes you feel. Write down any statements that make you feel a sense of fear or worry. By simply recognizing specific thoughts, you are taking back control. The thoughts are no longer working subconsciously. You choose how to move forward rather than stalling due to fear.

Notice How You Talk To Yourself: Identify Productive Messages

Not everything we say is negative! Let’s take a few minutes to focus on the positive messages we give ourselves. These statements may also be working subconsciously, so I’ll start the exercise by providing a few examples. Read through them and notice how you feel as you do so. Do you feel a different response, a more positive feeling, than you did when reading through the counterproductive messages listed earlier?

  • I choose to…
  • When can I start?
  • I can take one small step.
  • I can be perfectly human.
  • I must take time to play.
  • I want to…
  • I decide…
  • I will…

It’s easy to get caught up in negative self-talk. We all know that such messages don’t communicate what we choose for ourselves; rather, they communicate a feeling of burden or powerlessness. There is no choice that is actually identified in our inner dialogue, and that is the essential element of productive self-talk. Productive language is all about choice – all about being in power and deciding what we want to do, regardless of our current circumstances. Yes, we are in situation B, so how do we want to begin? How do we choose to begin?

The goal is to start from a positive mindset, always shifting from “should” to “choose.”

Rephrase the self-talk of procrastination with the effective self-talk of producers.

“Whenever you catch yourself losing motivation on a project, look for the implicit ‘have to’ in your thinking and make a decision at that moment to embrace the path — as it is, not the way you think it should be — or let go of it. It’s your choice.” -Neil Fiore, The Now Habit

Rephrase your self-talk by identifying negative self-talk.

In The Now Habit, Neil Fiore, provides the following examples:

“I have to.” –> “I have to, but I don’t want to.” –> “I have to, but if I were powerful I wouldn’t.”

  • This statement offers a sense of ambivalence and victimization that actually justifies procrastination. Challenge the statement with a statement of choice and an attitude of empowerment
  • Replace “I have to” with “I choose to.”

“I must finish.”

  • Replace this vague and overwhelming statement with “When can I start?

“This project is so big and important.” –> I don’t see how I can tackle such a huge task.” –> “This project has to impress everyone. This is my one big chance in life.”

  • Replace this statement with “I can take one small step.” “I choose to start with one small step.”
  • I can take one small step: Do one rough, rough draft; one imperfect sketch; one small hello. That’s all I need to do right now.

Finally, translate your knowledge into the context of change. Focus on utilizing effective self-talk to create behavioral changes, increase your commitment to action and avoid the paralysis of procrastination.

What can you do now to change the power dynamic to be in your favor?

What statements are key for your moving forward positively? Write these statements on post-it notes and keep them front and center daily. On my computer, I have a post-it note with a simple statement: There is nothing I need to do now except this. It serves as a constant reminder that I am in control of the present moment. I choose what happens right now – no one else has that power over me.

What do you choose to do now?

Tags: , ,
Posted in: Goals & Productivity

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »
Carolyn Rubenstein

About this blog

Monthly Archives

Categories

Recent Tweets