focus

PROCRASTINATION: THE GAP BETWEEN INTENTION AND ACTION

 good-ideas

Do you know what happens when a procrastinator has a good idea? Nothing! And when a procrastinator has a great plan??? The same thing… NOTHING!

Personally, I am full of good ideas – you have them all the time, too, don’t you? Coming up with a great idea is fun, exhilarating and exciting. I’m a virtual treasure trove of good ideas for myself, for my clients, family and friends. I even have them for the occasional stranger and, of course, for our government officials and presidential candidates!

And, because I’m a coach, I know that every ‘good idea’ has to be backed up with a great plan. With my years of practice, I’m great at coming up with good plans, too -interesting ways to implement my good ideas…

BUT, it’s only when those good ideas and great plans are backed up with commitment, intention, attention, FOCUS and ACTION that anything really happens. Unless I’m truly ready to implement – and committed to having results – it’s an exercise in futility and ‘reasons’ gathering.  Without them, a good idea is just a good idea and a good plan is just another good idea. And that, my friends, is why ‘good ideas are a dime a dozen’!

And the biggest block to achieving results? PROCRASTINATION!

PROCRASTINATION IS THE GAP BETWEEN INTENTION AND ACTION.

Procrastinators are magnificent at gathering reasons. When I am in procrastination mode I can list a score of reasons why something I’ve intended to do hasn’t happened yet – or never will. What I can’t do when I’m in that mode is get results. And, while I know that procrastinators (including yours truly) don’t get anything done, it’s knowing WHY we procrastinate – why we have that gap and, of course, what to do about it, that really matters. So, let’s go there…

Welcome to the world of the ‘What ifs’! When we project out into the future… wondering and worrying (making up sad stories about everything that could go wrong) we stop all forward action, create the ‘gap’, and set ourselves up to fail. The more we dwell on the what ifs, the bigger the gap and, the bigger the gap, the harder it is to build a bridge to get to the other side. We give up before we even start.

AND YOU CAN’T WIN IF YOU DON’T PLAY!

Are you ready to close the gap? Ready to have results instead of reasons? Seriously, ARE YOU REALLY READY? Did I hear a resounding YES??? This is not a someday thing, it’s a NOW thing. Let’s do this…

  1. Share your COMMITMENT! This IS going to happen because you won’t put up with anything less. You won’t stop until it’s a done deal. You are ready and willing to do whatever it takes to get your intended outcome. Make the commitment real by ‘casting it’ in the proverbial stone. Declare it out loud!
  1. What’s your INTENTION? Describe it out loud; write it on a sign, tell someone who will hold you accountable. Say it over and over. Picture it done. Remind yourself of your big WHY… why is this important to you? Intend to win!
  1. Be deliberate about what you say and don’t say, what you do and what you are avoiding doing, what you notice around you and what you’re thinking. (If your thoughts aren’t supporting you, notice that and replace those negative thoughts NOW.) Channel your ATTENTION onto everything around you that can be called into play to support you. Close the gap. Reign in the resources!
  1. FOCUS on your objective. Let your natural instincts lead you (or google your brain for a roadmap). Stay focused. Stuff is going to come up (it always does), notice it and get right back to your objective. Close the gap. Let nothing distract you. Be the postman who delivers… no matter what!
  1. Take ACTION (not ‘later’, not ‘when you know more’, not when you ‘feel ready’, not when you think you can). Do it NOW!

You have lots of good ideas… lots of plans… now close the gap and get the results!

I don’t Multi-task…I JUGGLE!

Multitasking

I used to describe myself as a self-starter and brilliant multi-tasker.  When someone needed to get six things done at once, I was the gal to call! You know the old saying, “When you want something done, ask a busy person!” Well, that was me. Always busy… and always willing to make time to take on one more task. I prided myself on getting it all done and doing it all at once.

After reading a few articles on the dangers of multi-tasking, however, I realized that when I’m being most productive I am not multi-tasking, I’m juggling!  Think about it. Juggling is about breaking down complex patterns and maneuvers into simple tasks to keep a number of rapidly shifting balls in the air. It’s a process. And having worked for many years with Beth Schneider at Process Prodigy (as her lead ‘Systems Goddess’), I learned to recognize, appreciate and love a good process!

Look, I’m still a fan of any product that ‘cleans my toilet bowl while I work’ or makes me beautiful while I sleep. Anytime I can accomplish two things at once, I’m in! I love that I can set the cook time on my oven and write a blog while the casserole is cooking. And though we might call that multi-tasking, it isn’t really, is it? Two things are happening concurrently, but I’m only actively doing one at a time. And, to carry this even further; if I’ve also loaded and started the dishwasher, dropped off my car at the dealership (where they wash it after fixing it) and asked my neighbor to pick up a few things for me when she goes to the market… I’m mega juggling!!!

The following is an excerpt from Fast Company, Juggling by Anna Muoio: As you read it, think of juggling TASKS instead of balls, fire sticks or knives. It makes so much sense!

“We all have to juggle different types of things…  If I throw you three different objects all at once, you have a limited time to gauge the weight, texture, and size of what’s about to fall into your hand.  So you have to develop different ways of grasping the objects.  If you try to grasp one as you would another, you’re going to miss— you may even get hurt. Try to understand the characteristics of the objects coming at you.  Worse than dropping objects is letting them collide in the air and fall in random patterns.  To prevent this, you need to create a separate flight path for each object.”

If you look at things in only one way, you’ll be greatly restricted in how many objects (or tasks) you can juggle.  Yet, you can be a very successful juggler if you’re willing and able to look at your objects or to-do list of tasks, in a number of different ways – to get a clear perception and unscramble the patterns; see them all at once, and create a plan that addresses all of them and creates balance.

Balance is an essential skill in juggling— as essential as it is in life.  But the balance I’m referring to is not perfect equilibrium and stillness.  It’s the ability to make quick and exquisitely refined responses to any unexpected change.  In other words, expect the best and plan for the worst!

Just like a good juggler, I’m constantly figuring out how to best keep ‘all my balls in the air’.  I know I can never have absolute control over any situation, so I stay alert, flexible and open to change. Juggling – including task-juggling – builds your focus muscles. It’s about being flexible in dealing with the unexpected and adjusting as necessary, keeping all your balls in the air and staying FOCUSED on one thing at a time! It’s good to be a juggler!

Who Needs A Coach?

Coach

So often someone else can see what you we don’t. Sometimes we can’t… sometimes we just don’t want to see. Either way, getting another point of view – seeing ourselves through the eyes of someone we trust – can be just what we need to get ‘unstuck’ or to get that extra push in the direction of our dreams.

When life is unfulfilling or goals are not being met, when we don’t know where to turn or what to do next… or when life is good but that nagging feeling reminds us that it’s not ‘all it could be’, it’s time to find a coach. Sometimes there’s a specific urgent problem to tackle and we’re in overwhelm. Other times we know we’re on the right track but we want to accelerate the game.  And, of course, there are those times when we realize that we simply don’t know HOW to do what we know needs to be done!

When I coach I listen first… Where are you NOW? Where do you want to BE? What results are you aiming for and… do you have a plan? It starts with a dream, an idea, a passion. Your coach works with you to identify and SPEAK it! Then comes the strategic planning – the big picture and then the specific steps to achieve the desired results. Now you have a plan. Time to implement. Your coach (assuming you’ve chosen wisely) is as invested in your success as you are. To that end, she or he now becomes your accountability coach. You have steps to follow and your coach will remind you that when you do what you said you would do, you get the results you said you wanted. Yes, sometimes re-working the steps is necessary, and your coach is right there to do that with you.

And then there’s that ‘thing’ we call mindset. When you get stuck or blocked or frustrated or overwhelmed (and we all do now and then), your coach works the mindset magic and you get clarity and focus.

Can you save the money and do all of the planning, create the specific steps, implement them, hold yourself accountable and clear away the muck for yourself? Without investing in a coach? SURE you can… but, will you be able to do it all on your own? Do you really want to? Or, would you rather ease the pressure, invest in yourself and take an easier, faster route to success?

I choose having a coach… and I AM A COACH. My coach sees what I miss – that stuff that’s so deeply ingrained in who I am; my old patterns and beliefs– and literally ‘coaches’ me over the hurdles. And that, my friends, is both so totally awesome and WHY I do what I do. I AM A COACH And… I HAVE A COACH and I’m glad. Everyone needs a coach!

 

IS THAT A ‘SIGN’? or just some clouds?

IMG_3514

By Sandye Linnetz

I went to bed last night wondering if I should take a ‘day trip’ to LA today. I would be driving in traffic for two plus hours each way to babysit for my 4 year old grandson, Max, and go watch his T-ball game at (groan) 8:00 am on Sunday before heading back on the long trek to my desert home. Oh, sure, I miss his face (I ALWAYS miss his face) and I’ve never been to one of his T-ball games, BUT… Five hours of driving in less than 24 hours?

It seemed waaay too early to get out of bed when I awoke this morning – and I had no good reason to be awake. Hmmm, should I ‘trance’ myself back to sleep? Play candy crush? Go for a run? What should I do with this glorious, sun shiny day? Make that crazy drive or relax at home? If only I had a sign…

For me, signs and miracles abound. They are everywhere, seriously, EVERYWHERE! It is possible to look around and not see them, but I promise, they are there. You know how when you get a new car or an engagement ring – or pregnant, you suddenly see YOUR car (or diamonds or big bellies) everywhere you look? It’s like that. You see what your attention is focused on, don’t you? When your attention is on signs and miracles you notice them. (Yes, there is that whole thing about what you make things ‘mean’, but let’s cover that another time.)

Anyway, after weighing my options, I decided to go for an early 3-mile run this morning. I generally set myself up for success by deciding that:

  1. This is going to be AWESOME because I’m going to feel so good about taking care of my body!
  1. My audio book (or downloaded podcast or Pandora or whatever) is going to rock my world!
  1. And… here’s the IMPORTANT one for today… I’m going to see something that will blow me away. I actually plan this part – not what I’ll see, just that there will be something worth seeing.

If you KNOW there’s something amazing to see, you don’t want to miss it so you look for it, don’t you? When you expect to see ‘something’, you do (well, I certainly do!). I’ve seen pure white lizards, breath-taking mountain/desert scenery, ice sculptures and snow slides (really, in the desert), half-buried coins, blooming flowers, brass spigots and other cool debris. I look – therefore I see.

That brings us back to this morning and my run. As I completed mile two I felt great and still hadn’t made a decision about my possible ‘road trip’. Then, as I made the final turn toward home, I looked up past the palm trees and cactus at the bright, baby blue sky and there it was… my sign. Maybe they were just a couple of clouds – well, they actually were just a couple of clouds, but really? Could they have looked more like a bat and ball? If it’s all interpretation, point of view and story, anyway… that’s mine! I’m heading to LA and a 4-year-old budding Mickey Mantle – with my foot on the pedal and my head in the clouds.

And so the signs. They are always there… sometimes they’re just out of focus. Get focused. Notice. What have you been missing?

BUSYNESS is a CHOICE – Part 2

Busy

BUSYNESS is a CHOICE – Part 2

By Sandye Linnetz

For people like me, being busy is a choice, not a condition. Yes, we all have the same amount of time each day and we choose how to use that time. I like to stay busy (BUSY, I hear, is the new “fine”). If we’re “crazy busy” our egos get to celebrate our supreme importance. And, come on, who doesn’t like to be supremely important? We probably won’t miss anything even if we’re not constantly checking email and social media, but… why take that chance, right? And, in case we don’t get something done (or done really well or completed on time), we do have a popularly accepted, credible excuse. And in case we don’t want to do something, we have a built in excuse for not doing that, too. We were busy. The question is: Busy doing what?

When busyness is courted as a virtue, we give it carte blanche to be used as a description of who we are and the REASON for what we do and don’t do. I call ‘bull-shit’! There’s no such thing as being too busy to do something you value. If it truly matters to you, you make the time for it. When we tell someone we’re “too busy”, it isn’t necessarily a reflection of our schedule – it’s more likely to be a reflection of where they (or what they need or want from us) are on our priority list. Ouch, that doesn’t feel very good…

Here’s a thought: What if we didn’t gauge the value of our days by how busy we were – or even how productive, but by how we (and those in our lives) feel at the end of a day? If you really WANT to be busy, be busy… I’m going to be busy taking a run this morning. After that I have decided to be busy taking a relaxing shower and maybe even a short nap before I do client calls and writing. I know I’ll be wildly productive because I’ll be busy being grateful, doing good and spreading joy, too! What will you be busy doing today?

P.S. I did it. I ran (though I was sorta busy listening to a book on tape at the same time) and I did have a long and lovely shower (yes, there’s a drought so I guess I won’t wash tomorrow). I skipped the nap but I did at least sit down and do NOTHING for 10 minutes straight (it seemed so much loooonger)! Here’s what I noticed: PEACE and CALM! I got everything done and felt terrific. The only thing I didn’t do was play computer games – no loss there. So, I got busy doing things that totally supported me and had extra energy for the work I FOCUSED on later in the day.

There’s NO BUSY-NESS like slow busyness.

Just How Awful Is Your Life?

By Sandye Linnetz

What do you say to someone who constantly moans and groans and is all about everything that’s missing and crappy in his/her life? Sure, if it’s an ‘acquaintance’ you can probably tune it out and ignore it, but what if it’s a family member or an old friend who you are unwilling to simply ‘disappear’ from your life? Annoying, isn’t it? It’s easy to simply cut the negative people out of your life – and that may be the best choice, but I’m a sucker for the opportunity to empower people to turn it around! So, when you want to empower someone to see life from another perspective, What do you say? What do you do?

I, personally, love to start with sarcasm (it’s my ‘go to’ attitude with family and close friends)… Sarcasm, which, I admit, can be undeniably offensive, pretty much forces someone into ‘defend’ mode and that’s right where I want them. (Remember, we’re talking about habitual complainers not someone with a serious and immediate issue!)

I say, make those glass half empty, doomsday spouting, pessimists defend the junk that they’re putting out. Never mind that they usually can’t defend their position without sounding so nutso that even they finally see it; throwing their stuff right back at them literally puts their nose into their own shit! At some point all of their whiney rants and moans sound ridiculous even to them! Yes, I do START with sarcasm, but I almost immediately follow up with a possibility and an alternative way to look at things:

Me: “Are you looking for more evidence to prove that you’re right about how shitty your life is? No problem. Based on all that stuff, your life really stinks. I am happy to help you assemble the boatloads of evidence – it’s everywhere! Let’s look really hard and find more! It’s so obvious that your life absolutely sucks! You’re a giant sucky magnet. If it’s true that you get more of what you focus on, WOW are you focused on sittin’ right in the middle of a dung heap! The view is hellish from down there, huh?”

AND THEN THE RE-FRAME – POSSIBILTY!

“Personally, my life doesn’t always fit my pictures of what I ‘expected’, either, so I know how you feel. The stuff life can throw at me, the curve balls, sometimes rock me to my shoes… if I let it. What works for me is that I choose JOY and focus on that instead of the circumstances! I’d rather dwell on all that I HAVE and be wildly grateful, instead of dwelling on what’s missing from my life and making it even worse. And, it’s funny how the what’s missing part disappears in the abundance.”

Yes, I am a full cup gal. It works…