Procrastinators Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from chronic procrastination.

t-la daily & billing adventures

4 Words for 2021: Create, Commitment, Focus, and Growth!

10 Goals for 2021! - Go over list daily. Do something for each goal daily.

Question: If I can only accomplish 1 goal in the next 24 hours - which one will have the most impact on my life? What can I do to acomplish that goal? Break down.

Question: What daily structure do I need to accomplish these goals? What executive function tools do I need to implement to accomplish these goals? 

TBBICA (THE BEST BUSINESSWOMEN IN CALIFORNIA) - I am

TBLICA - I am  

There is a powerful statement in 2 Corinthians 2:3 that offers an excellent instruction on what you can do with the powerful commitments I have made regarding TBLICA and TBBICA and procrastination.  The scripture reads:  "written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshy tables of the heart.”

I AM The Woman Who takes care of herself and her children.

I AM The Woman a client can absolutely count on to get the job done.

I AM The Woman Who is no longer afraid but is fearless to declare and act for the life I am committed to my family and me.

I Am The Woman who does.

 "Let the beauty we love be what we do." Rumi - I will treat personal transformation, recovery, growth and business as if it is the music or activities I love the most. 

Daily Plan & Basics -- I have a deep commitment to the changes I have built into my plan.

If I start to change my plan or put off remember that I should expect to be wrong since there is a problem with my forecasting and time estimations. Remember there is a good chance I won't feel like it tomorrow. My current motivational state does not need to match my intention in order to act. 

Daily - 1st thing is to start on the day, daily basics and exercise.  Make predecision on how to start day so I don't get distracted. if I feel a setback or need immediate mood repair -- I will do #13 Options & Tools

1.  EXERCISE. Exercise at 6 am during week / 7 am weekends / if can't meet scheduled times, schedule other times later in the day.  

2.  1st 30 MIN OF DAY. Spend first 30 min of day on one of my top 6 tasks (before a.m. exercise or after I get ready for work and sit at desk).

3.  6 MIT.  Review or write down my 6 most important tasks. 

4.  CALENDAR. Check calendar AM (mine) (kids) / send email or text reminders if needed / add to master case list.

4.a.  PREPARE FOR NEXT DAY. Check calendar PM / send email or text reminders if needed / add tasks to master case list.

5.  CONTROL FLOW OF DAY. Check voicemail & return calls at scheduled times: 6 am / 9:30 am / 11:30 am / 4:30 pm / 7:30 pm /write down calls or tasks in master list. If those times don't work use times that do work.

6.  USE TIMER AND TRACK TIME DURING DAY. WORK IN 15 MIN/30 MIN BLOCKS.  IF NEEDED CHECK IN HOURLY AT PA. Check in at PA at 5 am / 6am / 7 am / 8 am / 9am / 10 am / 11 am / 12 pm / 1 pm /  2 pm / 3 pm / 4 pm /  5 pm / 6 pm /7 pm / 8 pm / 9 pm / 10 pm 

Stay put. If I feel negative emotions when I face a task at hand, I will stay put and not stop, I will not put off a task or run away. If I feel fear or anxiety, I will focus on my natural inner landscape of curiousity, drive to succeed, interests -- all of which are greater and bigger than my fears and anxieties. 

7. TIMESHEET/IN BOX.  Timesheet for day before & empty email in box

8.  PA BASICS Checking in; support calls (1x or more); affirmations; gratitudes; reading; listen to positive recording 15-20 min; journal (mental mind bank)

9. MASTER CASE LIST.  Review and add tasks to master case list at end of day. Do top 6 list for next day

10. LIMIT INTERNET TO 5 MINUTE TIME PERIODS (except PA/certain worksites) from 6 am to 8 pm week / 7 am to 7 pm weekends. Have installed Leechblock and Chrome Nanny on my computers to prevent internet distractions.

11. REWARD JOURNAL - work with it during day. Update a.m. / update p.m.

12. LIST OF TECHNIQUES FOR MANAGING EXECUTIVE FUNCTION

12-1. Set realistic goal (behaviorable, specific concrete)

12-2. Break goals into specific small mini-goals

12-3. Be realistic about time.

12-4. Just get started!! Take 1  small step.

12-5 Use the next 15 minutes!

12-6 Expect obstacles and setbacks. Don't let them derail me. Use them as a challenge: how much do I want this?

12-7 When possible, delegate or dump the task.

12-8 Protect my time. Learn how to say "no." Don't take on extra or unnecessary projects.

12-9 Watch out for "urgent" requests in order to respond to what's important. "I don't have to answer the phone while I'm working on an imortant project. I'll listen to the message and call at the end of the hour or when I'm finished."

12-10 Watch my excuses. use my excuses as a signal to spend 15 minutes on my task. Example: "I'm tired, so I'll just spend 15 minutes working on my letter. Then, I'll go home."

12-11 Reward my progress along the way. Focus on effort, not on outcome.

Ex: I've taken some steps and I've worked hard. That feels good. Now I'm going to play tennis or go to the gym.

12-12 Use my procastination as a signal.  Stop and ask myself "What message is my procrastination sending me"

"I'm procrastinating again. What am I feeling? What does this mean? What can I learn?"

12-13  REMEMBER:   

-- I have a choice.

-- I can delay or I can act.

-- I can act even though I'm not comfortable.

-- The past doesn't have to control what I do in the present.

-- I can take pleasure in learning, growing and challenging myself.

-- I do not have to be perfect to be of value

 

13.   Affirmations

I project value through my actions and words.

I trust that everything is exactly as it is meant to be.

Every time I feel that procrastination feeling, I know what I am doing is important.

Every time I feel that old procrastination feeling, I know I'm ready for a breakthrough.

Every time I feel that old procrastination feeling, I use the wisdom of my life experiences to take action.

Life's occasional challenges make me stronger.

I set my mind to things and then I complete them.

Taking action is fulfilling because I'm creating and living the life I want to live.

I visualize all the positive outcomes my actions are bringing me.

I get started. I ask myself where, when and on what can I start? I use the next 15 minutes.

I remember that I may not feel overly enthused to get started but I start anyway.

I focus on what it feels like to finish a task.

I love my life.

I stay put. I will not give in to wanting to "feel good" in the short
term. If I feel fear or anxiety, I will focus on my inner landscape of
curiousity, my drive to succeed, my interests, etc which are much larger
than my fears. "Feeling good now comes at a cost."
 

If I feel that old procrastination feeling, I rememember that at most for me there are only 10 (at most 12) working hours in the day (after sleep, eating, exercise, family obligations) IF I am very efficient.

I know that I sometimes kid myself that I can work 22 of those hours in a day and that's not realistic about time.  

This means I probably only have a true 50 working hours in the week if I don't work weekends (or use weekends to get to the 10 hours/day) and only 2,500 (assuming 2 weeks vacation) hours/year if I work every week.  

If I work 70 hours/week though I will get in 3,500 hours/year assuming 2 weeks vacation. Remember there is a total of 8,760 hours in the year counting all hours.

If I feel that old procrastination feeling, remember I won't feel more like doing it tomorrow either.

13. Use Options & Tools When Stuck:

a. Visualization. Look at my goal list. Visualize the result I want and work backwards. What is the next step I can do? Time to do this with tasks that I tend to procrastinate on.  Visualize the bill being done, going out door either via email or with postage & visualize check coming back. Feel the feeling I enjoy when the billing is done.

b. Do 3 minute No Debate / No Excuses Visualization.  Examples: No Excuses and No Debates - as soon as the clock strikes 6:30 a.m., I will spring up and get into my running clothes and come hell or high water, I will be ready to run by 7 a.m.  ; As soon as the clock strikes 9:00 a.m., I will get in front of the computer and come hell or high water, I will open up the files and pull the documents and start working on bills for the month.

c.  Do the Centering Exercise & Choose to Sit Still and Start

d. Neil Fiore's Exercise: TURN FEAR INTO MOTIVATION. 3 minutes.

NOTICE NEGATIVE FEELINGS AND NOTICE THE FEAR.

PROCESS:  ● GET IN MIND THE TASK I’D LIKE TO START AND COMPLETELY FEEL MYSELF IN THAT SITUATION.
● NOTICE ANY CHANGE IN MUSCLE TENSION FROM HEAD TO TOE. NOTICE BREATHING (SHALLOW, DEEP, RAPID). NOTICE PALMS (SWEATY? SIGN OF FEAR RESPONSE).
● NOTICE MY THOUGHTS (ARE THEY SELF CRITICAL, THREATENING.)
● NOTICE HOW I TRY TO MOTIVATE MYSELF AND SOOTH MYSELF AND SEE IF IT’S EFFECTIVE.
●  REMIND MYSELF TO TAKE 3 SLOW DEEP BREATHS IN 3 PARTS.
● I AM CHOOSING TO FACE THIS TASK.
● I AM CHOOSING TO FACE THIS FEAR.
● I WILL NOT MAKE YOU FEEL BAD.
● I AM CHOOSING TO BE HERE.
● IN FACT, I AM DEMANDING MY RIGHT TO DEMONSTRATE WHAT I, AS A TOTAL PERSON (MIND CONNECTED WITH BODY – LEFT BRAIN WITH RIGHT BRAIN – MIND, BODY SPIRIT) TO SHOW UP AND PERFORM OPTIMALLY. 
● I AM CURIOUS AND INTERESTED IN GOING FROM NOT KNOWING TO KNOWING.
● I AM CHOOSING TO SHOW UP FOR 15 MIN TO 30 MIN.
● I AM CHOOSING TO FACE THE FEAR FROM A PLACE OF CALM, FROM A PLACE OF LEADERSHIP, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A PRODUCER.
● I AM LETTING MY MIND AND BODY KNOW: “IT’S SAFE TO BE HERE.” 
● “THE STRESS RESPONSE IS NOT NEEDED BECAUSE I AM SAFE WITH ME.”
● MY WORTH AS A PERSON IS SAFE REGARDLESS OFWHAT HAPPENS OR WHAT ANYONE ELSE SAYS OR DOES.
● I CAN MAKE MY SENSE OF WORTH SAFE, UNJUDGEABLE.
● I HAVE A PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY NET. REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS -- IT WILL NOT RUIN MY DAY OR EVENING.

● I AM CHOOSING TO START A SPECIFIC TASK AND TO START AT A CERTAIN TIME.

● MY BRAIN WANTS TO KNOW, IS THIS DANGEROUS TO MY SENSE OF WORTH. OR AM I  WILLING TO CHOOSE TO SIT STILL, GET STARTED AT A SPECIFIC TIME?
● ONCE MY MIND AND BODY KNOW I’M IN CHARGE – I CAN CHOOSE TO FACE FEAR, FACE SELF DOUBT AND SHOW UP AND USE MORE OF MY BRAIN CELL POWER TO BECOME A PRODUCER.

● I AM CHOOSING TO GET A FEAR INOCULATION SHOT EVERY TIME I FACE A FEAR OR DISCOMFORT AND I AM MAKING IT A HABIT.
● I AM MAKING IT AUTOMATIC AND I WILL MOVE THROUGH THAT TISSUE OF INERTIA AND MOVE INTO MOMENTUM WITH A MOTIVATION AND PURPOSE.
● I AM CONNECTING TO THE DEEPER INNER GENIUS -- FROM NOT KNOWING TO KNOWING. 

● DEEP BREATHES -- CONFRONT MY FEAR. EXHALING SLOWLY AND COMPLETELY THROUGH THE MOUTH, DEEPLY INTO THE CHAIR AND FLOOR.

● EXHALING MEANS I HAVE CHOSEN TO SIT STILL. 
● EXHALING EVOKES MY PARASYMPATHETIC RELAXATION RESPONSE, IT STOPS THE STRESS RESPONSE AND SAYS “I AM SAFE,” “MY WORTH IS SAFE WITH ME,” “I AM CHOOSING TO SHOW UP,’ “I AM CHOOSING TO BE HERE,” “I WILL NOT LET THIS BE THE END OF THE WORLD.”
● THANK THE STRESS RESPONSE. “THANK YOU, I DON’T NEED IT. I NEED CALM ENERGY TO GET STARTED, TO GET MY FEAR INOCULATION SHOT."
● I KNOW THAT EVERY TIME I FACE FEAR, EVERY TIME I GET MY FEAR INOCULATION SHOT, EVERY TIME I FACE DISCOMFORT -- I BECOME STRONGER AND FEAR NO LONGER CONTROLS ME OR MY BEHAVIOR.
● I AM THE PRODUCER, I AM THE LEADER IN MY LIFE.
● I CAN CHOOSE TO FACE FEAR AND DISCOMFORT.
● I HAVE A PSCYHOLOGICAL SAFETY NET, MY  WORTH IS SAFE.
● I HAVE DEEP INNER RESOURCES THAT ARE JUST 2 OR 3 DEEP BREATHES AWAY.

d. Gratitude Say a gratitude for this experience if I get stuck "I am grateful for exposing myself to this situation where I am experiencing and aware of the anxiety and emotions when I am procrastinating"

Apart from that, here's another one that's different that someone gave me to deal with the anxiety issues:

e.  Expect to Be Wrong. Say to myself when I say I'll do it later or tomorrow: NO. There's a problem with my forecasting. There is a good chance I won't feel like it tomorrow.  My current motivational state does not need to match my intention in order to act. 

f.  Time travel. Imagine as vididly as possible the future as it is in the present.

g.  15-20 min positive recordings - Listen and take a break to center myself.

h. Exercise - move the body - take a 5 minute walk, do pushups and situps for 5 minutes. If I've put in 4 hours or more, perhaps take a 15-45 minute workout break depending. 

 

Jan 15

Billing/Emails/Follow up for Jan 14.  Money mouthMoney mouthMoney mouth

Jan 1, 2, 3,