by Sharon | Nov 29, 2015
Have You Noticed That You’re Always Catching Up On Tasks?
I am.
I promised my brother I’d print out some pictures for him . . . that was months ago . . .
I finally decided to get to it. Once I got started it wasn’t that big of a deal. Maybe you’ve found the same to be true for you.
It’s embarrassing how I put things off. I know it is a bit early for New Year’s Resolutions, but this procrastination is one thing I need to stop . . . or at least get a handle on it.
I used to be much more organized and task oriented. I’m not sure what happened. Maybe getting involved in too many things.
It’s difficult to go back and discover when it all started, but it may be a sense of overwhelm I was experiencing or maybe starting something new that took up most of my time.
I’m not looking for excuses, but an explanation. What I know for sure is that procrastination hasn’t worked out for me. I’ve let others down and myself as well.
I don’t remember what was so important. That’s the truth of the matter. Sure I was taking a writing course, but that shouldn’t stop me from doing other tasks.
Yes, I was building websites . . . there was room to do other things right along with it.
I have no explanation and no excuse for procrastinating on important tasks. Have you found the same to be true for you?
Sorry For Making It Personal
I’m frustrated with myself for procrastinating.
It’s also embarrassing to be called on not following through. Even with the best of intentions, I don’t like letting others down.
It’s not right, in my way of thinking, to essentially tell someone that what I’m doing is much more important than what you asked me to do. It’s not how I felt at the time, but my lack of follow through showed that or conveyed that thought.
I’ve found that when I truly want to change my behavior, I make up my mind to do it.
At this point I’m tired of catching up. I want to be more organized and maybe get on a schedule . . . maybe that’s going a bit too far . . . but I may have to do just that to achieve the change I’m seeking.
Life Demands Multi-Tasking
I don’t know if the days, weeks and months seem to go by quickly for you, but they sure do for me.
It’s always “I’ll get to that tomorrow” mindset that has me catching up all the time.
I have found some priorities, though. It has to do with bill paying and answering letters, but when it comes to other tasks, I’ve found I’ve messed up.
Having a schedule may be important to get started. I want to eliminate procrastination from my behavior habit.
I’m all right with a flexible schedule. Maybe one that has the tasks written down for the whole month and then checking them off as they’re done. And maybe numbering them to get the most important ones accomplished first . . . but also squeezing in other tasks along with them. It may make my time more productive.
My websites are a priority. I love blogging, but find I’m not as dedicated as before. It may be due to having more websites than I can handle or losing interest in some and this frustration has resulted in allowing my favorite ones to suffer as well.
I know I’ve been struggling with a couple of websites that have gotten me down. This has been weighing on my mind for quite a long time. I think it may be time for me re-evaluate them and let them go to give me time to devote my time to those websites I enjoy.
Yes, there is a time to let go when you find things aren’t allowing you to progress.
Have You Noticed How Your Priorities Change Over Time?
I’m sure this is only natural.
We’re always learning something new. This could be conscious or subconscious or even unconscious. We’re picking things up from all forms of media as well as snipits of conversations we hear when we’re out and about.
Something clicks within our minds without us being aware of it at times. And I believe it gets us thinking about it on some conscious level to make sense about it and how it applies to us.
Not to sound selfish, but honestly it is about you and about me. We’re always wondering how something is going to affect me. It’s natural, not selfish.
It’s a basic part of human nature. We hear about a drought and wonder how it affects us personally. We want to know what we can do to help the situation rather than make it worse.
We do want to play an active role in many issues, mainly so it won’t impact our lives or lifestyle unfavorably. I like being comfortable and not worrying about things.
I want to improve my life and my skills. I want to continue learning, but not at the expense of other things that are equally important.
There are only so many hours in the day. I know I need to be as productive as possible. And also to give myself some time to relax and recharge.
My priorities have changed to some degree. And in order to be true to myself, I need to address those issues that are draining me and putting me into a procrastination mode.
For me it’s some websites that are draining rather than fulfilling. Yet, it’s difficult to let go . . . that’s my struggle right now. But wouldn’t it be wonderful to let go of that struggle and other struggles that are dragging me down?
It’s almost a no-brainer . . . so why is it so difficult?
When I figure that out, I may have something important to share that will be helpful to others.
If you have any suggestions be sure to let me know. I’m eager to learn something new and beneficial that makes my life easier and easier for others as well.
Thanks for stopping by,
Sharon
by Sharon | Nov 16, 2015
What Do You Do When Things Aren’t Coming Together?
We’ve all been knocked down from time to time.
It doesn’t make it right or pleasant, but it is an opportunity to regroup and take a closer look.
I’m no Pollyanna, but I choose to look on the bright side of every situation . . . not that everything has a silver lining. Some stuff just stinks! But we can move on from devastating situations.
There is that expectation to move on. Not that it’s easy . . . and don’t believe it when people say “it will get easier.” Each loss, each disappointment isn’t easy to accept . . . even if you’ve experienced it before. You grieve, you lick your wounds . . . and you move on . . . through your grief and disappointment.
Life Offers Opportunities And Challenges
Nothing comes together effortlessly.
Some opportunities turn your priorities on its ear. Re-evaluation of those priorities seems to be a constant in my life. I think I have things in order to find new information that sets me back.
You may have experienced the same.
It seems with every opportunity there’s a challenge or two. Some may be spelled out. Others entirely elusive.
Or you believe you’re on the right track only to find it leads to a dead end.
The majority of the time, you can make your life work giving you happiness and success in all aspects. It does seem we do get tangled up in the web of missed opportunities and struggling with the challenges before us.
It has been said and proven that what we think about most often comes to pass in our lives. If we’re constantly worrying, we bring upon us more to worry about. That’s why a positive viewpoint is essential.
I’m Not A Firm Believer In Affirmations Unless I Make Them Up Myself
I’ve read some great affirmations over the years that sound wonderful and are easy to memorize.
These work for the person who wrote them. They are their affirmations. Use them as a model to create your own.
Here are some examples:
- I Live a Positive Life and Only Attract the Best to Me.
- I Am Peacefully Allowing My Life To Unfold With Love, Success and Abundance.
- I Am Making Positive Choices in My Life.
- I Am Successful.
- I Am Loved.
- I’m a Magnet for Success and Good Fortune.
- I Am Breaking Through Old Habits of Behavior and Moving Forward With My Life.
You know what you want out of life and you know what positive thoughts you should be saying to yourself on a daily basis. It’s nice to begin your day with a positive affirmation and several times throughout the day as well as close your day with it, too.
I remember an exercise from a self-help book I read that advised throughout the day to say, “I can buy that!” It could be a house, a car, something in a shop window, etc.
It didn’t work for me. The reason being I’d add “but I don’t want it.” I was giving the Universe the message that I didn’t desire material goods . . . including money to buy expensive items.
An affirmation only works when you believe what you’re saying.
I know people say to “fake it until you make it.” I’m not a firm believer in that. I believe what you say and repeat must be heartfelt. It must apply to you.
It must resonate within you.
Change Your Thoughts And Actions To Change Your Life
There are phases in your life when you notice that you’re attracting the wrong stuff to you.
I was attracting the wrong people and the wrong opportunities. I knew I had to change this. The mind is a powerful instrument. Make up your mind to change . . . and change will come.
You need to guard your thoughts and your actions must match your thoughts. Not an easy task, but do-able.
It also helps to visualize yourself doing or being what it is you want. See yourself in that car or outfit, with a special person or in a particular job.
Only attract those things to you that don’t belong to others. I would never want a job held by another person or the spouse of someone. I don’t want what belongs to others.
Have you noticed that the life of another person isn’t as wonderful as you might think. People always put their best spin on their situation — hiding what they don’t want others to see or afraid others will discover.
It’s not my intention to lie about my life nor is it my intention to reveal everything. I know many politicians say they’ll be “transparent.” This isn’t true and they knew it wasn’t true when they said it.
Quite honestly could you go around being completely transparent? Would you want everyone to know your thoughts, dreams and aspirations?
Of course not. Once you’re in a committed loving relationship you can reveal what is necessary, but I don’t think you’d want to know every single detail about another person’s life . . . maybe if there’s something dangerous or illegal. It’s something you need to decide.
Live Your Life With Purpose
It’s nice to know where your’re going.
It’s great to have goals and priorities. A plan is wonderful, if it can also be flexible.
There is always something new we learn about what we’re doing.
I had a major revelation about affiliate marketing that completely knocked me for a loop. I was devastated for days. I was even unable to work on my blogs.
I had some major decisions to make. I had to make adjustments in my thinking and to gain more information for me to create something positive and productive.
I had to take a long hard look at my priorities and how they stacked up against this new information.
I’ve made some changes and I’m still working on others. It is a process I’m going through. Sure, I could throw it all away and start over, but I don’t know if down the road I could find a way to salvage and improve what I have.
I know I need to let go of some things. That’s difficult for me, but it has been weighing on my mind for quite some time. When I’m ready, I will.
That’s important for you, too. Don’t go off making changes without giving it considerable thought and making adjustments along the way. This is a journey. You want to end up where you want to be . . . and if it isn’t what you thought it could be, you need to make the necessary changes. It is definitely a process with no easy answers.
I wish you all the best,
Sharon
by Sharon | Nov 9, 2015
That’s Harsh!
Yes, but there are times when you discover that many may have moved on without you.
I remember how I lost interest in school when my best friend moved away. Sure, I had other friends, but with my best friend gone . . . I felt lost.
This demonstrates that at that time in my life I was a follower, not a leader. Without my leader, I didn’t want to go on and things didn’t really seem to matter.
Of course, I was down in the dumps when I walked home from school. My mother was fully aware of my best friend moving away and she wondered how it was going to affect me.
It did. Quite profoundly. But it didn’t have to and my mother didn’t want it to linger.
Getting Over It
It didn’t happen magically after baking cookies with my mother.
She would have loved that, but it did continue for a few weeks. We were asked to bring a wire close hanger from home. The teacher also said if we didn’t have one, she would have extras. So, I didn’t bother to bring a close hanger. I don’t remember the project . . . in fact I don’t remember much of those first weeks to a month of that school year.
I just know I did my school work, but nothing extra.
I don’t know what woke me up, but I was in my fog of sadness over not having my best friend with me. I looked around the classroom and noticed everyone was busy and having fun. I had a blank piece of paper in front of me. I looked to see what others were doing.
Oh my goodness! They were writing and drawing pictures about their first day of school — their first day of school at that particular school.
That was when I met my best friend. So I got to work on that. I did remember everything about it. And I ended my story with her moving away and how awful I felt. I even drew a picture of a dark cloud over me.
The teacher collected our assignment and we went out for recess. Some of my friends were talking about the assignment. They spoke about how they, too, had met their best friend and how the next year they weren’t in the same classroom and each of them made other friends.
Things did work out for them. And they would work out for me, too.
A Lesson About Moving On
The teacher didn’t seem surprised by the theme many stories and pictures took.
She was prepared with a story of her own. Yet, hers had a very different twist.
She remembered how she was the new girl at the school. None of her neighbors were in her class. She had friends outside of school, but not in school. Everyone had their own friends and there didn’t seem to be room for her to join in their games.
So she made the most of it by playing on the playground equipment by herself, eating lunch alone and walking home from school alone.
Well, one day several kids were out sick with a cold or flu which left many kids alone without their friends.
That’s when she was invited to play with other kids. They were so afraid of wandering along alone, they reached out to her . . . forgetting how they treated her previously.
She decided not to remind them of their rudeness and played with them knowing when their friends returned to school in a day or two she’d be out in the cold again.
But it didn’t happen that way. Some joined in accepting her in the group and some formed other groups. It was all part of how kids change from moment to moment.
There’s nothing wrong with feeling down in the dumps, but there is always a way of making friends and making the best of every situation. Yes, it is sad to be alone, but it’s what you do with yourself that makes the difference.
Many people feel like this and there are plenty of movies about it . . . in all phases of life.
Growing From Our Experiences
The only thing we can be sure of is nothing stays the same.
There is always change. Some good and some unpleasant. But we cope. We make the best of each and every situation. No matter how long it takes.
We learn to not let things bother us.
I found how I was missing something valuable by being down in the dumps. I almost missed that assignment. I was too busy not paying attention. The thing is, my former best friend was having a great time in her new school . . . making the best of her move. She may or may not have thought about me. It really didn’t matter because I didn’t know. Any more than she knew I was down in the dumps missing out on meeting new people and forming new friendships.
No matter what’s going on with you, you can overcome it and move on with your life. It does take some effort to look for the good and to put your best foot forward.
Just flow within the now . . . that’s basically all we have.
I remember a scene from an episode of All In The Family where Edith spoke about a snap shot of how all the action stopped in that picture. One minute they’re going on with life, pause for the picture, then continue on. It’s like that in real life. We’re constantly moving on.
If we’re not physically moving, our thoughts are. It’s seeing the next thing or doing something or making something or talking with someone. We’re constantly bombarded with thoughts. Some we act upon and others we ignore.
We may miss out on opportunities . . . or we avoided something unpleasant. But we have our set of priorities and we pretty much stick to them . . . until we realize we need to change them . . . open up a bit to new opportunities . . .
Life is ever changing . . . we can stay stuck or be happy where we are and ride it out through the end . . . or take a chance on doing something new and different . . . we may fail or succeed . . . and learn something in the process.
Every day if you’re aware of it or not are given options . . . most of the time we’re busy with what we’re doing to notice or we notice everything and are confused about weeding everything out . . . Life is a process . . .
Once again I don’t have answers for you . . . you’re the only one who knows what’s best for you.
I may know what’s best for me now . . . but I do try to keep my options open.
I wish you all the best in your daily experiences,
Sharon
