April 2013 Newsletter - Stop Procrastinating

Letter from the Editor

Nature sure is full of surprises. A few days ago I was boasting in a “Just a Thought” about how spring had finally sprung in Montana. The grass was getting green, spring perennials were beginning to poke through the topsoil, my lawn tractor was calling my name, and the birds were singing a bright tune. Today, everything is covered in 6 inches of snow. Hmmm… Snow covered ground isn’t exactly what I was counting on for my upcoming day of fishing with a friend, and frankly, I’m tired of snow!  However, the weather pattern of the last several days is a perfect metaphor and reminder about how quickly life changes.In a blink of an eye (and quite unexpectedly), everything around us can change, but so what? Life is short. Learn to sit back, relax, and embrace what comes your way. Often times, the unexpected, unplanned for circumstances in our lives are filled with golden nuggets of learning, experience, and opportunity that we wouldn’t have had otherwise.So, in the face of a snowy spring, I’m choosing to dance with what Mother Nature has control of, and even enjoying a chuckle or two.  Remember: Phenomenal leaders aren’t defined by normal, easy day-to-day life. Instead, they are defined and become known by who they choose to be in the midst of difficult and unexpected change.I choose unstoppable, energetic, happy, and loving. I choose to embrace all that life has to offer. How about you?Best regards,

Clay S. Nelson

Procrastination: Stop putting off until tomorrow, what you should do today!

Are you a procrastinator, always putting things off until the very last second? Most of us are, at least to some extent. It is part of our nature.Human beings have the very unique talent of being able to procrastinate. We put things off, things we know we should be doing, to first handle those things that are squeaking the loudest or seem the most fun; making it really easy to avoid those quiet and sometimes dreaded tasks that await our attention elsewhere! We procrastinate from a place of: “I don’t know if I can do that”; “I don’t want to do that”; “I don’t like doing that”; or “I’ll get to it”. And because procrastination is a part of who we are as human beings, we have to put systems in place that manage our unique ability to put things off.The system you use doesn’t have to be complicated either. Simply:

1. Make a list with priorities and dates by-when for the tasks that need to be completed.
2. When there is an item on your list that doesn’t ever seem to get done (it has been rescheduled 2-3 times), evaluate why that is.
   1. Are you the right person to be doing this task? Is there someone that the task should be delegated too?
   2. If you find that there is nobody else that can do the task but you, and it still isn’t getting done, what accountabilities do you need to put in place so that it does get done?
3. Ask for help. Ask a co-worker, a friend, your children, your spouse, to hold you accountable. Tell them what needs to be done and by-when (heck, even give them your whole list), and ask them to hold you accountable for doing it. Ask them to check in with you half-way between the time of the request and the due date, making sure the job is halfway done, that you are moving forward, and that you still agree to be your word to get the job done by the established by-when… And the job will get done!

We all need accountability and putting a system of accountabilities into place is very easily done! So, give up your procrastinating ways and consider how much more mental freedom you will have when you stop putting off until tomorrow what you can do today!

Choosing Who You’ll “Be” in the Face of Disappointment

When I hear somebody sigh, "Life is hard," I am always tempted to ask, "Compared to what?”

~ Sydney Harris

Disappointment is a reality of life. It always has been, and whether we’re talking about a lost job, a child being disappointed because Mom or Dad didn’t make it to the school play, or being disappointed because your team didn’t win the big game, the feelings are all the same. And, we human beings react to disappointment in every imaginable way, but very few of them are productive!First, we have the “pity-partiers”. We all know one. Heck, we’ve all thrown a few pity-parties, and it even feels good for a minute or two. However, when we allow ourselves to languish to long in our own pity, we fall victim to a “life is hard” mentality, and we get so involved in the party that we risk losing out on new opportunities, time with a loved one, or the opportunity to simply learn something new!Second, we have the “life is hard” thinkers on steroids. This goes far beyond the typical pity party. Here we languish in self-doubt, worry, disappointment, fear, and any one of the number of feelings that can come up. It is here that the feeling of despair and a feeling of, “I’m going to feel this way forever” can begin to take over, and even the smallest disappointment becomes the catalyst or reason for stopping cold, burying our heads in the sand, and being right about how hard our life is!Next, we have the “finger-pointers.” They make other people wrong – Getting mad… grumbling… complaining (but not to anyone who can make a difference in the circumstance)… and even giving the perceived offender a “piece of their mind!” This is where molehills get turned into mountains and we get madder (or more disappointed) than the circumstance deserves.Fourth, are the “pretenders.” Pretenders act as though nothing is wrong, as if the disappointment they have hasn’t affected them. The problem with this is that the longer one pretends something didn’t happen, the more likely it is to eat at you and eventually you blow up and the person you are so disappointed in is wondering, “Where did that come from!” For example: Did one of your parents ever miss a ball game or event at school and you were very disappointed, but instead of verbalizing that disappointment to your parent you just pretended that it didn’t bother you? Burying feelings will cause you to react in unexpected ways down the road, sometimes even decades later.Finally, we have the “unstoppables.” The “unstoppables” put their disappointments behind them and choose to move on in the face of whatever comes their way! You see, who we choose to be in the face of our circumstances is just as important as the circumstance itself, because when we deal with our disappointments from a positive, unstoppable mind-set, we can do anything!So, do you want to know how to put disappointment behind you and move on powerfully?

1. Acknowledge your disappointment. You can’t deal with your emotions/feelings if you bury them. Remember: when you bury the feelings associated with a disappointment, they are just that… buried. Eventually your feelings will find their way to the surface and those molehills will become mountains!
2. Put your disappointment in perspective. A good litmus test is: If someone isn’t bleeding or dying and there is something I can do to make a difference in a disappointing situation (be it for myself or another) then it really can’t be that bad. It may be a disappointment – it may be a set-back – but it is NOT the end of the world!
3. Make a conscience choice to move forward. Choose to be unstoppable. Choose to have what you say you want. Choose to make a difference. Choose to be positive in a negative world. Choose to put one foot in front of the other no matter what gets in your way!

Life is about what we do with the stuff that gets thrown at us, not about the “stuff.” Life is a journey. Why not simply enjoy the trip?