"Do It Now!"

Becoming a "Do it now!" Person

By Jane-Michèle Clark

Chronic procrastinators often ask me if there is any hope of being able to change this destructive habit. The simple answer is, "Yes, you can become a 'do it now' person." Below you will find a few suggestions from a semi-reformed procrastinator (I, too, am working on changing this habit).

The biggest key: Either start taking action immediately (even it's simply to schedule it into your week) before the job gets any bigger in your mind - or cross the item off your list and don't waste any more thought or energy on it.

I find that when I put things off, it's usually because I don't want to do the task, or I don't know where to begin, or don't think I'll be able to do it well, or some variation on this all-too-common theme.

This creates a vicious cycle for most people. Me, included. The more I don't want to do something, the longer I put it off - and the longer I put if off, the more I don't want to do it. And the bigger the task becomes in my head. This usually applies to something that needs to be done and that I think is going to take a long time, or is going to be hard, or won't be very much fun. Cleaning out the garage and forensic accounting seem to hit each of these buttons at the same time! Yet, it can be something as simple as having to return a call (and the longer I put it off the harder it gets because then I wonder how I'll explain my delay). Or hanging a picture. Or really cleaning out my in-box (to the point where the tray bottom can be seen).

I'm not going to pretend that there are steps you can take that will make you suddenly love doing something you currently hate. There are, however, ways of making the task seem less daunting - and of making taking action seem more enjoyable (or, at least, less painful). Here are a few suggestions that have helped me, and hundreds of others:

1) - identify your unconscious beliefs and release them
Your attitudes will help you to identify your false beliefs. Let's say you want more money. What is your impression of wealthy people? Are you happy for them or resentful? If you're resentful, then what signal do you think you're sending out to the universe? You don't want anything to do with those "rich people!" Consequently, the Law of Attraction states that you won't attract wealth into your life.

One way to free yourself of a negative belief is to write it on a piece of paper and burn it while telling yourself it is forever banished from your being. Write a positive affirmation on another piece of paper such as "Good people can have money." You can add other affirmations, such as "I am worthy of prosperity" and "Money flows easily to me." Repeat these affirmations aloud 9 times a day for 21 days. This is the length of time it takes to reprogram your instinctive mind, where these beliefs are stored.

2) - learn to recognize the symptoms of accepting a limiting belief
Recognize that your goal is make sure that you are always sending out the proper vibration so that you attract to yourself the experience you desire. The best barometer of whether you are sending out the proper signals is to MONITOR YOUR EMOTIONS. If you're not feeling good, then you need to change your thoughts, because the emotions that are being felt, indicate your thoughts are sending the wrong message.

Replace your negative thoughts with positive ones. The book by Esther and jerry Hicks, 'Ask and It is Given' identifies and ranks 22 emotions. Understanding that most people can't go from despair to joy in one step, the authors advise you to simply keep moving up the ladder. Eventually, you'll get to feel joy more and more frequently and for longer periods of time. In both cases, you have substituted positive thoughts and feelings for negative ones. You may recognize this involves a degree of self-observation. As was inscribed on the Temple at Delphi, "Know Thyself."