Procrastination

Procrastination can lead to many problems — tests failed, weight gained, relationships weakened.But you can change your ways.

Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday. ~Don Marquis

Here are some tips and steps to get you going!

Steps

1. Look at the effects of procrastination versus not procrastinating. What rewards lie ahead if you get it done? What are the effects if you continue to put it off? Which situation has better effects? Chances are, you will benefit more in the long term from facing the task head on.

* Count how much time you spend on activities procrastinating. You may be shocked by the amount of time wasted simply watching TV.

2. Set reasonable goals. Plan your goals carefully, allowing enough time to complete them.

3. Break the task down into smaller parts. How can you approach it step by step? If you can concentrate on achieving one goal at a time, the task may become less of a burden.

4. Get started whether you “feel” like it or not. Going from doing nothing to doing something is often the hardest part of overcoming procrastination. Once you start, it will be easier to continue.

5. Ask for help. You don’t always have to do it alone.

6. Don’t expect perfection. No one is perfect. It’s better to try your best than to do nothing at all.

7. Reward yourself. The reward that lies at the end of a long road to a goal may be great, but while you’re on the way, it may not always be enough to motivate you. Remind yourself-with a break, a movie, some kind of treat you like-that you are making successful progress.

8. Don’t let yourself be distracted - by taking control and saying “no” to picking up the guitar, playing a DVD or texting your friends, you build confidence in your ability.

9. Other time traps to avoid: saying yes when you don’t have the time, studying when you’re tired or in a distracting location, not thinking ahead, not curbing your social time, and finally, taking on too many tasks and projects.


Tips

(a) You may want to take a course in time management.

(b) Several books have been written on procrastination. Here are the titles: “Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It” by Jane B. Burka, Lenora M., Ph.D. Yuen, “The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play” by Neil Fiore and for students, “Beat Procrastination and Make the Grade : A Life-Saving Guide for Students” by Linda Sapadin, Jack Maguire. These are highly recommended.

(c) Of course, not everyone enjoys reading - a very good audio CD/cassette is, “Make Your Mind Work for You : New Mind Power Techniques to Improve Memory, Beat Procrastination and More” by Joan Minninger.

(d) If you hate to read and begin to procrastinate think of it this way. If you have to read a 276 page book divide it into the amount of time you have. If you have about 2 weeks, reading about 21 pages a day is much less overwhelming.

(e) Just start working

Can't Sleep? Try YOGA!! :D

If you have trouble nodding off, stress may be to blame. YOGA can lower stress hormones, and help you sleep, says Sat Bir Khalsa, an instructor at Harvard Medical School. In a study, Khalsa taught 20 insomniacs a 30- to 45- minute yoga routine that included breathing, meditation ans simple seated poses. Those who followed the routine nightly for eight weeks said they dozed off 30 per cent faster than before, on average, and spent about 35 er cent less time reawakening after falling asleep.



Here's how you too, can get a better snooze:

Study up. Enroll in a yoga class or try a DVD to learn easy postures.

Find the time. To get the most benefit, practise every night, even if it's just for a few minutes. Find a quiet spot where you won;t be interrupted.

Be patient. Stress hormones take time to decrease. Expecting change overnight is unreasonable, says Khalsa; a month or two is more realistic.


goodluck!

Goal, Set, Match.

Goal-setting advice collated from reputable website

1. Be specific. What do you want to achieve? "I want to do more exercise" is vague. "I want to do 30minutes of walking a day" is precise - and measurable.

2. Go on the record. Writing down your goals helps imprint them on your brain and shows your commitment to them. Place your list where you can see it as a daily reminder.

3. Start easy. If your aim 30 minutes walking a day, beginning with ten minutes each morning is a realistic and achievable small win. Building the habit every day over two weeks will boost your confidence and momentum.

4. Divide and conquer. Arrange your list into short- and long-term goals, then break them down into stops. Set a completion date for each step.

5. Tell someone. Sharing your goals with your family or a "goal friend" will help keep you accountable and will ensure you don't lapse.

6. Reward yourself. Acknowledge your achievement of each step or the goal itself with a special treat.

Are You Tired of Chasing Love?

The secret to finding true romance is not trying so hard

INTERNET DATING, singles clubs and personal ads are booming. However, seeking love can set us up for disappointment. More rewarding is to focus on self-improvement, abandoning the chase and getting to a place where you attract love into your life. Here's how to start:

Live in the present. - Let go of the thought that everything would be better if only you had someone to share it with. And when meet someone don't get fixated on possible out-comes.

Be truly selfish. - Know what you want in a partner and say so. This empowers you and your prospective partners.

Be self-sufficient. - Its not an admission of weakness to have needs and desires - we all have them and deserve to satisfy them. Meet them yourself in positive ways so you won't set yourself up to "use" or scare off would be partners

Know Yourself: How Happy Are You?

Find Out with this test devised by Dr Raj Persaud, consultant psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital, London. Consider the following statements:

1. My ability to concentrate is so good i can forget how time has flown
[ Agree: A; Disagree: B ]

2. There are many things about me that if others knew would make them like me less [ Agree: B; Disagree A ]

3. If people don't like me its usually because of their own problems
[ Agree: A; Disagree: B ]

4. There are secrets about my past that i keep to myself and would not share [ Agree: B; Disagree: A ]

5. If I had my time over I'd do practically everything i did again the same way [ Agree: A; Disagree: B ]

6. There are many ways I could improve as a person [ Agree: B; Disagree: A ]

7. My parents think they're lucky to had me [ Agree: A; Disagree: B ]

8. My life was better in the past then it is now [ Agree: B; Disagree: A ]

9. I was born with a combination of talents few others have [ Agree: A; Disagree: B ]

10. I get upset more with myself than others [ Agree: B; Disagree: A ]



Analysis

8 or more As: You are scoring very high for happiness. However, one problem with being so happy is that is may lead to complacency. You are less interested in changing yourself , or improving certain aspects of your character, than most people.

6-7 As: You're just above average for happiness, either because you're basking in the glow of some recent positive life event or because you have a long-term tendency to feel good. Your happiness dips when you become self-critical - at these times you need to be kinder to yourself if you want to improve your happiness.

3-5 As: Your average score means you tend to dwell on times you have invoked the disapproval of others. You need to realise these negative messages may say more about those saying them than about you. Greater happiness will come from not depending on others' approval for you self-worth.

0-2 As: You're scoring low on happiness, which basically means you're confusing the pursuit of short-term happiness (through comfort eating, alcohol or other self-destructive habits) with what would bring you lasting happiness - the pursuit of a meaningful long-term goal. You need to stop putting off working towards an achievement that would make you genuinely happy.

love chasus

chasus for life.. dunhill marlboro..