Bumps Ahead

Over the last year, I’ve worked with hundreds of people who want to change something. Habits, attitudes, shape of their body, focus ability, and you name it. Everyone who comes in has a few gifts that another person who came in would have loved. As a matter of fact, there wasn’t a single something that one person came in for that someone else would have wanted. Even procrastination!
Bill is a wonderful friend, and I love him dearly. He had an interesting twist on procrastination. He and I met for coffee at Moonstruck one day and he told me about his perspective. Just so that you know where Bill is coming from, allow me to share a little about him. He is a numbers guy with a heart. Formerly a Vice President of Accounting for a large company (years ago), he now is a Consultant that goes in and helps Nonprofits and Profit companies. In his spare time, he does volunteer work at an amazing place called The Dougy Center. This is a center that helps children who have lost brothers and sisters or parents. Bill is a smart and amazing guy.
Procrastination he said is a “tool.” You might not need it when you want to get something done, but it is sooooo useful when you want to “not do something.”
“That is confusing, Bill. What do you mean?” I asked.
“Take a habit you don’t want to continue. For example, eating sugary items like cake or cookies. Simply use your ‘Procrastinating Tool’ and you’ll be fine. Just keep on saying, ‘ not now… maybe tomorrow’ and after a while you realize you haven’t eaten that for a month!” He smiled.
Realizing he was on to something, we laughed about all the habits we didn’t want that we could procrastinate on. Here are some we came up with:

• smoking
• eating french fries and fatty food
• smoking cigarettes (and everything else)
• drinking alcohol and rotten coconut juice
• being late for important activities like exercising at the gym
• organizing (closet, paperwork, writing-my-book articles, etc.)

This is a small list when you consider everything you could procrastinate. I’d love to hear from you readers what you’d like to procrastinate.
Procrastinating will get you started (odd to think that), but there are still some other problem people have when they want to change.
People frequently are afraid of the problems that they will encounter when they do change. If they stop smoking, how will they ever be able to share a visit with their best friends … the people they hang out with at the local bar? What will they do when they need a break? If they are on a diet, and can’t eat sweets what will happen when it is little Jamie’s birthday and people insist you eat cake? How do we deal with these times? These are bumps in the road.
Maybe you have driven down a road that has speed bumps. Let me ask you this question: When you get to a sign that says bumps ahead do you stop? Do you decide not to drive down the street because you’ll have to go over a few bumps… albeit slowly? Of course not! You can apply that same strategy to the times when you find yourself facing the hang out people and the cake. Go slow… decide what you will do when you get there (i.e. procrastinate) and continue on your journey.
You know there will be some bumps, so just decide a new strategy to use when you get there so you can make it to your destination. You’ll get there.
As Rich and I say to all our clients and students, “Arrive safely to your next destination.”
February and March are great months to map out your journey. If you think you have a great idea, then get it going now.  Come in for a free coaching session with Rich or Cat. Fun. Experiential. Productive. Call us at 503-525-0594 or 503-525-0594