I picked up this book whilst browsing in an airport bookstore recently – thought it looked interesting and might provide some useful pointers to help me tackle my continual procrastination and gain clarity within my life.
The book is divided into five parts
#1. What is stopping you?
Key feeling addressed in this chapter is fear and how it stops us from achieving our goals. The fears which actually stop us are usually mundane, private and we may not even chose to acknowledge the impact which they actually have on our lives… The result of this fear can display itself in many ways from anger to anxiety and frustration. In order to make progress we must address these responses and take responsibility for them.
TO-DO – start a diary.
This will help to identify emotions, patterns and thoughts, physical feelings and actions. I started doing this since completing the book, and bought a lovely small, compact leather notebook in which to start my journal/diary, and the major benefit I have found initially is that writing down everything helps to get things ‘off my chest’ and out of my head. I sleep more soundly…
#2. Goals
‘Act or be acted upon’
Stephen Covey’s Seven habits of highly effective people.
I love these quotes or mantras – they always drive the message home in short, sharp sentence.
‘Without proactivity you are condemned to make no progress in life. And without goals you are prone to becoming the tools of those with goals. Yet strong goal-setting can generate excitement and positivity before you have taken the first step.’
Kelsey also recommends a powerful tool in goal setting is to visualise your goals, imagine what your life will be like/ look like/ feel like when you have reached your goal. Project 10 years ahead to what you wish your life to be like then step back 5 years, where do you need to be? Step back another few years and identify at each step where you need to be at in order to be on track for the ultimate goal. Once you have identified this then work out what you need to do this year, this month, this week and how you can make a start TODAY.
#3. Execution
Develop your strategy, that is how your tactics will meet your objectives. This strategy must take into account your weaknesses and strengths and your tactics are the tiny steps you take each day which will ultimately lead you to your goal. Set yourself up to be as effective as possible whilst executing your strategy, organise yourself, schedule your time correctly. Reassess your progress regularly and deal with interruptions, roadblocks and time-wasting which will all halt your journey.
#4. People
‘No-one can make you feel inferior without your consent’
Eleanor Roosevelt
Reframe your thoughts and traits which undermine your confidence and self –esteem. Think positively of those around you and it will help your own self view. Humans naturally focus on negative. If you received 100 compliments and 1 insult, it is human nature to dwell on the insult, but you can see how insignificant it can be in the wider context. And it depletes our optimism, happiness and motivation to be negative, so make a conscious effort to be more positive today.
#5. Me inc.
The final section of the book addresses how to fulfil dream of becoming an entrepreneur… who is ‘typically’ seen as someone who is naturally optimistic, confident, ambitious, inspirational and who are good-at everything! However there is no such thing as a typical entrepreneur, these traits may match the likes of Richard Branson or Lord Sugar but all an entrepreneur needs is – a strong desire to work for themselves, commitment and organisation. Yes you will be scared, but that fear is a fear of freedom which is much sweeter.
This book will become a reference book for me as I work through the advice Kelsey provides. It makes you think about the actual cause of my procrastination and how to be more effective in working towards goals.
So, whats stopping you??
Catherine, xo
Images (1) Robert Kelsey (2) Flickr – The Crazy Film Girl (3) Stephen Covey (4) Msnbc
