motivation
would be spent explaining the deci- sion to myself.
The first excuse I offered myself was a dilly: “Since I get more done than a lot of people, I shouldn’t be too hard on myself for not getting everything done. Besides,” I went on, “the long run will do me good, so it’s not like I’m not doing anything or that I’m doing something bad instead of what I intended to do.”
By the end of the next mile, I had
pretty well convinced myself I was an all-right guy, healthy and, after all, only human. I liked this better than thinking I was lazy and self-indulgent, which is how my father would have described my behavior.
Later Never Comes DR. JIM TUNNEY
When you get right down to it, pro- crastination is basically a failure of self-control. That’s the conclusion you have to draw after sorting through 99 percent of the excuses we give for procrastinating. Reciting excuses is a far sight easier than admitting you can’t keep yourself under control. Let me give you an example from personal experience: I was in Chi- cago with some spare time between speaking engagements. It was a cool summer morning, and the air was clear – perfect for a run. I headed out along Lake Shore Drive for three
14 | MAY 2015 SELLING POWER © 2015 SELLING POWER. CALL 1-800-752-7355 FOR REPRINT PERMISSION.
or four miles – or so I thought when I started out. I had planned to turn around at the marina and head back to the hotel, but instead I cornered south and right away felt the adrena- line rush of a bad decision go to my legs. I strode out. The change in direction meant
more than adding distance to the run. I was changing the direction of the morning, as well, canceling the prospect of doing something that had been on my do-it-now list for several days. I knew that much. What I didn’t know was how much time
Since it was close to eleven o’clock (by plan, I guess you’d have to say) when I got back to my room, the only reasonable thing to do was to get cleaned up, pack, and check out. I was barely out of the shower and tow- eled down before I had to admit I was playing a kid’s game of dodge. The fact that other people get less done than I want to get done has nothing to do with my commitment to myself or my own priorities. Sure, a long run did me some good, but accomplishing one thing doesn’t release you from the requirement to meet other responsibilities, as well. Running a few extra miles merely dis- placed another task for the moment. It didn’t replace the need to do it nor erase the fact that, for several days, I had been telling myself I would sit down and get it done. A promise to myself – that’s all it was. I cherish other people’s trusting me to honor my word. Why was I not living up to these standards for myself in the same way?
The self-questioning was relentless. The guilt was talking. After all, I know that the secret of achievement is in the action behind an idea, not in the idea itself.
As the cabbie threaded his old Val-
iant through midday traffic to O’Hare Airport, I continued this self-talk, soft
STUART MILES /
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36