Don't Batten Down the Hatches In A Recession

[Kerul Kassel]

I just got back from a fabulous cruise (long story, but we didn't have to pay for it) where my husband and I had a dolphin encounter and parasailing experiences, both of which we'd never done before and we absolutely loved.

During the cruise I had a lesson in flexibility, an opportunity for growth. Such lessons can sometimes be painful, but they lead to great insights, easier relationships with others, and less friction in life in general.

For many people (though not all) it's a down economy. Dozens of my neighbors have walked away from their homes and mortgages, friends have lost their jobs. It's a challenging time, for sure. It's easy to fall into a sort of batten-down-the-hatches-and-hold-tight mentality, to avoid any additional pain, but that would be a mistake.

A slow economy is an excellent time to put effort into upgrading your personal leadership and self-management skills (and it doesn't have to be painful! People who read my procrastination books feel better about themselves after reading them, AND they change their habits for the better!).

Those who invest time and effort in self-development, whether personally or professionally, not only have an edge financially, they're also more likely to find better options and opportunities than the rest of us, so they experience more fun, more joy, more ease. (See some more ideas below, in the tip/exercise section.)

As for me, I've been getting development books from the library or buying them used (you may even be able to get a copy of one of my procrastination books used on Amazon or eBay). Rather than spending money on networking dinners, I'm stepping into more leadership positions in my community I'm running for the "town council", am now the treasurer of my town's developing community garden, and am attending the Citizen's Academy, an 8 week educational experience given by the county Sheriff's Office And, finally, while I've made really good progress, I'm continuing to work on increasing my flexibility and compassionate responses in all interactions. As my husband will tell you, I'm not always successful, but I can't let that stop me from trying!

PROCRASTIVITY TIP / EXERCISE
Don't batten down the hatches. A recession is a great opportunity in many ways. People are often less busy. Rather than take solace in endless hours of less valuable activities, like web surfing, television, reading trashy (though fun!) magazines or books, reduce some of that by 30-60 minutes a day.

It's the rare person who doesn't want to develop themselves in a variety of ways. Below are some methods for opening the door to improvement, including the most important one (mentioned last):

*Take a walk. The benefits are huge. Enhancing health, fitness, and outlook, and spending quality time with a family member or friend/neighbor if you walk together are just the icing on this cake.

*Listen to a CD or tape or read books or watch videos. There are loads available from libraries, or used on eBay and Amazon, with subjects from time management to getting organized, increasing fitness, raising motivation levels, improving reading or communication skills, and so much more. Listen on the way to and from work, or during your walk, or before bed for 10-15 minutes.

*Attend community classes and events like continuing education classes, town fitness classes, and self-improvement classes offered at houses of worship. If you can't find anything you like, start your own class or group! You don't need to be an expert, just interested, with 2 or 3 other people who are interested in the same thing.

*Remove the words "Yeah, but..." from your vocabulary for the next month and see what happens. Instead of looking for reasons why you can't ____ or why ____ won't work, look for ways they *can* work.

Devote 1 to 4 or more hours a week to your own growth and improvement. After all, if you don't invest in yourself, who will? Try one or two of these ideas, and email me about your experience!

Are You Tired Of Failing To Take Action On Your Important Goals, and Then Beating Yourself Up For It?
There IS another way!
The Procrastination Solutions Kit is a comprehensive package that includes an e-book, a recording, worksheets, and more.
How much time have you lost as a result of procrastination? Never mind all your life... how about this week? Did the guilt of putting something off until the last minute stop you from doing something you really wanted to do? Spend more time with your family? Go out and have some fun? Procrastination can be debilitating and it's murder on your self esteem. And what is that worth to you?

Clients regularly pay me hundreds of dollars a month to have access to my techniques for being productive and procrastination-free. But this entire package is available for just $49 US. I could tell you it's "less than dinner and a movie for you and a companion " .

But never mind about that. Let's compare it to something much closer to your heart... how about all the time you've wasted feeling like a procrastinator, all the opportunities you feel you've lost by putting things off. How much is your time worth? I'll tell you this - it's worth a lot more than $49.
www.StopProcrastinatingNow.com

Wishing you optimal procrastivity,Kerul
Kerul Kassel, Author of Productive Procrastination - Make It Work For You, Not Against You and the award-winning Stop Procrastinating Now - Five Radical Procrastination Strategies To Set You Free, both available at www.Procrastivity.com