Striving towards Excellence

Do we resort to action? Are we activated? Ability is what we are capable of doing. What is responsibility? It is the summoning of capability to respond to a situation - good, bad, stressful, irritating, fair, unfair or whatever may be the type of situation – do we have the capability to respond? Likewise, what is dependability? Again, it is the quality ingrained as to what extent we are dependable. Whilst ability is what we can do, it is motivation that determines what we actually do. It is attitude that determines how well we do it. The key to success is action. Are we acting in the sense that are we taking actions commensurate with the situation? Or are we ‘acting’ the action? Are we acting without faith, hope and commitment in which case it is no action at all. Or are we postponing action? Are we procrastinators? Procrastination is the deadly enemy of success.

You need to promise to yourself to stop putting things off. You must make it your goal, commit yourself, study all about it and choose to stop procrastinating.

Well, then. Let's get started!
If you are sick and tired of putting things off...
If you seem to stop every time you start...
If you sabotage your efforts and hate yourself for being lazy...

You need to do something about it. And that something is stop procrastination..

Your life doesn't have to be a long history of unfinished projects, piles of paper, messy rooms and self sabotage.

Look at the alphabet A. There are 26 letters from A to Z. Have you ever pondered as to why A is the first letter, why not B, C or H? It is because A denotes action. Where there is no action, there is nothing. Action should be in the forefront of our plans. When you are discouraged or disinclined to do something, think of A. It is certain your mood will change and you will find yourself already launched on action front. Anthony Robbins has this to say:
"The one thing that separates winners from losers is, winners take action".

When there is action, there is no fear.

Swami Sukhabodhananda, the occult scientist and the Vivekananda of this millennium, says when the mind focuses on action, there is no place for fear. Fear cripples activities; fear creates diffidence.

He gives the instance of four people sailing in a boat that suddenly got into a stormy weather. The boat capsized. One of them could not swim. What did they do? Everyone was involved in action - action in terms of surviving the ordeal. The chap who couldn’t swim was asked to hold on to the capsized boat while others focused on moving towards the shore. Miracle it was, they all lived to see the day. When someone asked them whether they were in the grip of fear, came the reply:

"We were so focused on what needed to be done and we were doing all that was required and where was the scope for fear? When our mind was full of thoughts on action, where was the space for fear to get in?" Action dispels fear. Let’s be action-oriented.

The triumvirate, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Les Hewitt in their book ‘The Power of Focus’ point out to a deadly factor that causes disasters. Just as slow poison depilates and ensures decay, so is the practice of procrastination. Remove procrastination from your life, success is all yours, all the time. They beautifully explain the hidden demon in the word PROCRASTINATION. Take a look at the word again - PRO CRAST IN ATE - make a word out of letters in colours – castrate.

"What a cunning word! It disguises the real word castrate, which also means to impoverish or render ineffective. From now on, when you get into a state where you tend to postpone action or a sense of laziness takes you over, just bring this demon – castrate – before your minds eyes. You will see that you are pushed into action. When there is action, there is result. So what if something goes wrong? One can learn from errors. Is it not said of Thomas Edison that he learnt how not to make a bulb 1,000 times when he was asked about his failure before he could make the bulb.

And now subject yourself to this test? From very simple day-to-day happenings to some thing more complex!

Your child is not doing well in the school. You have been wanting to meet the Teacher and find out what needs to be done. For some reason, you have been postponing the meeting. Now think of ‘castrate’ – sure, you will ask for an appointment with the teacher immediately.

You have a comfortable job; the company takes care of all your needs. The company has provided you with a three–bedroom apartment in a posh locality of the city. You have always been wanting to build your own home, but some how you have been pushing things to a later date. Why? Because you are comfortable now? What happens after you cease to be employee of the company? "Let’s see. Let me cross the bridge when I reach it. Now think of this word ‘castrate’ – sure, you will rush to HDFC or any other bank for finding finance for your own home.

‘One of these days is none of these days. Today is the day’ – this cryptic message will come out loud and clear if you deliberate on the word ‘castrate’ and you will never get into procrastination mode.

"Someday, when I grow up, finish school and get a job, I will start living my life the way I want….

Someday after the mortgage is paid off, the finances are on track and the kids are grown up, I will drive that new car and take exciting trips abroad….

Someday, now that I’m about to retire, I’ll buy that beautiful farmhouse and travel across this great country, and see all there is to see….

Someday…."

ED Foreman beautifully brings out the mind of a man steeped in procrastination who always believes that he would do something some day but where is that some day? Get into action mode and convert that someday into today.

"If only I’d done things I really wanted to do, my life would have been so different" - a man bemoaning missed opportunities.

"If only I had invested 10 per cent of my monthly income?"

"If only I had brought the shares of Microsoft in the ‘80s at that price?"

"If only I had purchased that land in the ‘80s?"

"If only I had ventured and started my own business."

Do we not hear these statements of woe, grief, disappointment and despair? These are all statements of procrastinators. Beware of the fatal trap - the "someday syndrome".

I received this article as an email forward and this article was originally written by Hariharaputhran