Procrastination

"Never do today that which you can put off till tomorrow".

I have a T shirt with this print and I believe this says it all about procrastination. What happen when tomorrow comes? Nothing will happen because we will put off again things we have to do till tomorrow. This frightening thought can manifest into a habit, and worse still, embedded as a mindset.

What if tomorrow never comes?

Never put off till tomorrow that which we can do today.
Benjamin Franklin

Things on their own will not get better. If life is getting better, it is because we have taken action to improve upon them.

There is a cause and a effect, that is, things we do today will have a consequence tomorrow. Likewise, things I do not do today, will have a consequence in the future.

We tend to lose momentum in the things we do once in a while, in fact, often. There could be many reasons for the distraction, be it internal or external. It becomes important to nail down what causes this distraction .

Why do we procrastinate?
1) Talkers but not doers
2) Fear of trying new things and the consequences
3) Boredom. Not having the mood to start.



How Not To Procrastinate:
1) 5 mins push off. Many a time, we wait for the right mood to come to get us started. Often then not, the mood does not seem to appeared.
Therefore, do not wait. Push yourself even if you do not feel like doing it especially the first 5 minutes. Once you get into the act, the momentum will tend to pick up.
2) Do it in group. Get a friend to work at it together
3) Get out of the house. Go to a library where the environment support and motivate us to work.
4) For me, when I am down, I like to pick myself up by reading a motivational book or watch a motivational video. Check out the videos at youtube by Dr Randy Pausch
5) Reward yourself. Give yourself a reward when you finally get things going
6) Timetable. Set a designated time to get things done. The idea is to inculcate the good habit and form a structure where we can follow.

What motivates us?

In this 21st century, we are often bustling here and there. Getting up early in the morning off to work and late into the wee hours. But do we ask ourselves, why are we doing this and what motivates me to carry on?

Everyone of us is motivated by different factors, and it is important to identify what motivates us because these motivational factor will determine our outlook in life. If we do not understand our own motivational factor, we would lost focus in time of discouragement. This factor are 'the force' that keep us going.

Our motivational factors will changes over time. When I was younger, the driving force would be better pay and promotion. Now, my motivational factor have somewhat change. My family becomes 'the force'. When the going gets tough, I learned to focus on 'this force' which is my pillar and strength for me to fall back .

The extrinsic motivational factor is important, we all look forward to a better pay, better working environment. But what happens when there are no extrinsic motivational factor? I am learning to realize that knowing the intrinsic motivational factor becomes even more vital. Intrinsic motivation comes from inside out. By aligning our belief and value that we hold dearly, this internal factor becomes a strong motivator that last. Doing it for our love ones is one of them.

Departure

It was Monday morning when I was flipping through the paper that I came across the news that Professor Randy Pausch has passed away. It was only two days ago when I shared his story on this blog and I thought that he was doing well and pulling through. How the twist of event changes everything?

How fragile can our life be?

I begin to ponder the question, "What really matter to me NOW?"
Have you ponder also?

It is definitely good and important to plan for the future, but before we talk about the future, we can only seize this moment, this very second and make use of it, but have we? The future is a hope whereas our past is reference for learning. That leave us with the present, and it is the NOW that we can seize and enjoy. What good is there to talk about the future when we can't enjoy the NOW? As much as I would like , I can't even use the one second ahead.

Learning to live my life NOW, the PRESENT, this VERY MOMENT.

You can check out Professor Randy Pausch other lectures, this one is on Time Management.

Last Lecture

Things do not necessarily happen for the best, but some are able to make the best use of it.

If I was asked to give my 'last lecture', what would I be talking about? Hmmm...
As I mature( don't quite like to use the word OLD), i began to ask myself this question, what is meaningful to me? What motivates me to get up in the morning? After a tiring day at work, what drive me to the second part of the day, that is, cater to my family?

Professor Randy Pausch was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine his last because he was diagnosed with terminate cancer. He shared his views on the importance of overcoming obstacles and seizing every moment.(we may one day find that we have less time than we think).

It is about living our life, not just going through the motion of life. Have we pause and slow down to smell the roses?(Yes,literally). To enjoy and appreciate the little, little things around us? Especially our love ones? For me, I am learning to look at things with a new perspective and not take things for granted as if i will see tomorrow.

Maybe, is time, we pause and think.

Lazytown

Are you looking for a healthy children program? One that motivates? One that is non-violent? And entertaining?Look no further, I believe I found one. Lazytown.

This is one of the few children programs that i can watch with my 5 years old and still enjoy it.
It promotes fitness and a healthy lifestyle to children (as well as adult) . It is buzz with action and the upbeat music would even keep adults moving along. ( at least for me).

The story is about Stephenie who arrives in this little town where she motivates her new friends with the help of Sportacus to exercise. And Robbie Rotten( as the name suggest) is constantly creating havocs.The idea is to get out of the house and under the sun.

Very healthy storyline where it focus on healthy eating, physical fitness and positive social values like sharing and being kind to others.

They even have a soundtrack :Lazytown . You can check this out at amazon.com. One of the song "Bing Bang (Time to Dance)" was released as a single in the UK, and peaked at #4 in the UK Singles Chart on December 10, 2006

Connecting With Your Child

It had been two weeks since I attended the Internet Marketing Bootcamp, definitely, the three days training was intensive, overwhelmed with new ideas and information. Thanks to the staff and the mentor, they have shown patience in helping us with problems during the training. Thanks again. But the one thing that left a great impression on me from this bootcamp, is about ACTION , that is, doing it. With all the planning in the world, with no action, it is no good. As the saying goes, Just Do It!


Like to share this book that i just read The Five Love Languages Of Children by Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell.

Do we constantly ask ourselves this question " Do I understand my child?"
If I do not understand my child, how then would I be able to connect with them?

This book give us an insight into the important of understanding the language of children, more specifically, the five love languages. Thereby understanding these languages, identifying the lanugages of our children and connecting with them.

Whether a child or an adult, each and everyone has a emotional love tank that needs to be filled.
That is why, it is important to fill it up.

Love becomes the foundation.

Pointers to constantly remind myself as a father:
1) They are children and will act like children.
2) Act Of Service - To Love them unconditionally and to provide for them willingly ( less complain)

wingsun first motivation blog

Hi everyone, i am wing sun