Act Now! "Just do it."

Topic of the Week

Act Now!
“Just do it.”
–Nike

This weekend I finally decided to tackle a project that I’ve been putting off for three months. I needed to complete some lengthy financial forms and since I was the only one who could complete this task, I was waiting for some extra time to get the job done. Well, as many of you know, the “extra time” usually never appears unless we schedule it in, so I decided to stop procrastinating and get to work.

As I began completing the forms, I was reminded of some simple, yet important facts:

* Avoiding a difficult task drains much more energy than we realize.
* It usually takes far less time to complete the task than we imagine it will.
* The idea of completing the task is always more daunting in our head than in reality.

As I began working on the project, I could feel pressure being released almost immediately. It was as if both my mind and body were letting out a collective “ahhhhhhh” as in, “don’t worry, you can relax now, all is finally well.” This financial project had been sitting on a table in my office (looming like giant monster) for way too long. While that might sound a bit dramatic, anyone who has ever procrastinated about a project knows how heavy the burden of a visual reminder can be. To my surprise, though, not only did I start to feel better as soon as I began filling out the forms, I could see pretty quickly that it was going to take much less time than I originally expected. And, I was also surprised at how easy the process was – I had made it out to be a much bigger deal than was actually the case.

So, this week it’s your turn to release a little tension by tackling the project you’ve been putting off. You might need to:
1. Clean up the “to-do” pile on your desk
2. Place an ad for a new employee
3. Get your finances on computer
4. Have the rugs cleaned in your livingroom
5. Hang pictures you’ve been meaning to get to
6. Schedule employee reviews
7. Clean out the refrigerator
8. File your late tax returns
9. Have a conversation you’ve been avoiding
10. Get your website finished

Okay, I’m going back to finish up my project once and for all. How about you? What project do you need to act on sooner rather than later? Don’t procrastinate any longer. Schedule it, delegate it, or just plain do it. Then, sit back and savor your accomplishment. You’ll be surprised at how easy it was and how good it feels, too!