Lovage's Blog

You’re stuck in a rut. You want to make changes, be more successful, loose weight, learn a new skill, kick a bad habit, get a promotion or a even a new job…

…But every time you try to make the changes you so desperately want, something seems to hold you back. You try to start a new business but it never gets going, you try fad diets but they never seem to work…

There is something blocking your path to success – and that something is your habits. Your habitual thoughts and decisions coming from your subconscious mind sabotage your efforts to make changes.

Good News! You can get past this obstacle by eliminating the negative habits and thoughts that are holding you back.

That’s right !! All you have to do is overcome years of conditioning and lifelong habits Easy to say, but not so easy to do !!!

Fortunately you are not alone with this challenge, in fact people have been succeeding in overcoming these powerful obstacles since historical times. And you can learn how to use the same methods to get the success you want. Here are two of the most powerful tools ever developed by anyone anywhere. They can literally transform your life.

Powerful Tool #1 – Affirmations

Your self talk is a powerful influence on your decisions and your results. Self talk can be positive – like when you feel you are good at something and you are being successful in achieving your purpose. Self talk can also be negative – like when you have moments of self doubt or you feel you are failing.

Either way your self talk will affect your motivation, your decisions and ultimately the results you get….

But what determines your self talk?

Self talk can come from your conscious mind – telling and willing yourself to do something. For example “Go on, you CAN do this”. This kind is the results of conscious decisions, usually motivated by your desire to achieve goals you have set for yourself.

Self talk can also come from your unconscious mind – those overpowering feelings of positive confidence or negative doubt that just seem to well up and express themselves in phrases like – “I know I can do this” or “I’m too stupid to even try”.

The bad news is that your subconscious mind makes decisions based on past programming and conditioned responses. It assesses your situation and comes up with a response that can be either positive or negative. Even worse news is that your subconscious mind can overpower any attempt by your conscious mind to use will power, leaving you at the mercy of the past that produced your programming.

The good news is that your subconscious mind can’t tell the difference between your conscious mind telling it that something is true and something actually being true. So with a little persistence you can change the behaviour of your subconscious mind.

The way to do this is through affirmations – simple, positive statements that you repeat to yourself as often as possible to change the programming in your subconscious mind.

Powerful Tool #2 – Visualisation

Visualisation is another powerful tool that can help you to overcome negative programming. Visualisation is the act of using your imagination to create clear images of where you want to go in your life. You harness the power of dreams to show your subconscious mind what it is that you want it to do for you.

If you do this often enough and with real conviction, your subconscious mind, which can’t tell the difference between something that’s real and something that’s imaginary, starts to believe that this is where you want to go.

Your subconscious mind will go to work and figure out how to get you to your goal. If you just trust it and be prepared to follow the ideas that come in to your conscious mind, you’ll find yourself moving effortlessly towards your goal.

You may have experienced this already.

Can you remember a time when you had a problem that you just couldn’t solve – maybe it was something like a difficult clue in a crossword puzzle or a problem you had to solve in your job. Try as you might, you just can’t come up with a solution… until suddenly, long after you’d stopped trying the solution just popped into your conscious mind from nowhere…

That is how the magic of your subconscious works for you.

===> Strong emotions are key

You should remember one important point when trying to implant an idea in your subconscious mind. It is the part of your mind that has strong emotions. Your subconscious mind will respond more powerfully if you speak its language. To do this you must link your affirmations and visualisations with strong emotions.

In this article we’ve talked about two very powerful tools that can cancel out the effects of any negative programming that you have received in your life and let you use your whole mind in getting to your goals. Using these two tools either separately or together can help you to make massive changes and achieve your dreams.

So what are you waiting for?….

As an individual who does not care to read you can now listen, that is correct! You can listen to books that you would not care to spend the time reading but are interested in hearing. You can download audio book titles to keep you company while you are doing many different tasks. Some that are easy, some that are boring and even some that are difficult.

You can listen to them while you are on the road to college or work. There are so many audio titles now available from good audio book websites that you can scan their search window to find appropriate titles. Look at the book summary of each one, in a group, and pick one that will help you complete a task from a sales appointment to a college Chinese, German, French or other language test. You will be getting entertaining preparation from a professional speaker, celebrity or even the original author him or her self.

Many people like to get an audio book with the language training of a country they are visiting so they can have a better feel of the language, people and culture they will be visiting. You will feel more comfortable if you have a good beginning working knowledge of what everyone around you is saying if you can understand more of what they are saying. You can follow the simple instructions to get the downloadable audio training or storybook you want.

You can transfer it to an mp3 using easy to follow digital technology instructions. You can transfer one story to an ipod also and then build a nice collection into it as you add on more and more storybook titles into your growing personal audio book portfolio. What is amazing is that you can carry an awful lot of information around in that tiny little iPod. It weighs almost nothing.

There will be further advancements in digital technology, as time goes by, for audio book storage. The vehicles for carrying these narrations by good speakers, celebrities and authors will hold more titles and have better sound as this fairly new industry develops. You can download them from anywhere on Earth where you have a live computer. More authors and trainers will realize what excitement and listening improvement this trend is bringing and will be putting their training and writing works of art on audio books for you to download to use for training and entertainment.

Soon, if not already, teachers in schools will be assigning audio book assignments for students to listen to. That is right. They will be getting assignments to listen to audible books for virtually any class they have. One assignment for example might be to listen to the great Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing. You will learn and enjoy more from this classical work when you listen to it in the new dimensions of sound now available and better ones soon to come.

Music is nice to listen to and if we listen to the right kinds of music we will develop a better sense of rhythm and timing. However, music mp3, desktop and ipod technology teach us little about anything else as comparison to when you download audio book titles to keep you company. You will naturally learn from these storybook titles also even though many of them are made for entertainment.

Road, train, boat, plane and bus travelers will find this new technology to be a Godsend. Before you go on trips and in between trips you can download audio book titles to keep you company.

What happens now is that by the time you get to work, class or another destination or country you are visiting you will be more comfortable because you are better prepared with this amazing but very simple to use and very light to carry around product. You will know more about it and be more interested, interesting and in tune to your surroundings. Others will like to hear about your experiences with them also.

So, you can check the many audible book products on the sound type websites. Listen to the book summary of any you are interested that look apropos for you. Decide which ones you are interested in from the five minute free sample of each title on the website and purchase any you like. Many web sites even guarantee your satisfaction with them. Downloading titles is easily done through good instructions on the web sites.

Menopause can be a difficult phase to go through for any woman. Aside from the thought of dealing with physical and emotional changes, menopause has been a cause of unnecessary confusion and worry to those who are nearing this specific phase because they don’t know how to deal with other symptoms.

Characterized by the end of menstruation period, menopause affects every woman differently just like in various biological changes. Common menopausal symptoms include changes in period patterns, hot flushes, night sweats usually followed by a chill, altered sleeping patterns or troubled sleeps, vaginal atrophy or vaginal dryness, thinning, or itching, depression, mood swings and emotional fluctuations, confusion or inability to focus on things and carrying out tasks, and hair loss or growth on unlikely areas such as the face.

Menopause may also cause more serious health problems such as obesity, osteoporosis, and heart attack in the long run if not paid attention. Make sure that you know and are well aware of other menopausal symptoms so you can understand it fully.

PROPOSED TREATMENT AND ALTERNATIVES

If you are one of those who are nearing menopausal years, educating yourself on how you can mange the symptoms and the effects of menopause can help you start living your life in harmony.

Experts suggest that eating a healthy diet along with regular exercise during menopausal years is effective to cope up and treat these symptoms. But if you think you can no longer handle the symptoms of menopause, then it is now time to seek for professional help or treatment to help you out.

Studies show that the need of women to seek for professional help varies on her need and emotional stability. Experts say that although many menopausal women do not really need special treatments for menopause, there are those who need it to overcome their difficulties.

For those women who are thinking of getting a treatment, there are various menopausal treatments available today. Since there is no single treatment that sits down well to all women, it is best if you consult your physician first before getting any of these treatments.

By doing this, you can ask your doctor to discuss with you the treatments that can be perfect for you. The following are the most popular menopause available today.

1. Hormone therapy (HT) or Hormone Therapy Replacement (HRT) is one of the most popular menopausal treatments today. Undergoing through this treatment will reduce and relieve menopausal symptoms like vaginal dryness, hot flushes and night sweats. Recent studies have warranted special caution in using HRT as they may be associated with an increase in heart problems.

Experts agree that HT/HRT should be taken at the beginning of menopause because it can be an effective solution to bone loss or osteoporosis because it can increase bone density by around five percent in two years and can even reduces the risk of spinal fractures by 40 percent.

There are many couples who enjoy celebrating Valentines Day but are often annoyed or stressed out when they try to celebrate this holiday on February 14th. This is because one of the most popular ways to celebrate is by going out to dinner. This can lead to overcrowding and long waits to be seated. Some restaurants do not take reservations and even the ones that do often have difficulty honoring these reservations when there are huge crowds on Valentines Day. As a result there are many couples who opt to celebrate by going out to dinner a day or two late or even a day or two early. There is nothing wrong with this and it can often result in a much more relaxing celebration simply because it is taking place on the 13th or the 15th of February instead of the 14th. This article will provide some information on celebrating Valentines Day a day late.

If you are planning to take your partner out to dinner to celebrate Valentines Day but are having trouble making reservations you might consider making your reservations for the day after Valentines Day or for the first weekend after Valentines Day. This will give you many additional options and will help to make your planning easier. However, if this is what you are planning you should probably also consult your partner to make sure celebrating a day late or even a few days late will not be disappointing to your partner. This is an important factor to consider because there are many who are very adamant about going out to celebrate on Valentines Day and may be extremely disappointed if plans are made for a day late.

If your partner will be extremely disappointed about celebrating Valentines Day, it might be a good idea to alter the plans rather than delaying them. For example if you want to avoid having to wait more than an hour for a table at a fancy restaurant, try cooking a great meal for your partner instead. You will still be celebrating in a really fun way but you won’t have the stress of dealing with a crowded restaurant.

Sometimes it is not merely a matter of convenience which makes it necessary to celebrate this romantic a day or two late. You or your partner may have an unusual work schedule which would make getting together on Valentines Day extremely difficult. For example doctors often work a few long shifts per week which can interfere with Valentines Day plans. If you or your partner is in this type of situation it is best to discuss Valentines Day ahead of time and figure out what will work best for the two of you. You might decide it would be a good idea to celebrate few days late or you may even agree to just exchange cards for Valentines Day. Whatever you decide you should make sure it is a decision which makes you both happy.

Finally, if you and your partner are planning to celebrate Valentines Day a day or two late it is important to remember that you should still treat your celebration with all of the excitement and enthusiasm as you would if you were celebrating on the 14th of February. For example if you would buy a new dress, get your nails done or get your hair done for Valentines Day you should still go ahead and do these things even if you are celebrating Valentines Day late. It will help to make the celebration feel more fun and exciting.

When it comes to your basement, you need to make sure you employ a great design style. Yet, decorating a basement which is small could be a challenge. Lucky for you, there are some simple options because there are ample interior design ideas now available for decorating a small basement.

Think about using a decorative style which you will like, but also one which can help to make your room appear larger. You may also want to take care to design in adequate storage space so you can effortlessly put items away since clutter will make even a sizeable basement feel tiny.

Making use of a certain design approach, you can include furniture and accessories which will make good use of the space in your basement. A sleek contemporary style can be perfect as this de-emphasizes clutter and is likely to accentuate space. As this is a great space for family games and entertainment decorating with a decorating approach you really like and can live with is desired.

Furniture placement is an additional trade trick when decorating a small basement. Although a lot of people don’t hold with the aspects of Feng Shui, the ideas behind it can still be used when placing the furniture and accessories in your basement. Unhindered access into a room should make it look more open, so arrange your furniture away from the doors. This could also draw attention to a larger piece such as a big TV or entertainment unit.

When it comes to filling the room with furniture, stick to small-to-medium sized fittings. In place of having big sectional, think about using a couch with chair which will make the room look bigger while still allowing plenty of seating. It’s a terrific idea to add interesting dimension to your basement by mixing in a few larger scaled items, so use your minimal seating, have a big screen TV- it may make the room look larger plus add character and interest.

Another thing to be aware of when trying to make your small basement appear less small is the color palette. You don’t have to purely use lighter colored paint color when making up for the size in a room. If you prefer bright or deep colors in your basement you can do that without making the room feel less spacious if you go for a monochromatic palette, or one where the colors are the same brightness. You can try a moss green color palette, or if you want more color look into brown and pumpkin that all show an equal intensity and tone. Painting one wall a deep hue will cause it to feel further away, therefore, adding depth to the room. To give your walls the effect of receding, and therefore the room appearing larger try painting them with pale tones. If gray isn’t your choice of tone, you may also put on cool colors such as purples and blues for the same impression.

These tips ought to help you in your interior decorating adventure while decorating a small basement. Use your creativity and you can create a little basement that is big on drama in no time.

As we begin a new year, whatever new resolutions we make, there is one thing we will seek every day without fail in our lives and that is RESPECT. We talk about it a lot, we yearn for it, we expect it automatically and we notice when we haven’t been given it by others. But this word is not really understood by many people.

For example, respect is demonstrated by our actions, not our words. And when those actions are absent, especially at a trivial or simple level, there is also a distinct lack of respect. In every relationship respect goes hand-in-hand with love and commitment. You cannot love someone you don’t respect or are not prepared to commit to, even for a short time. Otherwise you will resent the time spent with them, or spent doing things on their behalf, when you could be doing something else or be with someone else. Neither can you love someone you really do not trust. Once trust is gone, the feelings become superficial as the relationship shifts in terms of both emotion and power. You would no longer respect that person, tending to be suspicious of their actions instead of celebrating and enjoying their presence.

The Six Dimensions of Respect
Often a lack of respect comes from a misunderstanding of the word. We throw around the word ‘respect’ very glibly, as a single cure-all for our feelings. But respect is not just one term. It carries six other dimensions within it:

l curiosity
2 attention
3 dialogue
4 sensitivity
4 empowerment
5 healing

If we are not really demonstrating those six concepts with regards to the one we say we respect, we are not showing them much respect at all.

Curiosity
Respect starts with curiosity. We have an interest in that person. We want to know as much about them as possible, or at least a few key things to start with. In the dating process we engineer all kinds of opportunities to satisfy that curiosity and are often mortified when we get no response from our interest and cannot fulfil our curiosity in any way. We feel frustrated, rejected and insignificant.

Attention
If curiosity is satisfied, we move to give that person our full attention. Indeed, our curiosity grows too, because that person begins to assume value in our eyes. The amount of value will depend on the way they satisfy our curiosity and attention. If the information we get is weak, unappealing or non-reinforcing, we lose interest rapidly, our attention wanes and we move towards another. However, if we perceive that the new interest aligns with us and matches us in major ways, excitement and interest both quicken. We then lavish even more attention on that person, going out of our way to attract their attention and interest.

Dialogue
Lots of attention inevitably leads to dialogue because that is the only way we can learn about our new interest. We communicate verbally as much as possible because we respect that person enough to want to hear what they have to say. We also take the greatest pleasure in conversing for its own sake. Hence much money will be spent on dates and phone calls, in particular. Where there is little respect, we are not in the least bit interested in that person and won’t even talk to them. If there is also disrespect .. for example, we made assumptions about them based upon their gender, colour, sexuality etc., .. we will go so far as to treat them negatively. We might have a dialogue at such times but it will express our anxieties, prejudices or anger, not our respect.

Sensitivity
This is at the core of respect. Accepting the person as they are without wanting to change them to suit us; fully acknowledging their values, culture, identity and who they want to be; valuing their contributions, opinions and inputs and genuinely listening to them and sharing their concerns. These are all essential elements of showing sensitivity to the person they are, and wish to be. When we put ourself and our needs first, and can only see our values, cultures and opinions, we are lacking great sensitivity to those we care for and are actually denying them respect, no matter what we say to the contrary.

Empowerment
Being curious about someone, giving our attention to, and having a dialogue with, him or her, and being sensitive to their needs represent the greatest form of empowerment we can grant to another human being. It shows we value them greatly, if we are willing to give them our attention and time, and also care about what they value. Anything else lacks respect. For example, if someone is trying to talk to you but you are busy playing on your computer, or talking to someone else on the phone, that shows little reciprocity for the respect they might be giving to you, or sensitivity to their presence and needs.

Healing
Respect has the capacity to heal, especially when we have had past experiences that have been very hurtful or traumatic, so this last dimension is important. When we have had a bad time it is very affirming to be respected and valued by the new person we are attracted to, or the people we interact with, and it is effective in speeding up the healing process. For example, if someone felt really inadequate because her man went off with a younger, more beautiful woman, a new lover in her life demonstrating how wonderful she is would give her much-needed respect and reinforcement. This would heal her pain even quicker than if she had to overcome it by herself. Respect heals because it affirms and reinforces who we are and wish to be. It also puts past hurt into perspective, or even negates it, and restores our confidence.

Respect and trust can never be taken for granted. They have to be earned because they are attributes that have to be proven. They are also directly reciprocal to the behaviour of others. For example, when we feel that we have had no respect from other people we care about, it is likely that we have given them very little respect ourselves. Most of us are sensitive to when we are not being treated with respect and are then unable to give any in its absence.

If you feel disrespected, what are you doing in the process? There is always a connection. You are either accepting substandard behaviour in order to gain approval, allowing yourself to be treated like a doormat, or you are not treating someone well enough. Once you sort out the root cause, mutual respect and trust are usually assured.

Altogether these six dimensions add up to the powerful concept of respect. When we show another human being that respect, we add an even greater experience to their life and perspectives while we too are empowered by its effects.

Anaconda snakes are a misinterpreted and misunderstood a lot. The movie Anaconda starring Jennifer Lopez and Jon Voight etched an inerasable image of this creature in our mind. The very A word conjures up an image of a creature that is big, bad, ugly and savors humans and animals alike.

However, this image of the snake is as far from reality as is Hawaii from Himalayas.

Etymologically speaking, there are two probable sources of this dreaded name, and surprisingly both the two sources are from the far away continent of Asia. One of the possible origins of the name is the Sinhalese word of yenakandey or henakandey which when literally translated meant whip snake while the other probable origin is the Tamil word anaikondran which when translated meant elephant slayer. It is truly surprising to know that the name of a species found only in the tropical forests of South America is derived from a language that is spoken in the southern most tip of Asia.

The natural habitat of this beautiful and majestic snake is the tropical forests of Southern America and the swamps, riverbeds and water bodies are richly populated with this constrictor snake. As a matter of fact, the very word Amazon is almost synonymous to anacondas and piranhas for most of us.

However, in this age of television adventurism and couch potato wild life enthusiasts, you will find these creatures in almost every respectable zoos and snake gardens. However, the grandeur of a domesticated or bred one is significantly pale as compared to the gigantic, fierce and intoxicating beautiful natural anacondas found in the swamps of the great river Amazon

Anaconda snakes are one of the largest reptiles found in the wild. Currently, only Asiatic pythons in terms of length weight and body diameter and they together are the main members of the constrictor family of snakes.

As the name suggests, constrictor snakes use constriction, or the squeezing effect to strangulate its preys and then gobbles up the prey wholly. This probably makes anacondas one of the cleanest predators and leaves nothing to waste unlike the lion kings or the tiger cats.

Another very interesting fact about this species of snake is the physical superiority of females over males. While male anacondas are known to have grown to as much as twenty feet with an average length of sixteen feet, female counterparts are considerably bigger with a maximum length of thirty feet with a species average length of about twenty five feet. And in the wilds of Amazon, it is the bigger the better.

It is rightly said that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. While we the citizens of the concrete jungle squirm at the very mention of the name anaconda, the natural beauty of this snake increasingly amazes wild life enthusiasts, environmentalists and biologists. Unanimous the decision may be, the kings of the Amazon, the anaconda snakes.

There’s a lot of overtly self-serving marketing taking place in the “new copywriter’s space” of the Internet, and I don’t want to add to that.

So permit me to give you my very considered perspective on the question “Can I transition into copywriting by moonlighting?”

I’m happy to report that the answer to that question is “yes”…but with caveats.

Many people who want to transition into copywriting hold full time jobs and have the responsibility of families. That doesn’t leave much time for copywriting, and copywriting is time-intensive.

Although I frequently advise my coaching students to look for national and international clients, I’d advise a moonlighting copywriter to look for local clients.

It’s often easier to land a local client simply because you can meet with him. (This eventually becomes a liability, however, because meetings are unnecessary time-wasters, and the client will often tell you to “stop by and pick up the check.”)

Another question you’ll need to ask yourself if you want to moonlight is whether you can communicate with your client during working hours.

If you’re absolutely unable to return a call or respond to an email during regular working hours, it’s going to be really tough to create a relationship that works.

That said, most people have at least a lunch break where communication needs can be handled.

Another reason I suggest local clients for the moonlighter is that to work for non-local companies you need good marketing materials, and today it’s almost essential to have a Web site. By working locally you can get by with letterhead and business cards.

If you’re thinking about just “throwing a site together,” don’t do it! A hastily conceived site will look it, and will damage your “portfolio”… because it’s a reflection of the kind of work you’ll do for the client. Best to do it right the first time.

Many new copywriters fail to think of people they know who have businesses that could use a Web site or sales letter.

Friends and family are more likely to be flexible and understanding about time and career-transition issues. So be sure to consider opportunities that are even “closer to home” than local prospects if you want to moonlight.

I’ve also been asked if there are particular markets that have longer turn-around times so a copywriter would feel confident about never missing a deadline.

My Answer: Business-to-Consumer (B2C) copywriting has more order-generating work than Business-to-Business (B2B), and that usually requires longer copy.

Companies that need long copy to sell their product or service usually understand that it will take weeks or months to compete a large project.

But you still have to put the hours in. And it’s a lot harder to estimate your time on a large job than a small one.

What’s a small job?

There’s lots of jobs you can do in direct response copywriting that you can do in a day or two. For instance, in the Business-to-Business space, you’ll find a preponderance of lead-generating work.

Lead-generation work is much lighter work because all you have to do is get the prospect to raise her hand. In fact, there’s a rule of thumb to tell only enough to get interest…you don’t want to give so much information that the prospect can decide without the aid of a “next step” (usually contact by a salesperson).

You can get paid a tidy sum for a 2-page lead-gen sales letter (say $2,000) and knock it out in a day or two.

The most important thing to remember when you pick up moonlighting jobs is to estimate your time, and then double it.

Let me ask you another question

What is the shortest distance between two points?

This isn’t a trick, the answers very simple yes it’s one that you were taught at school

…A straight line !!

So what does this have to do with you achieving your dreams in the shortest possible time, before they fade away and you loose sight of them?

Simple, you need to be travelling straight towards them at all times. That way you’ll get there as quickly as you can.

So why don’t you always head straight in the direction of your goals, why doesn’t everyone always do that?

There are lots of reasons why people don’t always head towards their goals. Maybe they make excuses like:

“I just don’t have the energy” “My cat/dog/goldfish was ill” “I was too busy” (watching the television…) “I was going to but my friend/distant aunt/uncle/cousin phoned” “I had other things on my mind”

Or sometimes they get confused, there’s just too many options to choose from. Or they actually start doing something and following a path and then some new fad comes along and they switch to that and then the next one and the next… In the end they run around in circles getting nowhere. So many people flit around from idea to idea never accomplishing anything.

Or maybe they just overcomplicate things, adding lots of extra steps to get from where they are to where they want to be.

How many of these things have you done?

Go on be honest… I know I’ve been guilt of them all…

Occasionally there are things that just can’t be avoided – major dramas, serious illnesses and accidents and these will demand your attention, slow you down for a while. But so often people let these events stop them completely.

None of these things have to happen. They are choices. We let ourselves get distracted.

Whatever your favourite form of distraction the result is that you loose sight of your goals and you waste your time and energy getting nowhere. Until eventually discouraged and disheartened you give up ever trying to reach that goal.

The Habit That Can Save The Day

So how can you avoid the pitfalls of distraction?

There’s one very important mental habit that can make a difference, one learnt by all successful people in all walks of life – business, the sciences, the arts….

FOCUS

Focus your mind and your energy on your goals. Don’t let problems and distractions get in your way. Remember what you focus on is what you get. If you choose to focus on distractions then you’ll get nowhere. If you choose to focus on your goals, then you will get there.

Focus is a habit that you should practice daily.

Take time every day to remind yourself where it is you want to go.
Have a well thought out plan that clearly states where you want to go and how you are going to get there – make it believable so that you don’t feel tempted to change horses mid-stream.
Every day plan the time you are going to use that day. Make sure you know when you are going to do the things you must do to get you moving forward that day.
If distractions do come up, pause, take a deep breath. Remind yourself about your plan. Ask yourself does this thing help me or hinder me? Only do the things that help you.
Use the Right Tools
If you aren’t in the habit of focus it can be very difficult to do. You will need to work to change your habits.

Remember there are lots of tools out there that can help you to improve your focus. For example writing a simple “to-do” list every day helps a lot of people. If this isn’t enough there are a lot of personal development tools you can find to help you focus better. You need to find some tools that work for you and start using them.

Oftentimes, we fall into both a producer and a procrastinator category in our lives. What we need to know is that being a procrastinator is not something good and once we realize the state we’re in, we have to stand back up and become a producer again. That will make sure that the results we’re getting are aligned with the vision we’re creating.

I had a chance to listen to a one-hour teleseminar by Johnny Wimbrey recently and managed to jot down a few points for the readers to benefit. The topic matched nicely with the points that we’re discussing here.

What are the 7 critical distinctions between a producer and a procrastinator?

Here are a few points Johnny Wimbrey talked about.

1. A Producer Is A Winner But A Procrastinator Is A Whiner.

Producers have a winning mindset. They eat, sleep and breathe winning possibility. These are the people who surround themselves around other winners. They allow themselves to be mentored by other successful people, and they become students for life. If there are any problems, they know that they themselves are bigger than the problems they face.

Procrastinators have stinking thinking and always look at things in a negative perspective. They focus on personal and external limitations. When there is a problem, they whine, cry and question everything in life. They don’t seek advice and are not interested to be mentored by other successful people.

2. A Producer Is Responsive But A Procrastinator Is Reactive.

Response is the root of responsibility. This is the quality of a producer. Being responsive means that producers control circumstances and they think before taking action.

Procrastinators, on the other hand, react to circumstances. They act without thought. When something happens, they can become panic and lose control. This leads to more bad circumstances in life.

3. A Producer IS Optimistic But A Procrastinator Is Pessimistic.

Producers address challenges in life effectively. They understand that there will be hard time and although nobody likes hard time in life, producers are always prepared to face circumstances. They see through the clouds and believe that there is always sunshine.

Procrastinators run from challenges. In fact, they don’t like facing them. They are fearful and when challenges arise, they feel stressed as if they couldn’t charge through hell in life.

4. A Producer Takes Risk But A Procrastinator Makes Wishes.

Risk takers create moment of possibility through invested time, money and energy in their dreams. Producers know that they have to be ‘sacrificial’ and give something up so that they can get up in life. They don’t know what tomorrow will bring but they are ready to face the unknown.

Procrastinators hope for the moment of possibility. They wish that their dreams come true and become content and comfortable. They fear the unknown and are not ready to step out of their comfort zone. In the end, they stay where they are with the unfulfilled wishes.

5. A Producer Has Visions But A Procrastinator Has Only Illusions.

Producers have faith in their decisions. They see obstacle and see through it. They know that they will get their goals with their actions. That’s why producers are firm believers in goal setting. They start their journey now and don’t delay.

Procrastinators want their results based on sight, meaning that they have to see the results first before taking action. That is why there’s always lots of reasons why they do not get started at something. What they do is only inventing obstacle that does not exist in the first place.

6. A Producer Has Preparation But A Procrastinator Has Improvision.

Producers are always prepared and they inspect what they expect. For example, if they have speaking engagement, they will make sure that everything like research on topic, target audience and appropriate content is taken care of. And, they will make sure that what they expect to deliver will satisfy the audience. Then, they stay on plan.

Procrastinators don’t expect to be successful. Whatever happens will happen and they keep on hoping that their wishes come true. They move by emotion and after information.

7. A Producer Execute But A Procrastinator Makes Excuses In Life.

Producers have an attitude that they MUST be successful. They will implement and execute the right principals to reach their goals. In order for them to be successful, they will participate in anything that will lead them to their goals. Producers also have a sense of urgency in what they do and they begin with an end in mind.

Procrastinators, however, just have justifications. They will justify for any reasons why they fail in life. They WANT to be successful but don’t think that they MUST be successful. It leads them to postpone their action because of their dead-end mind says so.

To summarize, I have to admit that these 7 critical distinctions between a producer and a procrastinator are a reminder for you and me. We will fall in one of these two categories in life, but we have to realize it quickly and align ourselves with the producer mindset.

Let me close by what Johnny Wimbrey said in his teleseminar.

“I WANT You To Be Successful But I MUST Be Successful”.

Let’s all have this quote embedded in our mind at all time.