"Where Do We Begin?" ... Look at the end, not the beginning.

How many times have you had something to do and said to yourself; "Where do I start?" To start anything, a project, go to work, and just living life itself; is determined by how much you want to do it. Any plan is only as good as the plan itself. Anything we don't want to do we perceive it as a "CHORE." Meaning, it has to get done, but we just don't want to do it; therefore, we view it as a pain in the neck. It ends up taking us more time because we spend most of that additional time complaining about having to it. Life is such that unless you want to sleep your way through it, you have to live it, at least to some degree. Work, on the other hand, unless you're independently wealthy, is one of those deadly evils that we all need to do if we want to be able to enjoy living life. Therefore, working and living kind of go hand in hand. As for everything else, most just "PROCRASTINATE." The saying "tomorrow's another day" would have never been invented if people didn't procrastinate, and probably the person who said it, was the biggest procrastinator of all. Where do we start? Where do we begin? How do we get motivated? It's all about attitude. If anything you do you look at negatively, it's always going to be a chore. You will procrastinate. You can dodge that bullet for just so long for some things, but not for all things. ATTITUDE. Try looking at something you don't want to do in this way. "LOOK AT THE END, NOT THE BEGINNING." What does that mean?

Physiologically, when we see the light at the end of the tunnel, it changes our perception of the journey. Let me give you an example. When your sick, in the beginning you are simply miserable. There's no light at the end of the tunnel. However, as you start to feel better, (seeing the light at the end of the tunnel), you will tend to forget the worse part of what you went though. Think back when you were a young child. You hated being sick. Your friends were outside playing, and you were stuck inside. Then the phone rang. It was a friend asking, "What are you doing?" You replied, "Nothing; I'm sick, and I can't go out." Suddenly your attitude changed. You didn't feel quite so bad because now one of your friends was also sick, and had to stay inside. It's no different than any other goal you have. The hardest thing to do is get started. It's not in the example in this case, it's in the concept. Set your sights on the golden ring. When you do this, any task you have to perform will be easier, and you will procrastinate less. The more things you need to get done that get done, results in more time for yourself and your family. "Me" time is not only good; it's healthy. That's your time to unwind, and do whatever it is you want, within reason of course.

Perception and attitude are the concepts used to fix this. Look at it differently. Think to yourself, once I start this, the sooner I will be done with it. Think of what benefits you will gain when it's completed. This speaks to the concepts of positive thinking and time management. Most people misunderstand both terms. Positive thinking is not just one skill. It encompasses many smaller ones. Time management does not mean it all has to get done today, it means you have to have a plan to get it all done. Not all things we need to do are fun, or bring us joy. However, if we dwell on them, they become harder to start. Your perception and attitude are now going in the wrong direction. When that occurs, you will not be functioning to your full potential, and many times, make errors. When I was married, I used to have to attend events with my wife for her work. Of course she wanted me to go since others were bringing their spouses. I didn't want to go. Although I'm a friendly person who can have a conversation with anyone, it just seemed like a chore to me. The events were things I had no interest in. However, relationships are not all about one person, and one person doesn't have the right to make what another has to do not fun for them. Off I would go. However, I learned something. Actually, a few things. 1.) It's not always about me. 2.) It was easier to go then to deal with the problems not going would cause. 3.) After going to a couple of them, which really weren't that often, I found that most other husbands didn't want to be there any more than I did. OUTCOME: We ended up hanging out while the girls did their work thing. After a couple of times, I ended up having a good time. Perception, attitude, and seeing the end, not the beginning. That's the ticket. Thank you .... CJR