It’s been some time since I had the chance to sit down and actively put my thoughts out there since I’d suddenly become swamped with work and studies. There are basically three things I learnt this week I’d like to focus on, and hopefully it will help you on your journey.
Procrastination Sucks.
If we earned a dollar for every minute of procrastination we experienced, we would be multimillionaires. I’m no exception. The issue comes when you’re pressured to get things done in the midst of so many additional things. On one hand, you know for a fact it’s good to do it. On the other hand, you give in to the temptation of lazing around.
In the midst of so many things happening, I realize how important a scheduled life is. While it’s a restriction, it can help organize one’s life. I’ve never been one to be bound by structure but I can see the incredible benefits it has. Over the last week, I’ve organized business development meetings, built a couple of business proposals, crafted my training material, worked on teleseminar transcriptions, replied to emails, helped a few friends, watched a movie, did some research, handled my accounts, planned for my next week’s worth of seminars and training sessions… and I still don’t have enough time for “me time”.
I’m not suggesting to ignore “me time”, but it is something I’ve grown to realize to be extremely important to schedule in and maintain awareness of that schedule. Instead of procrastination, then, you are focusing on you. That’s the point behind schedules – you are forced to know what you are doing, rather than whiling time away.
Conversely when time is used doing something that you have no clue why you are engaging in, then it becomes procrastination. Some of you even spend 10 minutes refreshing your screen to see status updates on FB!! If it’s autopilot and unpurposeful, perhaps it is time to relook how you are spending time.
Interests And Passion Rules!
Perhaps you saw one of the questionnaires I set up earlier last month. It’s about whether people know what they are doing in their life. The trouble is I’ve realized that 50% of people not being sure about their life purpose and direction is 50% too much.
Of course, there are times I wonder if I’m doing some things right. But I’ve never questioned my liking for speaking, training and education. It’s been a part of me so much that I gain absolute satisfaction of seeing someone grow and develop. If you’re any less passionate, you’d be stuck in a loop of unfulfillment.
How does one find this passion and purpose? I guess, putting your ear to the ground and really listening to what’s going on between you and the world. Are you fulfilling a purpose? Are people feeling you have helped them? That’s another reason why I am constantly connecting with people and hoping to see them grow. It’s what keeps me going, and revitalizes my soul.
Earnings Per Hour (EPH), Time Spent Per Mundane Activity (TSPMA) [hereby my own pet copyright phrase hahaha]
Talk about metrics, here are two of my own special ones.
I recently completed an NLP Teleseminar that answered questions about what NLP really is and I’m appalled to hear feedback from people that they had been told otherwise. Fortunately for me, NLP has been part of my education and success for the last 25 years of my life, and I had been teaching it since 1997. So I kinda understand why those who have any less experience will misrepresent it unknowingly.
Anyway, I realized I clocked 2.5 hours just preparing for the teleseminar transcription and that time gone was time that could have been spent doing other things. Fortunately, I’m not the one doing the actual transcription. So I had to calculate this time cost into a project that was meaningful for me, but not really a money spinner. This is a short term measure.
Conversely, I worked out a contract to run a training that topped my EPH to about $346. Not bad, considering the fact that I spent nothing on marketing.
Then, I realized something. Actually, I had done marketing, but in a sense it was credibility built up in the past: it’s just that the TSPMA was done earlier when I did not calculate this. It would have included carrying myself well in public so that others noticed me and were willing to recommend me. These things were activities that built my credibility over time. Now, I spend less on TSPMA and my EPH increases. This is a longer term measure.
A personal development plan helps you to target higher EPH by investing in some TSPMA and planning to reduce it through leverage in various ways. Increasing skills increases your EPH and reduces your TSPMA. Leveraging creativity helps you reduce TSPMA too.
Conclusion
We need to know where we are going but we need to apply the right devices in achieving what we want and knowing for a fact that we have arrived there. If you’re keen on seeking your direction by understanding more about yourself, do join me in one of my events and learn to develop practical and psychological skills so that you will be far more effective and productive in your quest for your dreams
Stuart Tan, MBA, SDCG, BA (Hons), is a Licensed NLP Trainer since 1997, a trained counselor and therapist since 1999, and a leadership, team performance and change management consultant. He certifies NLP Practitioners and Master Practitioners through a competency based approach. He is also an executive coach and life coach.
Contact him for information about his corporate seminars, certification workshops and coaching services.