9 Ways to Kill Procrastination Right Now

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1. Procrastination. What is it?

pro·cras·ti·na·tion [proh-kras-tuh-ney-shuhn] - noun Avoiding doing something for as long as possible, sometimes not doing it at all. Waiting until the last minute to get something done. A philosophy based on the premise that ignoring problems will make them go away. Putting off for tomorrow what should have been done today. Time wasting with intent to avoid necessary action

I am very much a procrastinator by nature. More times than I care to admit, I find myself joking: “I put the pro in procrastination.” Obviously, this is not a skill I’d like to add to my resume, but I will admit, I have at least learned from my mistakes. When I was younger, I could get away with procrastinating pretty easily. Studying for a spelling test the evening before wasn’t a big deal. How long do you really need to study the proper spelling of “first” anyway? As I grew older, and the assignments more intense, this habit didn’t work as well. Reviewing a semester of conversational Spanish the night before a final is a bit more challenging than remembering how to spell a dozen five letter words in your mother tongue. Who knew? Maybe you’re like me and you struggle with procrastination when studying. Maybe your struggle is different - perhaps it’s getting organized, finding time to fit activities into a busy schedule, getting started with a project, or “simply” cleaning. Whatever it is that’s preventing you from getting things done, we’ll try to face and obliterate it so that you can live out your goals and meet your dreams.

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2. You Only Live Once

- Benjamin Franklin YOLO, or You Only Live Once, is a motto that’s plastered everywhere these days, from memes on Facebook, to bumper stickers, and t-shirts. (Apparently, carpe diem wasn’t cool enough anymore. Or people got tired of Googling it when they forgot its meaning, and so created a phrase in English.)

YOLO YOLO YOLO Most often, you hear the phrase shortly before someone commits an act of incredible stupidity. (“Scuba diving in a tank of sharks with a pound of fresh pork in my pocket? Sure! YOLO!) While the phrase is fast becoming cliche - during its 15 minutes of fame, it does provide a point worth pondering. Everyone lives only once, and once life is over, our opportunity to make an impact on the world is gone. So, maybe becoming the next YouTube sensation by free falling from the Grand Canyon isn’t your thing (and, if you plan to live to see 2014, I hope it isn’t!), but you have things God is calling you to do with your life. Rather than sheepishly adding YOLO to the end of every statement - let’s take a look at how to get things done, to enable you to make the most of the life you have! So, here are some sure-fire procrastination killers. It’s time to carpe diem because YOLO! (I’m probably about to get a ticket from the cliche police at this point)

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Procrastination Killer #1: Get organized! Before you can begin anything, you need to get organized.

Ask Yourself • What do I need to accomplish? What is the goal? • What tools do I need to accomplish this task? • Why do I need to accomplish this? (this is an extra credit question. If you’re studying for



a test, it’s easy to think “I need to study this because I was told to” or maybe take it a step



further and think “I need to study this to pass my test.” But remembering “I need to study



for this test so I can graduate high school or college and then do XYZ” puts a bit of a dif



ferent spin on it. If your task is to clean your room, just clean it. No need to wax



philosophical and search for the deeper meaning of cleaning your room. That would be



procrastinating and we’re trying to prevent, not promote that here.)

Have a system to get organized

A great tool for organization is the app Any.Do. The app allows for the creation of to do lists, which can be personalized into various categories such as work and personal. You can also get an app for the Chrome web browser that will sync your to-do list with your smartphone app (although you don’t have to have a smartphone to use it on your browser) and even your email account! (You can actually turn your emails into actions!) As you get organized, remember, as my mom always says:

It’s a cinch by the inch, but hard by the yard. I used to faithfully stay on top of emails in my personal email account. I’d leave my inbox open during the day and read emails within a few hours of their arrival. The system was simple. Read, reply, forget. It worked well. Then, one day, I failed to peer into my inbox. Two days passed. Then, three.. and four. Before I knew it, my inbox was an endless abyss of emails and I was a bit afraid to even log in to my email account! What once was a simple 5 minute task would now take a mammoth effort to rectify. Currently, I think the email count on that inbox is nearing 2,000.

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When I dealt with my emails in small batches, the project was manageable. However, when I dealt with them by the “yard” (or mile in my case!), the project was overwhelming. When you have a daunting task, try working on it a bit each dayto keep the feelings of impending doom at bay. If you’re already overwhelmed by a task, try breaking it down into daily, manageable goals until the job is complete. Take the project by the “inch” and you’ll be able to complete it by the yard.

setting goals is the first step in turning the

invisible into the visIble -Tony Robbins

Procrastination Killer #2: Flesh out your goal (I already talked all about this concept in the ebook, “How to Set Goals That Will Stick”, but some of the concepts bear repeating. For a more thorough covering of this topic, please download the ebook.) Without a goal, it’s easy to accomplish things, but not necessarily important things. Also, if we don’t have a goal, how will we know exactly what we’re trying to accomplish? Beginning a project without a goal is like baking without a recipe. Pulling random ingredients out of the pantry and whisking them around in a bowl can result in a culinary creation....but not necessarily a good one! Without a recipe (or at least an idea of one - are we making dinner or dessert here?), it’s impossible to know if the dish should be baked, how long, or at what temperature. Even the ingredients are at the mercy of a whim! Beginning a task without a goal is the same way. Let’s say you want to clean your room. Without a goal, you don’t know how long you should spend cleaning, or even what defines “clean”. Is the room clean when all the clothes are put away? When the floor is vacuumed, or once the walls have been scrubbed? Goals provide the structure in which we accomplish things. As Earl Nightingale said: “People with goals succeed because they know where they’re going.”

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- earl nightingale

Goals are vital on both the macro and micro levels. Micro goals are desires such as cleaning the house, taking care of car repairs or completing a project that you’ve dreaded. Macro goals are the lifetime ambitions which are not instantly attainable. Setting goals, both big and small allow you to maximize your life.

Procrastination Killer #3: Share your goals with others When setting goals (even the crazy ambitious ones) have a friend or two with whom you can scheme, share and plan. As I work to make my goals a reality, I have a few friends who inspire and hold me accountable. They’re friends with whom I feel comfortable to share everything my crazy goals and my darkest failures. They cheer on my successes and encourage me through in the midst of my failures. When I’m slacking in meeting my goals, they help me get back on the wagon. When sharing with a friend that I had difficulty waking up early, she offered to give me a wake up call! Good friends are a vital key in lifelong success. It’s a lot harder to tell yourself “oh, I’ll just study that or clean that tomorrow” when you know your friend will be calling you tonight to ask if you accomplished the goal you set.

Procrastination Killer #4: Start small There’s always a lot of hubbub about New Year’s Resolutions. Typically, I shy away from laying out a laundry list of tasks for myself on December 31st. My tendency is to wait until I am ready to set a specific goal, rather than dredging up a to-do list for myself as reminded by a cultural

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event. (Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with New Year’s resolutions, it’s just not my most effective method of goal setting.) This year, however, was an exception. Presented with the gift of a 10-day holiday break over the Christmas season, I had a lot of time to regroup and plan for the upcoming year with my downtime. As a result, I inadvertently created goals for Bible study, writing projects, a blogging course, and leading a healthier lifestyle. Suddenly, I went from a goal-less individual to a highly frazzled, over-task person! After a few exercises in futility on the goal setting front, I knew something needed to change. I found it virtually impossible to wake up at 5:00am and work on writing projects after completing my massive healthy cooking project at 12:30 the night before! Once reality set in, my tired mind realized I couldn’t introduce the “new me” to the world over night. Taking projects one step at a time, I decided to focus on the two most important tasks: completing a writing project with a looming deadline, and improving my diet. Once the schedule demands of the initial two goals are met, the writing course and intensive Bible study will find their way back into my day! This change resulted in feeling greatly relieved (and well rested!) It’s human nature to desire perfection, and to try to make sweeping changes at one time. The bad news is, none of us are perfect. Therefore, getting back on that horse to try again will always be necessary. There is good news, though - if we keep trying, we will always have the opportunity to begin again. Be patient. Take one step each day. Don’t focus on studying the entire 500 page textbook today. Concentrate on finishing the two chapters you need to read today. If that still seems daunting, focus on reading one page. Then focus on the next page. And the next. Not only will you start to gain momentum in whatever your main task is, your positive momentum for completing one goal will swing you into meeting the next challenge with full force! (Have chores to do after you finish studying, anyone?)

Procrastination Killer #5: Be prepared Few things can derail a project like the inability to find the materials you need. Think about the last time you were in a rush to head out the door and you couldn’t find a pair of matching socks.

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Yep. That’s exactly what I’m talking about. In fact, I experienced this frustration when preparing to write this ebook. I began searching for a resource I needed to create the outline. I searched my apartment, and the book never appeared. This incident cost me time and the chance to create exactly what I needed the moment I was ready to create it. Now, I can’t promise to stop the sock monster from devouring your socks in the dryer, but we can look at other ideas for keeping life organized.

Be sure you have the materials you need before you start a project. Have you ever tried to hang a picture, only to discover you don’t own a hammer? I don’t own many tools, and I often find myself in such predicaments. Generally, I waste about 30 minutes looking for a hammer, and another 30 trying to figure out a creative alternative to using a hammer. In college, my creative hall-mate’s solution to hanging pictures without a hammer was a high heel shoe. As much as it pains me to admit this, not every predicament can be fixed with the right pair of shoes. (Although, I’d like to argue that MANY can!) Not having the right tools to work on a project causes much lost time and frustration. Be sure you have the materials you need before you dive in. If you’re cooking - be sure you have all of the ingredients before you begin creating your concoction. If you’re working on a report for school, have your books at hand so you won’t have to break your concentration later as you wander to the bookshelf.

Procrastination Killer #6: Stop multitasking Once you begin, do one thing at a time! For years, I joined the unproductive majority as a self-proclaimed multi-tasker. I managed to convince myself I could to study for an exam, chat with my friends over instant messenger, and watch a movie simultaneously. This created disastrously unproductive results. Our minds are equipped to focus on one thing at a time. While it is possible to have all activities

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occurring at the same time, only one can receive our attention at any given moment. We learn this lesson as children. By the age of four or five, most of us realize the prime opportunity to get away with mischievous acts or ask mom for a generally forbidden treat is when she is on the phone - as she is unable to give us her full attention for the moment. When I was growing up, I got the “distraction equals permission” tactic down to a science. As a rather mischievous 11 year old, I snuck into the back of my best friend’s mini van as she and her mom were leaving my house one afternoon. We giggled as our moms, wrapping up their conversation, neglected to notice I was missing. To our delight, neither mom gained awareness as the van was cranked and the driver’s window rolled down to allow for the completion of the final bits of conversation. Suddenly, I realized I should make my presence known. My best friend lived 30 minutes away and neither set of moms would enjoy an hour long commute to exchange children. Not entirely abandoning my mischievous streak, as my mom began to shout her goodbyes, I sat up, smiled broadly, waved, and called goodbye to my mom. She smiled (still distracted by the previous conversation) and returned the wave. There was a slight pause. Then, “Wait! Rachel! You aren’t going with them!” followed by good natured laughter at her own distraction. Rachel = 1 distracted mom = 0. If a mother can lose track of her own children as she attempts to multitask, we’re not above losing track of the important details of a project in our own attempt to multitask. Even in switching continually between two tasks, we lose productivity. Here, I have another moment of confession. As I was typing this paragraph, I was distracted by a text message. It took time to find my phone, read the text, think of a response, and tap it out. Then, I began thinking about the potential responses to my text. As I was distracted from writing, I remembered I left my puppy in her kennel and detoured to free my caged canine. In all, my text message distraction cost 10 minutes of concentration, plus the minutes required to fall back into “writing mode” following the distractions. While not all multitasking distractions are so extreme, a similar pattern generally occurs when we attempt to use our mind for two distinct tasks at one time.

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Generally, we like to multitask because we as humans, have what I call “Jackie Syndrome.” Currently, I am attempting to train my high strung puppy (Jackie) to stay in her bed at my command. She’ll sit there for a while, then grow restless. Eventually, her head will be on the floor, her front paws will creep onto the carpet, and within a few minutes, only her hindquarters remain in her bed. She’ll then shoot me a look as if to say “Sure, most of me is on the floor, but I’m technically still in bed. What are you going to do about that?” While we aren’t necessarily relegated to a doggy bed, we tend to multi-task so we can experience the best of both worlds. We think we can leave our hind legs in the doggy bed and have the rest of the floor at our disposal. For example, multi-tasking by watching TV while studying is a classic example of Jackie Syndrome. Sure, technically we’re learning about family psychology, but watching The Brady Bunch while studying is not going to help you learn much of anything. One fourth of our mind is devoted to work, and the other three-fourths are “on the carpet.” And the one fourth of our brain devoted to work is trying to figure out how it can get “on the carpet” as well. According to researcher Zhen Wang in a lifehacker.com article, [People who multitask] are not being more productive—they just feel more emotionally satisfied from their work.” Incidentally, you are much smarter than my puppy (she also thinks the toilet is a handy watering-hole), so be sure you are devoting your full mind to your work - 1/4th is not enough. Research has shown that multitasking actually splits the brain as it frantically attempts to switch rapidly back and forth between two activities. A scene from one of my favorite classic TV shows, I Love Lucy, demonstrates our loss of brain function as we attempt to master two tasks at once. One evening, Lucy, engrossed in a murder mystery, is mindlessly dipping crackers into a jar of cheese sitting next to a jar of cold cream on her night stand. As Lucy becomes more deeply immersed in the storyline, the more distracted she gets and soon she’s biting into a cracker that had been dipped in the cold cream. Multi-tasking is really just a productive sounding word for distraction. So that’s the bad news. Let’s take a look at how we can turn the multitasking monster around.

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Lifehacker offers some great ideas and I highly recommend the article I referenced above.

1) Purge your tab collection. As we browse the internet, we tend to have 5-10 tabs open at any given time. My coworkers and I frequently compare notes on precisely how many tabs we have open at a given time. The number can reach 30 or more! It’s not unheard of to have 15 tabs open in 3 different web browsers! Lifehacker recommends a one tab rule. It’s simple. Only open one tab at a time in your web browser. Admittedly, I find this a bit unrealistic. For example, as I work on an e book, I may have a tab for my writing, one for an article I’m using for research, and a third containing a relevant Google search. I am okay with stretching this rule a little bit, as all information is on the same topic and ultimately boosts productivity.

2) Don’t live out of your inbox. This one is not easy for me either. While my personal email account would require a bulldozer to clean out, I tend to leave my work account open at all times. At work, this destroys my productivity. Mid-project, I find myself becoming distracted by emails as soon as they pop into my inbox. Sometimes, they are important. Most often, it’s an announcement about a group lunch, a maintenance update to our servers, a blog post, or other information that can (and should) wait until I’ve wrapped up my current project. Instant email accessibility also allows anyone to interrupt your workflow or studying at any point in time. This rule also applies to text messages, phone calls, instant messaging services, etc. Whatever will pull your focus off of the task at hand. It can wait.

3) Go off the grid every now and then. We all need down time and focus time. Last week, in my scramble to make it out the door to work, I accidentally left my phone sitting on the counter in my apartment. During the day, I found myself reaching for my phone many times. I quickly became conscious of precisely how many times my concentration was broken by the little buzzing box of distraction. When I returned home to retrieve my precious communication device in the evening, I discovered the world did not fall apart in my absence. Sure, I had a plethora of messages, Facebook notifications, and even a missed call. And they all waited for me. I was able to quickly reply and catch up on life without missing a beat.

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In fact, constant communication with others has only been viewed as necessary for about 13 years. Last night, I was watching a TV show filmed in the early 90s. In the episode, a couple was discussing purchasing a car phone and they were laughing at the concept of always being accessible to others. How far we’ve come in about 20 years! Little could the creators of the show imagine they’d carry their email in their pocket as well! Our society’s current level of connection is rarely necessary. If you have a big project or huge studying goals - go off the grid for a bit. You’ll be fine. I promise.

4) Listen to music! (Yes! Finally - something you ARE allowed to do) Music uses a different part of your brain than other tasks, so you can still hear your favorite tunes while working on projects. Everyone has a different preference when it comes to music and work. Some find it best to listen to lyricless music, such as soundtracks, while focusing (especially studying or writing) while others find that lyrics are not distracting. For me, music helps me focus and tune out distractions. Additionally, it makes projects I don’t necessarily enjoy, like answering a mountain of email, more enjoyable. Have you exhausted your iTunes playlist? To find discover new music for free, I recommend Spotify, Rdio, Pandora, and Songza. Each has their own loyalty base, so try them all until you discover your favorite.

Procrastination Killer #7: Know your obstacles When we begin any project, obstacles show up. Phones ring. People get sick. Pots boil over. Life happens. Often our worst enemy is ourselves, however, as an old cartoon quips:

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The first step to identifying our obstacles is knowing ourselves. Generally, I am my own worst distraction. It’s human nature to sit down to work on an assignment, and notice all of the things which went ignored before - an unmade bed, dishes in the sink, or a book that’s waiting to be read. When I am really avoiding a project, I find myself cleaning out my fridge, organizing files on my hard drive, or flipping through a complete stranger’s wedding album on Facebook. I hate cleaning out my fridge, but sometimes I just look for something to do merely to avoid the task at hand. On the other hand, some obstacles and interruptions are unavoidable, and completely legitimate. As a general rule, we spend a significant portion of our time eating, sleeping, and grooming. Sure, we can shorten the length of time we spend in these activities. But chances are, such a lifestyle isn’t sustainable. You can only go so long without a shower. When looking at our use of time, sleep, eating, and personal hygiene will always comprise part of our day. Other activities can be postponed or pared down. It’s important to carefully scrutinize any obstacles and determine which should be worked around, and which should be eliminated. When working on a mammoth project a few years ago, I found myself drowning in work. I tried waking up early, cutting some activities, and shortening my meal breaks to take care of the Herculean task. Try as I might, I was simply unable to add hours to my day. I was balancing work, another work project, a relationship, and spending time with my family... and I was exhausted. On the brink of tears, I poured out my woes to my dad. He sat back, looked at me and said: “Do your very best, and that’s all you can do. Once you’ve done your best, no one can expect any more from you.” This principle brings comfort when looking at obstacles to getting things done. Evaluate what’s in your way. Determine what can be changed, what can’t, and how you will do your very best inspite of both.

But... Before sitting back, thumbs twiddling and thinking all is well, be sure the final work is indeed the very best. Often, obstacles are less insurmountable than we assume them to be. In 1887, a headstrong 20 year-old was assigned the impossible - teach a wild blind and deaf girl to communicate and behave as a sighted child. Herself visually impaired, the young woman

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must have been daunted by the challenge. The days were long and the results less than rapid. Even basic rules of civility had been neglected. Her ward was inclined to wander from plate to plate during dinner and help herself to the food of her family members. No one would have blamed her for abandoning the dream or settling for a handful of mediocre results. The teacher, however, was not one for accepting the comfortable solution. After months of painful work, a breakthrough occurred - the word “water” was understood. By her teen years, the wild child who refused to sit civilly through dinner was a prolific communicator and writer. Through her determination to overcome obstacles, Anne Sullivan provided the gift of the world to Helen Keller, and the world the gift of Helen Keller. Sure, we aren’t all Anne Sullivan, but we are capable of completing the work God has set before us.

Procrastination Killer #8: Just start Once you’re aware of your obstacles and willing to work and overcome them, roll up your sleeves and get started! As Mary Poppins says: “Well begun is half done.” A surefire way to kill procrastination is simply starting. TimeManagementNinja.com offers some tips, but here are a few to get you started.

1) Stop talking and start doing

THE WAY TO

Walt Disney points out: “The way to get started is to quit

IS TO QUIT TALKING AND begin doing

talking and begin doing.” There comes a point in any project where it’s time to stop talking and planning and start doing. Even if you’re not able to complete the project perfectly today. Do what you can, and make the most of it! An elderly man lived in my neighborhood when I was a child. After suffering a heart attack, his doctors encouraged

get started

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him to start walking. At first, the man could barely shuffle

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to his mailbox. Eventually, he was able to make it to the next mailbox on the street. He continued going to the next mailbox until he was able to walk laps up and down the street! It would have been easy for him to make excuses. Instead, he got off the couch and took the first step. Is a project overwhelming or daunting to you? Just take that first step, do what you can, and keep pressing forward!

2) Start the day in an organized manner Wake up 15 minutes earlier than you normally would and create a game plan for the day. Write out what you would like to accomplish, and even include a few “stretch” goals - goals you’d like to reach if you knock out everything on your to do list. Do you ever look at the clock to discover it’s noon and you haven’t done anything with your day yet? Beginning the day with goals builds enthusiasm for the day and organizes your time. Finally, determine a method of celebration once you complete your goals. It can be something small like playing a game online, spending some time on Pinterest or it can be a something special - dessert, clothes, jewelry, a new gadget.

Procrastination Killer #9: Keep going Once you’ve started, don’t forget to keep going! We all hit obstacles and roadblocks, even when we thought we’d mapped them all out. Sometimes, we just don’t feel like doing things. Getting things done takes hard work, determination, organization, and the tenacity to keep going, even when we don’t feel like it. Let’s be honest. Laziness is natural. Most of us feel inclined to give up. The cure for laziness is doing and producing. It’s one thing to begin a project, but completion is an entirely different story. I love beginning projects! They’re fresh, exciting and without mistakes. Unfortunately, my tendency is to begin projects and never complete them. My bookshelf is filled with partially read and completely untouched books. It’s exciting to begin then and exciting to complete them, but the in-between part can get difficult. In my own life, I discovered that my own insecurity prevented me from actually producing my

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work. As a writer, I’ve wanted to start a blog for years. However, I would sit down to type a post and leave my computer with a blank page, or at best, only a few paragraphs on a template. What prevented me from pushing the “publish” button on any post? Insecurity. My mind was flooded with “what ifs” “what if my post isn’t good enough? “what if I didn’t catch every typo?” “what if people judge me?”. Finally, I decided to get over my fears and just write. I sat down, created a post, proof read, and published it. For better or worse. Sure, someone will probably critique the post and find mistakes. I’m sure I’ve included enough material to be judged for some reason. However. The piece is published, and I’ve seen a bit of positive feedback so far. I just had to start somewhere. Just start. You’ll see success and failure. But, you’ll never go anywhere if you don’t start. And you have something you want to start. Whether it’s studying for a test, tackling a chore, starting your own business or something in-between, procrastination is something that’s holding you back from living full out. So it’s time to kill procrastination and start pursuing your dreams and goals! As a quick refresh, those 9 Procrastination Killers are

#1: Get organized! #2: Flesh out your goal #3: Share your goals with others #4: Start small #5: Be prepared #6: Stop multitasking #7: Know your obstacles. #8: Just start #9: Keep going

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Probably the most important one is #3: Share your goals with others. I’ve said this numerous times, but having people there to hold you accountable to your goals is vitally important. Think about the last time you told someone you’d do something for them. Maybe you told an older couple from church that you would help them with a cleaning project on a Saturday morning at 8am. Chances are, you were on their doorstep at 7:59, ready to go. They were counting on you and you would “let them down” if you did arrive when you said you would. What about when you tell yourself you’re going to do something? “I’ll clean my closet today.” How many times does it actually get done? If you’re like me, it probably doesn’t get done super often. Some reason comes up and it seems it would be a better idea to just do it tomorrow. Or next week. But what if you told a friend on Friday night, “I’m going to clean my closet tomorrow. Can you please call me at 10:00am and ask me if I did?” You would probably be more inclined to finish it. No one likes to admit to a friend (no matter how close) that they failed to do something. That’s why we have coaches here at CollegePlus. A coach who helps you set up those goals. Your coach doesn’t create your goals for you (that’s your job!), but your coach is the one who will send you that email or give you that phone call in two weeks asking, “So, did you clean your closet?” (It’s more likely you’ll get asked if you studied what you said you will, but hang with me here.) College is a big deal and a lot of work. It can be difficult to balance the perspective. You don’t want to get caught up in how monumental a task it will be to complete your degree when you only have one test to study for. But at the same time, if all you do is think about which test you’re currently on, then when the going gets tough you might forget why you’re studying for that test in the first place.

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Chances are, it’s not all about just passing that Math test. It’s about passing the math test to earn your degree, so you can go on to live out God’s calling on your life. Our coaches help you do that - balance both the short term and the long term goals you have. By holding you accountable. They’ll help you kill the procrastination that will try tto creep in. The same procrastination that will hold you back from doing all God created you to do. Are you ready to take the next step of earning your degree? Learn more about CollegePlus by visiting our website and filling out a free information request. Or call us at 866-989-5432.

It’s time to start doing.

About Rachel Martin Rachel’s Texan adventure began in January 2012 when she moved to San Antonio from her native Alabama. She has slowly become acclimated to the Texan culture over the past year and is now proclaims herself to be a “step-Texan.” Favorite Texan activities include country western dancing and exploring San Antonio while sporting her western boots which she bought this summer - the ultimate act of Texan conformity. Rachel enjoys writing, volunteering with at-risk teens, serving on the leadership team with an inner city church plant, and spending time with her newfound Texan friends. And playing and training her new puppy, Jackie.

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