Posts filed under Articles

The Comfort of Routine

This morning I watched my son, as I do every morning, enter his kindergarten classroom. I wait by the window because he always comes over and waves good bye. It is our way, our ritual. However, this morning I observed him more closely.

His teacher established a routine for all the children to follow. First they turn in their communications folders, then put their snacks in their cubby and then hang up their backpacks and jackets. This is just one part of my son's ritual and routine-filled day. For children, there is a sense of comfort and safety knowing what to expect on a daily basis.

Posted on June 4, 2014 and filed under Articles.

Perfectionist vs Procrastinator

Mitzi Weinman

Do you think you're a perfectionist? Do you need everything just right or the "perfect" amount of time before you will start a project? You may think you're a perfectionist but chances are you are a procrastinator parading around in perfectionists' clothing.

Can't get an hour to exercise, so you choose not to exercise at all. Isn't 20 minutes better than zero minutes?

Don't want to start that long involved, tedious project because you need 4 hours and there's just no way to get 4 hours. So instead of taking a few minutes to ask youself, what is the very first small step I can take to just begin, you put it off for that ideal day when you will have the ideal 4 hours. And when will that be?

Here are a few ideas that may help you put off procrastinating:

1. Identify the reason(s) you aren't moving forward.

2. Ask yourself if the reason(s) are really compelling. Be honest.

3. Determine the very next, ittiest bittiiest action you could take to progress.

Once you determine your obstacles and their vailidity, it's much easier to decide if you will move forward or not. If you choose, and the key is "choice" not to go ahead, then either let it go by moving on or decide when a better time would be to revisit what you've decided not to do.

When you make a decision, you take control back, even if it's taking control back from yourself. A thoughtful choice is, indeed, not procrastination, but a perfect way to resolution.

Posted on June 4, 2014 and filed under Articles.