Piggy-Backing Previous Procrastination Post

Yes. to answer your question, I am lazy at times. But I just had to link back to a previous post (It doesn't happen often) to relate to this post.

A week or so ago, I linked to a video of Ellen talking about how well she procrastinates. You can see the post/video here.

At the time, I thought very little (let alone nearly nothing) about consequences procrastination could have on our day, our lives, our menu, or what have you.

And then friend and fellow Motivational Mama (umm, ok, I'm not a mama, but you know what I mean), Angie Buckner Lay wrote about something which she had in her mind and spirit for a fairly decent amount of time... but didn't quite get around to acting on it.

To see what happened and the feelings, thoughts and frustr......  Umm, I'll let her give you the story.

Read about it on her Motivational Musings blog.

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David Stoddard The Unmotivated Motivational Writer

Twitter:twitter.com/imdavidstoddard

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How Patient Do Ya Gotta Be?

Ever have one of those days where you put together a lunch or picnic outing for friends or even co-workers, and no one seems to remember when or where it is?

See, my buddy Teddy here (cute name I thought) is just waiting patiently for lunch.

You can see he hasn't eaten yet. No mess to speak of. (really, bears are not exactly known for cleaning up after themselves). So I am guessing he has not had a bite in a little while (though Teddy may think that person with the camera is beginning to look like a nice snack until his friends make there way to the campgrounds.

How long do you think he will sit and wait, before getting up, tossing the table over on end and searching for his own potato salad and hotdogs?

What can you say: Would you have eaten the photographer by now? Go off into the woods? Or just hang out with the ants at the table? Or something else.....

Photo creatively borrowed from Sarah Jackson's blog/site http://sarahcentric.com/

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David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer
Twitter: twitter.com/imdavidstoddard
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Giving In To Writing Related Distractions

Ever have those moments when you just don't know what in the world you are doing? You're sitting there typing away, and a thought comes to your mind that you gives you this feeling that you have no idea what is happening?

Maybe it's a thought you should be doing something else, be it a different writing project such as working on an article instead of your current blog entry, or maybe you feel you'd be better off searching for new markets instead of writing the same ole piece on what to do with pumpkin insides once you carve it for Halloween.

For me, perhaps those thoughts are telling us something. Either that or they are just being a distraction, trying to take us away from what we are and should be doing at a give moment.

As an idea, take a moment, give in to the thought that there could be something else you should be doing (writing aspect that is), and take a short walk up the block and back.

See what the fresh air, the sights and sounds of the outdoors and the feeling of the approaching autumn tells you.

Then sit down, write out what you thought during your trip and see what new ideas are there for you to do right now.

Try it out. And let me know what you came up with, as well as other ideas you have had to fight the urge to do other things.

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David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer
Twitter: twitter.com/imdavidstoddard
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Creating Content When Ya Got Nuttin

The following infographic is from CopyBlogger

Folks ask writers all the time where they get their ideas. This helps anyone come up with ways to create ideas. Trust me, the graphic does a better job of showing than I am about telling.



Like this infographic? Get more content marketing tips from Copyblogger.


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David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer
Twitter: twitter.com/imdavidstoddard
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Ellen Shares My Procrastination Problem(s)

I know what you're thinking... But David, you are writing stuff from time to time. You are getting things done. Words are being put together into sentences and then small paragraphs. You can not possibly have a problem with procrastination... (and no, we, your adorable readers, will not mention the periods of time between your posts... It's our secret with ya dude).

Well, thank you. All of you who allowed me to type for you just then. But it is true. There are so many things I need to be doing. Want to be doing, but just don't get around to it.

As Ellen will explain to you, my steps may be different, but her skills of procrastination are on video to be shared with you now. Please enjoy and learn from our busy lives.





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David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer
Twitter:twitter.com/imdavidstoddard
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Totally Lacking Time Management Skillz

You know him, you love him.Cyril Northcote Parkinson. He is the very person named Parkinson who Parkinson's Law is named for.  

In short, the Law states that Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.

In my case, non-work activities and actions are doing a super job of filling this huge time void between when I first signed on to do stuff for the event and the actual date of the event itself.

I highly recommend taking part in activities that have nothing to do with much of anything when it comes to things you need to be working on.

On second thought, perhaps my way of getting things done (or not done) may not work as well for you.

Maybe you like getting things done ahead of time because...

• You like getting things done ahead of time.
• You just know something else is bound to come up.
• It gives you time for tweaking - you crazy tweaker, you.
• You like sitting back while the rest of us are stressing out at deadline time..
• You've always been the busy little bee, haven't you? Go ahead. Admit it.

Oh, sorry. Got a bit carried away there.

As for me, I've almost always been a last minute doer kinda guy. No matter if I had to write a term paper, put together a video, or squeegee the countless things that needed squeegeeing, it would do them pretty close to when they were due. Hey, it's a living.

Why did/do I do that?

• Assures there is less time to stress about if something was wrong.
• Gets whatever it is done in a shorter amount of time.
• I can get back to more exciting activities not related to anything. (see earlier in this post).

Despite this, I have on occasion been reminded the benefits of working on things early on and getting them done. Usually that happens after I realize that whatever it is I'm working on is going to take a lot longer than (not) planned.

Take this post for example. If I had gotten started on it earlier, planned it a bit better, maybe I would have been able to come up with a better ending to this post than this.

This is the end of this post.

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David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer
Twitter: twitter.com/imdavidstoddard
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I Double Dog Dare Ya

"Don’t ever tell me there is something I can’t do- I’ll spend years (4…) proving you wrong."

I came across that quote from someone I used to work with who found me on Facebook.

I don't know the story behind her quote, but I can imagine there are others in her life who either doubted what she was wanting to do, or maybe it was their own way of challenging her to do more, be more.

So without preaching or anything like that, my question is this (and I think it's for all of us), what in your past have you been dared to do which is still in the back of your mind to this day?

Or better yet, what have you wanted to do, which you still want to work toward, but for one reason or other, haven't made the effort to complete?

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David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer
Twitter: twitter.com/imdavidstoddard
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RIP Whitney - And THANK YOU

One Moment In Time

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David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer
Twitter: twitter.com/imdavidstoddard
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When The Road Ends, What Do Ya Do?

This reminds me of that Alaska "Bridge to Nowhere."

Here we are, driving along on a nice road with a lot of greenery to see and take in. We're groovin to Steeley Dan, sippin on green tea, our hair blowing in the wind (it's a convertible), and not a care in the world when all of a sudden.....

WHAT THE.......

What do you mean there's nothing left? What did they do with the road? Look, this is a 1974 pride and joy convertible (I don't know what kind it could be). I'm certainly not going to take this baby off road into who knows what.

So now we just have to turn back, or maybe just wait there for the road to be added onto. Since that could take a while. So we do the only logical thing. We FLOOR IT!!!! Get near the end and spin that unnamed convertible around. We do a few donuts just to leave our mark (like all of those Washington slept here etchings), we want folks to know we were there, and we quietly head back.

Of course, we have to go a bit fast to dry out our clothes since we spilled all of the green tea over ourselves and we didn't think of bringing any towels. But hey, we still have Steely Dan playin and Mr. Margarittaville himself Jimmy Buffett ready in our 6 CD car stereo. (who the rest are, we just don't know. We're in a bit of a pattern there.

So what do ya say...

Do you get upset, toss out all of your empty cola bottles out onto the road in disgust because where you were heading got interrupted? Or do you just turn back, look to your GPS for other ways to go from here to there?

Photo credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1058418

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David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer
Twitter: twitter.com/imdavidstoddard
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Carpe Diem

You may remember it from "Dead Poet's Society." "Carpe diem! Seize the day, boys! Make your lives extraordinary!

It's about this day, this moment, this instant. Take this moment and make it yours. Live in the moment. Life begins here and now. (and not just because it's Monday)

How are you going to live in the moment? How are you going to make today better than yesterday and doubly as good as the day before? What are you going to do today that you may have been putting off for some time?

WRITING ASSIGNMENT

Write about those questions as well as these... What are you doing now to be better than you were? What will you do after you read this that you have been meaning to do for so long? What do you see down the road if you just get started doing something today? (more on that last one soon).

--David
 

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David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer
Twitter: twitter.com/imdavidstoddard
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A Bit About Me (updated)

So many people have been putting together short lists of things about themselves which many folks may or may not know about them. I did this list a couple of years ago, and decided to update it a little bit.

Granted, the list hasn't really changed all that much (not sure what that says about me). But here is the updated on in all of it's glory. Feel free to create your own in the comments.

 David Stoddard…

…is an emerging* a hopefully humorous writer writing on personal motivation & stuff.
…is the common voice which we’ve all heard in our own minds at one time or other.
…may not do it himself, but knows what he has to do to keep things moving.
…doesn’t believe life should be as serious as many would have us believe.
…really does do more than sit in the EZ chair from morning til night.
…knows work is needed to succeed, but it takes thinking first.
…hated English class, but manages to write okie dokie.
…believes Weird Al Yankovic is a musical god.
…really can be funny from time to time.
…likes pizza and Chinese food.
…is transitioning right now.
…is his real name.
…needs a nap.
…has a blog
…writes

* Thanks to Kristen Lamb, I'm working on taking out that whole "emerging writer" thing out of my vocabulary.

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David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer
Twitter: twitter.com/imdavidstoddard
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Words - To The Wise

WORDS

They mean something   -   They empower   -   They strengthen   -  They help   -  They endure

They can change lives

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David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer
Twitter: twitter.com/imdavidstoddard
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Note from the Groundhog - Please Let Me Sleep

photo: Punxsutawney Area Community Center 

Dear people of earth.

It's February 2nd, 2012.

I know I am cute, adorable and down-right totally friggin awesome. 

But It's 6 O'clock in the friggin morning.

Next year, can I just make a suggestion and have you kind, cute, adorable (and down-right totally friggin awesome in your own way) people just let me sleep? Thad be great. Thanks.

Oh. And if you want to know how many weeks of winter remain, can ya check a calendar or something? Depending on which kind you get, the date of the 1st day of spring (meaning end of winter) is probably marked on it.

Go ahead. Take a look. I'll wait. (Hint, it's probably in about 6 weeks or so - give or take)...

Thanks for reading. We're still cool, right?

Awesome.

Peace....

"the Groundhog"

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David Stoddard
The Unmotivated Motivational Writer
Twitter: twitter.com/imdavidstoddard
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