Neil A. Fiore Quotes

I've discovered that if you want to reach your
true potential, it's much more effective to ignite a new passion for
life than to dwell on past problems.

The main reason we learn any habit, as Drs. Frederick Kanfer and Jeanne Phillips tell us in Learning Foundations of Behavior Therapy, is that even a seemingly counterproductive habit like procrastination is immediately followed by some reward. Procrastination reduces tension by taking us away from something we view as painful or threatening. The more painful work is for you, the more you will try to seek relief through avoidance or through involvement in more pleasurable activities. The more you feel that endless work deprives you of the pleasure of leisure time, the more you will avoid work.

In most cases you are the one who confuses just doing the job with testing your worth.
Replace 'I have to' with 'I choose to'.

Keep on starting and finishing will take care of itself.

The fear of failure, the fear of being imperfect (perfectionism), and the fear of impossible expectations (being overwhelmed) that prevent us from acting on and attaining humanly possible goals and relationships.

In extreme cases of perfectionism, there is no distinction between judgment of one's work and one's sense of value as a person.

Having a fear of failure means you believe that even the smallest error could be evidence that you are a worthless and awful person. Having a fear of being imperfect means that it is difficult for you to accept yourself as you are - imperfect and, therefore, perfectly human - and so you interpret any criticism, rejection, or judgment by others as a threat to your very tenuous grasp on perfection. Having a fear of impossible expectations means fearing that even after you've worked hard and achieved the goals set for you, your only reward will be continually higher and more difficult goals to achieve, with no rest and no time to savor your achievements.

The choice is not working or not working, but which type of work; even feeling guilty because of procrastinating takes some effort. When you commit to a goal, you're committing to a form of work that brings ongoing rewards. When you procrastinate, you're choosing a self-punishing form of work.

Remember to avoid self-criticism about setbacks or obstacles that appear in the midst of your project. As management consultant Michael Durst says, "You may not be responsible for causing what happens to you, but you are responsible for what you do to correct it." This powerful message contains a crucial concept that many people miss: let go of worrying about the initial cause of the problem so that you can direct your energies to where they can do the most good - on the solution.

Denis Waitley, the author of The Psychology of Winning and The Joy of Working, who defines procrastination as "a neurotic form of self-defensive behavior" aimed at protecting one's self-worth.

The Now Habit perspective does not accept that laziness, disorganization, or any other character defect is the reason you procrastinate.

I'm not leaving the plane that way," I said to myself. That's when I discovered the power of choice - a third place that is neither "have to" or "want to." That discovery freed me to move forward to make two other choices: I'm not going to be kicked out of this plane; and If I'm going to leave this plane, it will be under my own power. I'm going to maximize my chances of a safe exit. The change in my feelings at that moment was quite dramatic. Stress was replaced with purposeful action; a sense of victimhood was transformed into empowerment. There was no hesitation, no ambivalence.