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Get Things Done!

God has put each person on earth to do something great for His glory. The simple purpose of this podcast is to help you get things done every day so that you can accomplish something worthwhile with your life.
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Now displaying: March, 2015
Mar 31, 2015

Proverbs 12:24 says: "The hand of the diligent [the faithful worker] shall bear rule: but the slothful [lazy worker] shall be under tribute."

 

Our quote for today is from Paulo Coelho. He said: "Have pity on those who are fearful of taking up a pen, or a paintbrush, or an instrument, or a tool because they are afraid that someone has already done so much better than they could."

Today, in the Get Things Done podcast we are continuing with Part 2 of our series titled, “Overcoming Fear of Failure”. 

In our last episode, we identified healthy and unhealthy responses to fear of failure, and we also talked about how failure can actually be a good thing if we learn from it. Today, we will pick up with that discussion.

Okay, let's admit that valuable lessons can be learned from failure and that surviving failure can strengthen the ego. Aside from that there isn't much to be said for it, is there?

Yes, there is one other important benefit connected with failure. In many situations, successes tend to occur in fixed proportions to attempts. The more often you try -- and the more failures you chalk up -- the more successes you have.

Would you illustrate what you mean by that?

Suppose your job involves calling on customers, selling on commission. From analyzing your records you learn that on the average you make one sale out of every five calls. Of course, anything you can do to increase that ratio is desirable. But aside from that, even without improving your technique, you can increase your income simply by increasing the number of calls you make -- in other words, by getting more "failures." At your present rate, to make one more sale per week you need make only one more call each day. Each of those extra calls, even though unfruitful, should be thought of as an accomplishment and not a failure because it has moved you one step closer to your next sale.

Mar 23, 2015

Proverbs 12:24 says: "The hand of the diligent [the faithful worker] shall bear rule: but the slothful [lazy worker] shall be under tribute."

Our quote for today is from Napoleon Bonaparte. He said: "He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat."

Today, in the Get Things Done podcast we are beginning with Part 1 of a new series titled, "Overcoming Fear of Failure". 

Is there any one emotion that, more than any other, causes procrastination?

Yes. Fear in its various guises is at the bottom of much of our procrastination. It figures especially in our putting off really important things, as distinguished from simply bothersome chores like cutting the grass or washing the car.

What kinds of fear preclude action?

Fear of failure, fear of self-disclosure, fear of ridicule, fear of the unknown, fear of falling short of perfection, fear of confrontation, fear of pain, fear of risk, even fear of success, to name just a few.

And the most common of these is fear of failure. The realization that what you want to do may not work out, and that you will then have to admit to yourself and possibly to others that you didn't succeed. Many people are immobilized by such thoughts.

But that's understandable, isn't it? You can't blame people for being afraid to stick their necks out when there's a chance they may lose them.

True, but one's neck is seldom at stake, although we often act as if it were. Failure doesn't mean annihilation or disgrace or an end of opportunity. It usually means a temporary setback and nothing more. Thinking of it that way can preserve your morale, your optimism, your zest. In short, it can change your life.

As a matter of fact, not only is failure seldom a disaster, but it can actually have a benign aspect. It can serve a useful function, and can be thought of as a plus rather than as a minus.

Mar 17, 2015

1 Corinthians 10:31 says: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

Our quote for today is from Paul J. Meyer. He said: "Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort."

Today, in the Get Things Done podcast we are continuing with Part 9 of our section titled, "Developing a Game Plan to Overcome Procrastination". 

In our last episode, we talked about the pros and cons of talking to others about your goals and asking other to hold you accountable if you struggle with procrastination. Today, as we conclude this series on Developing a Game Plan to Overcome Procrastination, we are going to consider how prayer can help you kick the procrastination habit and start getting things done.

The philosophy of self-reliance is sound, no doubt, but what about the possibility of seeking assistance from a higher source? Doesn't prayer deserve a listing in our catalog of anti-procrastination techniques?

Certainly. It would be folly to overlook a practice that has helped billions of people throughout the ages. If what you are procrastinating on is something important, and if you have religious convictions, by all means use prayer as a means of strengthening your resolve. We've spoken of the benefit you can get from making a commitment to a friend. Obviously, if your commitment is to your Maker instead of to the person sitting at the next desk, your sense of obligation will be infinitely stronger.

...

Mar 10, 2015

Philippians 2:14-15 says: "Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."

Our quote for today is from Babe Ruth. He said: "It's hard to beat a person who never gives up."

Today, we are continuing with Part 8 of our section titled, "Developing a Game Plan to Overcome Procrastination".

In our last episode, we talked about the merits of recording the talks you have with yourself as a way to get over inertia and procrastination and begin doing the things you know you ought to be doing. Today, we are going to talk about the type of questions you should ask as well as the value or lack thereof in talking with friends and family about the goals you wish to accomplish.

It isn't your self that you want to analyze, but your behavior. Remember that the goal isn't analysis, but change.

When people try to analyze themselves they begin to focus on the past, and when they do that they always find many places to put the blame for their shortcomings -- parents, siblings, teachers, fate, the company, the boss, the economy, the system. Even if the analysis happens to be correct it isn't very helpful. So instead of asking such questions as "What's wrong with me?" or "What made me the way I am?", it's far more helpful to ask, "In what ways would I like to change my behavior, and how can I?"

Mar 3, 2015

2 Thessalonians 3:11-12 says: "For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread."

Our quote for today is from Thomas Carlyle. He said: "Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like accomplishment.”

Today, we are continuing with Part 7 of our section titled, "Developing a Game Plan to Overcome Procrastination".

In our last episode, we talked about the option of talking to yourself as a way to get over inertia and procrastination and begin doing the things you know you ought to be doing. Today, we are going to expand on that topic with the suggestion that you record these talks you have with yourself. When Edwin Bliss published his book in 1984, he recommended using a cassette tape recorder. Of course, today, you can do the same thing with your smartphone, a microphone hooked up to your desktop computer, or the built-in microphone on your laptop.

Just talking to yourself can have a powerful effect, but some people get even more benefit from a self-lecture if they record it. Then, whenever they are tempted to goof off, they can just play back what they said when they were in a more buoyant mood, thus getting the needed shot in the arm -- or kick in the rear, as the case may be.

Besides being a reusable medium for self-motivation, the recording has another advantage: some people find they simply can't talk to themselves out loud as we've discussed -- they feel self-conscious when pacing the floor soliloquizing, Hamlet-style. But with the recorder they are, in effect, dictating a memo to themselves, making the process more acceptable.

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