It's been a while since I've posted.

When you are a chronic procrastinator, such as I am, there are many forces that pull you away from what you really want to do in life. I've learned that one of the main roots of procrastination is fear.

Yes, fear is why I haven't posted.

• I fear that I have nothing valuable to say.
• I am afraid that if I do put myself out there, no one will understand what I am talking about anyways, so why bother.
• I tremble to think that everything I have in my heart and mind will not get out properly, that it will be a jumbled mess, and I will have to stop writing because it's just too hard to write coherently and get my message across at the same time.
• I'm afraid everyone will catch on that I really can't write.
• There's too much I want to say and not enough time to say it all.
• I fear that spending time on what I want to do will pull me away from all I NEED to do. Others will become disappointed and perhaps upset with me.
• Whatever I write will not be good enough (or at least as good as what's crammed in my mind's eye), so I will never measure up to the ideals I hold for myself.

Do any of these sound familiar to you? If so, whew! I'm not alone.

We procrastinators need to stick together and keep each other going. Which brings me back to what I had in mind when I started this blog.

• I want to write through my own bouts of procrastination and hopefully inspire others in the process. (Man , would that feel good!)
• I want to use what I am learning along the way so I can: a) visually see my own progress, and b) get rid of this procrastination habit for good and be successful.

My main hope though, is that readers will follow my progress and be encouraged to do so as well.

Upcoming posts: (Yes, I will be back!)

• a long overdue update on my South Beach progress
• book reviews on a few procrastination books I've read recently
• useful websites I've found where procrastinators can greatly benefit

I'm on day 5 of the South Beach diet. I can't believe I'm doing this and actually FOLLOWING THROUGH! I feel soooo much better already.

It is a tough diet though. For 2 weeks there's no enjoying fruit, bread, pasta, potatoes, rice...of any kind. Only veggies, lean meats, nuts, beans, eggs.

It's tough, but doable. The first 3 days were the hardest because it's a total overhaul on the way I was eating.

5 days in though, I actually have energy to make it through my whole day without crashing around 2-3:00 like I used to. It's a great feeling. Those crashes used to put me down whereas I had no energy or inspiration to even crawl through the rest of my day. No wonder I was procrastinating so badly!

With my newfound energy, I am tackling my messy hall cabinet, getting my pictures organized (slowly but surely), and I've even got back into practicing my guitar.

After the 2 weeks are up I will add back in the fruit, (only those with low glycemic indexes), and whole grains. No more white potatoes, white rice, etc...those starchy foods that turn to sugar so fast they have no time to do anything other than go to your gut, hips and thighs.

I will keep my updates here on how I'm doing. (They say belly fat is the first to go, so we shall see!)

Interested in getting some more information on the Southbeach plan?

Check the site out here:
http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/
Gives an explanation of the plan and what it entails. Check out message boards for loads of recipes, great ideas for eating healthier, and tons of other goodies.

Here's to feeling better!
Cheers!

Doctor, Doctor Give Me the News

One of the things people procrastinate most is going to the doctor.

It's a hassle, it takes up our precious time, and it can be downright scary. Yet, it's a necessity that shouldn't be put off.

I hate to say, but as a woman, I put off one of the most vital (or most dreaded, whichever you prefer) tests: The Papsmear. I hadn't had one since before my daughter was born.

She's now 7. Uh, I think it's time to get a checkup.

And that's just what my doctor kept telling me everytime I went in for other aches and pains. "You know, it doesn't take long, and it's so important. Make an appointment as you leave."

Yet there I'd go sneaking out the door without an appointment.

When my girlfriend finally went in for her long-delayed pap and gave me all the gory details, I knew why I had procrastinated so long. It's humiliating. It's a pain. It makes us girls nervous, scoring way too high on the blood pressure test. (Same goes for the guys! Cough, cough...prostate.)

So this is why I procrastinate. I know I'm healthy. I've been with the same man for 14 years for heaven's sake. There is nothing wrong with my insides. I have no need to spread my legs in stirrups and count the dots on the ceiling while my doctor pokes and prods my insides with cold, metal instruments.

Luckily for me, my girlfriend's elated relief over getting it over with, and hearing the good news that everything was negative, prompted me to finally take the plunge and call in an appointment.

Yes, it was nerveracking. I was uncomfortable. I hated every second of it. But it's done.

It's done! I can check it off my to-do list. One more thing I conquered. And guess what?

Test results are normal, just as I thought they would be. But now I truly know. There is nothing more empowering than taking charge of your health. There is nothing more gratifying than putting an end to procrastination.

Today, put an end to procrastinating the doctor. Take charge of your health. Make an appointment today.

If you happen to notice, those dots are on the ceiling for a reason! :D

Calling All Procrastinators!

Okay...I admit, I'm a procrastinator.

A big one.

In fact, I'm such a big procrastinator that I've often jeopardized big opportunities by ignoring, delaying, or not following through.

If you're a procrastinator, you know exactly what I mean.

It can be so darn frustrating. You want to change, you really do, but something holds you back.

Which is why I started this blog.

Won't you join me as I work to slay this vicious monster before it attacks anymore of my dreams?

While we're at it, let's destroy the procrastinator monster in you too! Let's realize our dreams together.

So what do you procrastinate? I want to hear it all, from the laundry to the large writing projects you have sitting on your desk.

Stay tuned for posts to come full of my own procrastination nightmares, and tips on how to make it through.

Cheers!