Children, Chanukah Gelt, and Financial Procrastination

Posted on December 24, 2019December 24, 2019 by Avi Maderer

Ah, the joys of Hanukkah gelt! Those little shiny beautiful coins attract children young and old. And on the inside? Nothing but sweet savory chocolate.

When it comes to money, and financial literacy, many parents miss the mark. There are many movements that push for basic life skills training in school curriculums, and even in those districts where schools actually teach life skills, including financial literacy, parents must support and encourage these skills in the home. It’s a golden opportunity for children to become responsible adults in areas of Finance (pun intended…) health, interpersonal relations, you name it.

At the same time, whether it’s the children themselves, or the parents, people procrastinate in these areas and wait years if not decades to take action, causing untold suffering on the child, and society at large.

There are many reasons why people procrastinate around issues of money. Some can be a bit involved, like teaching and learning financial literacy, while others can be as simple as the technical skills of balancing checkbooks and making household budget. Following that budget is of course more involved, both technically and emotionally.

As far as financial procrastination is concerned, the reasons can go much deeper, and into psychological barriers we are either taught at home or through the environments we live in. It may be difficult, but not impossible to overcome.

So when unwrapping those yummy chocolate coins, the same way that we should think about the calories involved, let’s think about the financial decisions that we make. It’s about present-self vs future-self.

In the present, those calories are yummy. In the future the healthier outcome is superb!

Seven Ways To Beat Procrastination

Posted on October 2, 2019October 2, 2019 by Avi Maderer

Even though I am big proponent of Time Management, a big part of time management is actually about beating procrastination. We all procrastinate, even those of us who pride ourselves in having good time management skills.

From my studies, I have come up with seven proven ways to beat procrastination. You will notice that none of the following are actually about “time management” per se, they are about the emotions and psychology behind putting things off.

1. Do the worst task first: I have used this technique for years. I have even created more than one first thing. There is first thing in the morning, there is first thing after lunch, and there is first thing in the evening. I take a look at the items on my To Do List and figure out which one I am dreading the most and spend a limited time on it at least moving it forward. This is known as swallowing the frog first thing; if you begin your day by swallowing a frog, then the rest of the day looks good.

2. Break it down: Often the reason that we procrastinate is because the task ahead of us is too big. Often there are small parts of the task that can be done. How do you climb a mountain? One step at a time.

3. Use a friend: I am not actually referring to delegation (but of course I dont mind that either); what I mean is to tell a friend what you want to do and get them to help you start the task. Often it is the act of starting a task that is enough to get the task done.

4. Do the pleasant part of the task: Often many distasteful and large jobs have some parts to it that are not particular distasteful. Do them so at least you are moving forward on your most important items.

5. Fifteen (15) minutes: Just spend 15 minutes on a task. I have the attitude that I can spend 15 minutes doing virtually anything and I can certainly survive spending 15 minutes on something. Often by spending the 15 minutes on a task, I either complete it or I will get it moved forward enough that it has momentum to finish.

6. Track it: The simple act of tracking a goal is often enough to keep the goal moving forward. It seems odd, but knowing that you are going to write down whether or not you have done something is often enough to make you move forward.

7. Reward or punish: The reason we do something is because it is more painful than not getting it done, so if we can make the completion a task more rewarding or the consequences of not completing it more painful, then we tend to move forward on things. Tying successful completion of a task to a reward is often a successful technique.

Remember that even successful people occasionally procrastinate. Procrastination is not a permanent condition.

Procrastination Kills

Posted on September 22, 2019October 2, 2019 by Avi Maderer

Ever find some things you start without ever thinking about it. Other things just get set aside and end up at the bottom of your “to do list”. How about I will get around to do it? Quit procrastination and start taking steps to end this dreadful disease.

Many people today suffer from procrastination. Stopping procrastination is not very hard actually. It is just hard in our minds. When making decisions on what is important to do and then getting it done fast. This will put you in the fast lane towards opportunities and success. There are two simple ways to put an end to procrastination. The first way to put an end to procrastination is to make a decision. Either do it or don’t do it. If you are going to do it put it in your planner right away and block a time to get it done. By making a decision, there is no reason to procrastinate. Most decisions take only a few minutes to decide on. When you ignore or walk away from the decisions, you will pay a consequence at the end, whether it will be good or bad.

The second way is to learn to recognize your behaviors. Some people avoid making decisions by watching T.V., going shopping, going to bars, all attempts to hind the decision that needs to be made at that time. I know this first hand because I have used shopping to walk away from decisions that need to be taken care of in the past. Ignoring issues will not make them go away. It takes self-discipline and self control to break this dreadful disease. However once you break through this barrier, your life will start to transform. Amazing things will start to happen in both your personal and business life. So recognize your behaviors, step up, and make a decision. Take action today.