Friday, April 21, 2017
Community Friday: Inspiration for All Week Long
Valeri Bocage CEO
Powerful Women International Connections
Most of us will procrastinate over unexciting projects and tend to place them on the back burner. We may feel committed for some, but for others, we keep saying, “No, not today.”
Valeri’s Procrastination Story
Tax forms are something I never want to deal with myself. Getting my taxes out of the way will find me procrastinating. So every year, I pride myself on getting them done no later than early February. I gave them to the same lady for over twenty years. Each year, we had the same routine that lasted for days. She would ask questions and I would answer them. After the last was asked, I would take a deep breath recognizing the process to be complete, and over!
Interruption
Last year, I was leading a meeting in New Orleans speaking about changing lives with our collective projects. In the middle of the meeting, my cell phone rang, I attempted to shut it off. But it immediately rang again and then again, non-stop. Even though it was on vibrate, everyone heard the noise that soon disrupted the meeting.
Understandably, the women asked if I had to take the call as it seemed like an emergency. The caller was the lady who was doing my taxes. We had just spoken, but never before had she attempted to reach me like that! I had to excuse myself to take the call but made it very short. She was in a panic about payment although assurances were made it was in transit.
Aha Moment
As you can imagine, the episode began a serious discussion afterward regarding tax preparation fees. One participant asked, “Why are you paying the woman so much money?” She went on to explain that she owns several businesses which make her tax compilation more complicated. Yet, she only pays a fraction of what I was being charged.
That one question was an eye-opener for me. Upon returning home, I looked over the old taxes receipts. I saw how much the fee had risen over the years. Of course, prices increase, but not hundreds of dollars each year.
The idea of taking control of my taxes was not appealing, but I did not want anyone to take advantage of me either!
New Approach
This year, I decided to try doing my taxes myself. Of course, I procrastinated and waited until the last minute. I closed everything down early and laid it all out on the bed. I studied the paperwork line by line to understand what to do next. I turned on my computer to take a leap of faith.
Different ways of filing online were attempted. I thought I followed every step, but my final number was $0. Something was evidently entered incorrectly. Trying to see the positive, I did learn a lot!
Deadline to Meet
The deadline was 24 hours away! I was not sure I would make it, so I filed for an extension. But, I was still committed to trying to meet the deadline. I stayed up until after 1:00 a.m. putting all of the papers together. Exasperated, I decided to make an appointment with H & R Block.
The last day to file without penalty arrived, so I thought that H&R Block would have a line out the door. To my great surprise, everything was in order and I was able to enter the office to be helped. I handed my paperwork to the accountant. Surprisingly, he told me that everything was well-organized. REALLY?!!! He just needed to plug in the numbers!
I patiently sat in the office while the gentleman carefully correctly plugged the varying amounts in for the IRS. I drank coffee and made calls as I waited. Within a mere forty-five minutes, everything was complete!
Celebration
Suddenly, clarity hit about how to handle the other ideas and projects that also have me procrastinating. A rush of joy and happiness came over me as I felt unclogged and free.
On the personal side, I had also been delaying the purchase of high top sneakers. As a reward for doing my taxes, I gifted myself a pair of high tops! They were gray and pink and on sale. When I returned home, I put on the sneakers and started dancing as if I were in the movie Rocky and had won a fight!
I did win. I won doing something I never thought I could do – I successfully organized my taxes. I felt like taking on the world and helping more people to change the lives of others!
Take the Challenge
Think about all that has you procrastinating and why that might be the case:
- Do you need help?
- Can you get referrals for the best available service for your budget?
- Are you prepared to make an appointment?
It may be time for something new and different for you too, and to let go of any stress you may be experiencing. Give thought to the idea of feeling relieved of the burden. Does a smile come to your face?
Tips:
- Prioritize all tasks with completion dates.
- List education and help needed.
- Refresh your list at night before each working day.
- Cross off tasks completed from the list while adding new ones during the day.
- Maintain open lines of communication with clients, employers, and peers.
- Keep promises for projects to be completed.
- At the end of each month, acknowledge accomplishments.
- Feel the motivation increase.
- Celebrate success!
The Bigger Picture
Picture many female leaders working together to relieve others of their burdens. Is this the type of organization to which you might like belong? Should you believe so, we invite you to explore our website, ask questions, and join us to make a humanitarian mark on society.
The one common trait the people above have is their desire to continue working with humanitarian projects to make a difference in the lives of others. They all want to continue to make a positive change. As we get to each new level of our life, it becomes rewarding fulfilling to help do the same for others. We invite you to join us to make a difference in the world!
Lead and Be A Champion!
We invite you to join us to make a difference in the world! Take a look at what some of our other members are doing:
Join PWIC ‘Women Humanitarian Leaders Global Map to showcase how you are making a difference. Complete our World Leader’s Map (No cost to complete the short form.) to showcase how you are making a difference in the world. The added benefit is to build a highly admired personal and company brand.
Some of our humanitarian Member Projects include:
- Burn Survivors
- Human Trafficking
- Reducing Recidivism
- Children at Risk
- Empowering Developing Countries
- Homelessness
Together WE can create a better world.
There are several ways you can join us in our efforts to make the world better:
- Become a member of Powerful Women International Connections.
- Contribute to our GoFundMe site above. (Any amount helps us to assist our members.)
- Mark Your Calendar and plan to attend the Global Impact Conference August 10-11, 2017
With your help, we can expand our projects, unite more women humanitarian leaders, and help them make a bigger impact. For more information about the difference our members are making, visit www.pwiconnections.com/projects.html or emails us at info@pwiconnections.com and let us know about your project or desire to make the world better. We would love to hear from you!
We Invite You!
Email us at info@pwiconnections.com OR There are also many ways you can join us in our efforts to make the world a better place. Become a member. Let us know what you are doing to change lives!
Always include giving back to help change lives. That is where the juice of life is! We invite you to join us to make a difference in the world!
NOTE: By incorporating giving and helping communities of your choice, you will experienceThe Smooth Sale!
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