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Q: Jeff, I’m a terrible procrastinator. Help!

A: Next to the computer, procrastination is the greatest labor-saving device ever invented! Here are eight strategies to overcome procrastination:

1. Write it down: Jot down, what you need to do or accomplish. Pale ink is more powerful than a faded memory.

2. The Munchkin Method: Find the little acts or tasks in a large project. Do them now!

3. Test the Water: Attack the job a little at a time. See how things are going. If you’re comfortable... keep going!

4. Detective Columbo: Find out more information about a project. Ask questions. Prioritize. Focus. Seek input. Solicit advice. Data gives direction.

5. Get the Mo on Your Side: Momentum breeds activity. Activity leads to results. Pick one task. Do it! Then do the next one! And the next one!

6. Go with what Brung Ya: Determine what in the project or activity you do best. Start there.

7. Commit and Confide: Assure or promise someone... about what you’ll do and by when.

8. Pat Yourself on the Back: Throughout the process and progress of your work... congratulate yourself. Not only at the completion of the entire task, but also at the various parts of the task. Take a break. Get an ice cream cone! It’s okay to reward yourself.

Q: Jeff, my company always has a theme at our national conferences, so it got me wondering, “What if I too had a theme?”

A: You’re right. Whenever I speak for clients at their national, regional, state or even local conventions and kickoff conferences, there’s a them. Like, “Living the Vision,” “Quest for the Best,” “Sale for Success,” “The Next Frontier.” So your wondering, got me thinking too... if companies and associations can have a theme, so can you. You’re right again! Your theme should be short and simple. Yet powerful enough, to reinforce your key goals and objectives for the year. I learned a good friend, Naomi Rhode, creates annual themes. Several years ago, it was “Significant Service With Gladness.” This reminded Naomi to always ask herself... “Is this significant and of service. and do I experience gladness when I’m doing it or involved with it?” Another year, Naomi’s theme was: “Ready / Renew / Rejoice.” So what’s your theme?

Q: Jeff, I am starting a new service business and am confused about how I should be compensated. Lots of friends are suggesting, “Make it easy, charge by the hour.” What do you think?

A: Do you know people who get paid by the hour? Lots. Me too! How goofy! For time is a reflection of input. It merely represents time devoted or energy expended and not results produced or outcomes achieved. Plus, if one is an “hourly biller” it’s in their best interest to spend more time on a project, so they can earn more money. Those of you who have heard me speak before, know I’m an ardent advocate of value-billing. Plain and simple, if you deliver, you get paid. If you don’t, you may get nothing. That’s right. Nada. Bupkus. Zip. People should be compensated for their positive impact upon an individual’s success or a company’s growth. Fred Bartlit knows the value of results. Years ago (2001) I read an article about Bartlit, a Chicago attorney who was known for innovative legal billing methods. Typically, most lawyers and their firms bill by the hour. In the legal profession, the billable hour is the deity. However, Bartlit charged a flat-rate fee versus the usual hourly charge. And, his firm would even negotiate a fee that was only 60 percent of the hourly rate... if it lost. Yet, if they won, they could earn as much as 150 percent of their hourly rate! Bartlit said, “If we get results, we’re a bargain!” He’s right! How do you bill for your services? And perhaps more important, how do you pay? Invest in results!

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Jeff Blackman is a speaker, author, success coach, broadcaster and lawyer who lives part-time on Marco Island. His clients call him a “business-growth specialist.” Send an e-mail to jeff@jeffblackman.com or go to www.jeffblackman.com to subscribe to his free e-letter.