Prosper News: May 2006

Dear Student,

Summer is an active time. With the yard to tend and vacations to plan, it is sometimes difficult to spend the time needed on "ordinary" tasks, regardless of their importance. However, even during these busy times, it is important to carry on with your assignments and programs. Remember that the education that you receive through Prosper, Inc. is a way of life, not just a passing fad.

As you incorporate what you learn, take the time to notice the growth and enjoy the experience. Here at Prosper, Inc., we succeed when you succeed. We enjoy hearing the successes of each student. We hope this month brings you success.

Sincerely,

Your Friends at Prosper, Inc.

Back Against the Wall

Dealing With Procrastination Before Procrastination Deals With You

An adage states, "The sooner I fall behind, the more time I have to catch up." While most of us do not intentionally lag behind, procrastination often slows our progression. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines procrastination as "Intentionally putting off what should be done."

The reasons that people tend to procrastinate are as diverse as the tasks that they put off. In the end, most tasks are delayed due to one reason; we perceive that performing the task will be worse than the consequence of putting it off.

Many of us can relate to the following example. Remember a time when you had a research paper due in two weeks. Now remember the midnight oil you burnt the night before throwing the research paper together. Why did you wait? Maybe you decided to hang out with your friends, maybe you had to work, and maybe it was something else. Regardless of the reason, you decided that taking the time to do your paper early would be worse than spending all night writing it later.

Many of the reasons that we procrastinate may not be as simple as when we wrote that research paper, but the concept is still the same. To truly avoid procrastination, it usually requires a change in the way we think. Tasks should be competed early in order to avoid stress and to increase productivity. Listed below are a few simple suggestions that we might use to avoid procrastination.

Look to the Future - focus on the benefits of finishing your task early. Think about the consequences of putting the task off. By getting the task done early, you will avoid the stress of having other tasks back up. Try to think of how you will feel when the task is completed and its weight is removed from your shoulders.
Do it Now - do not wait until the last minute. If you are waiting on others, do not worry about the task until it is yours to perform. Once the task is yours, do not put it off until a better time comes along. Also, take care of undesirable tasks as soon as possible. This will allow you to be more relaxed, as you focus your efforts on more preferable tasks.
Accept the Best That You Can Do - no one is perfect. When performing your tasks, do not wait until the current task is perfect. Do the best that you can do and then move on. Accept that you will occasionally make a mistake. The best you can do is all that can be asked of you.
Make a Plan - take time to plan your day. Schedule undesirable and difficult tasks in the morning. Allow yourself the time you need to complete your tasks. The effective use of a to-do list will help you to avoid procrastination, by keeping you on task.
Reward Yourself - when you finish a difficult task, avoid the temptation to dive right into your next task. Take time to celebrate the job you have just completed. Pat yourself on the back; kick your feet up for a minute. Maybe buy yourself a special treat. By rewarding yourself at the end of difficult tasks, you will not fear them as much. You may also decrease your propensity to procrastinate.
Take it One Step at a Time - no one has ever climbed Mount Everest in one bound. The only way up is one step at a time. Many times, it is better to take large tasks and break them up into smaller, more manageable tasks, especially when tasks seem overwhelming. By taking a task one step at a time, you may be better able to finish it on time.
Prioritize - perform the most important, time-consuming tasks first. The smaller, quicker tasks will fall into place. By helping yourself understand the order that you should perform your tasks, you will be able stay on task and be better able finish additional tasks.
Simplify - search for simpler solutions that may help you to accomplish tasks that are more difficult. For example, instead of spending all day cooking a gourmet meal for a friend, try giving him or her comfort food that will satisfy their appetite. Oftentimes we over-commit ourselves, and overdo projects, to which there is a simpler solution.

One of the best ways to avoid procrastination is to be proactive. Keeping ahead of the game may allow us to avoid pitfalls that we may encounter as we journey through our daily lives.

PLATINUM CLUB FEATURE

What is the Platinum Club?

This great story comes from Mark and Sherri B. from Pennsylvania. They not only have seen tremendous successes, but have been invited into the Platinum Success Club for the 2006 year!

Our Platinum Success Club is an exciting, exclusive club for some of our hardest working students. They get the opportunity to share their experiences with other students and get to partake in LOTS of Prosper Family rewards. The Platinum Club is available to any student, so work hard, reach your goals and ask your coach about nominating you!!!!

Platinum Club Student Success Story

Electronics Firm Sees AWESOME Increase Over Previous Year!!!

I thought I would drop you a line while I had a chance to catch my breath! I was going to wait one more week so I could give you a look at the first quarter of sales for M-B Electronics and Electronic Toolbox, but I was so excited as to what has been happening I was ready to burst!

Looks like the first quarter of 2006 is going to end up with around a 22% increase in sales over 2005. Electronic Toolbox Inc has already sold in the first quarter this year what took 12 months to do last year. Simply AWESOME!!!!!!!

I have continued working on building links, working the keywords and just plain out having fun with this whole deal. I am so glad that you and I have had this opportunity to work together over the last 6 weeks. I have watched pages inside our web site mbelectronics.com go from sometimes as far back as 10 pages deep on Google to front page, top 5. In fact on some Google pages out of the top ten rankings hold 3 of the top 10 spots with articles and page links.

International sales have increased to the point that when I meet with Velleman Electronics at the EDS (Electronic Distributors Show) in Las Vegas this May we will be discussing the possibility of drop shipping direct from Velleman Belgium to our customers in the European market.

On the domestic side of things our Audio Visual Parts sales have continued to increase steadily. We hold top positions on Google for all of the major keywords in that market, and just like the Electronic Tools side of the business the articles and page links in some instances hold 3 or 4 of the top 10 positions on Google.

I really have to giggle at times and at the same time pinch myself to see if this isn't just a dream. I can't tell you how many compliments I receive not only about our site, but also about my articles. I never realized that my own words and ideas could possibly carry so much weight.

There is no doubt in my mind that the time you and I have spent working together has had a direct impact on the growth we are realizing. It's amazing that by making subtle changes to the web site could have such dramatic results in such a short period of time. We just won't tell my competitors our little secret!

Hope this letter finds all of you in good health. Sherri and I are looking forward to the start of the Platinum Club and sharing our excitement with other students who may still be having some doubts about their own futures. We both give thanks that we have been blessed with the opportunity to meet and work with all of you at Prosper.

Until we meet next,

Mark B.
Bridgeville, PA