Ask Dr. Neil

Here are some common questions asked of Dr. Neil

Q: What is your recommendations if one shows an average level of self-leadership?

A: Three things: 1) Accept yourself if you are happy with your current level of inner peace and effectiveness. 2) Learn a few Awaken Your Strongest Self strategies for becoming a more effective self-communicator and leader so you harness more of your brain and body power. 3) Consider what your life might be like if you managed your life from your Strongest Self and highest values most of the time. What would it be like to live and work In the Zone?

Q: Do you (Dr. Neil) still procrastinate sometimes?

A: Yes, I procrastinate on the little stuff -- filing, organizing papers, household chores. If you don't procrastinate on something it shows a lack of priorities. I believe in doing something -- for 15 to 30 minutes -- on the high priority, high value projects that bring in the most money and sense of achievement. Truth is, I'm great at starting things but must use my own Now Habit tools to finish up the details. I'd rather start a new book than finish editing the last book; I'd rather start painting a room than cleaning it up. I have trained myself to identify the inner conflict between the voices of "You have to" versus "I don't want to." As I state in "Awaken Your Strongest Self", I'd rather work in the Zone of Choice and Self-Leadership than the struggle of inner conflict. I'm pretty good at choosing what I do rather than telling myself I'm a victim who should resist doing something some invisible authority is telling me I have to do. At time, I must go back to Now Habit basics -- using the Unschedule for Guilt-Free Play, Centering, and planning rewards -- to get started on a particularly nasty chore. However, my automatic use of the Centering Exercise (see under articles) and recording all quality, uninterrupted time on top priorities helps me keep my procrastination to a minimum. Now, I have to stop this procrastination and get back to writing "Coping with the Emotional Impact of Cancer" -- due out in December.

Q: What is my Strongest Self?

A: Your Strongest Self is you at your best, performing like Tiger Woods, Oprah, Rafael Nadal, Danica Patrick or a Dale Earnhardt, Jr. -- hitting on all cylinders and reaching levels far beyond what your old identity knows how to achieve. Your Strongest Self is you in The Zone -- connected to all the parts of your personality, your inner resources, and the integration of all parts of your brain focused like a peak performing team to achieve your goals. It’s YOU -- your integrated, Strongest Self -- playing your proper leadership role in managing your life.

Q: What caused you to start this study and write Awaken Your Strongest Self?

A: I've survived a number of life-threatening events during the Vietnam war, with a "terminal" cancer diagnosis at the age of 32, and a near fatal car accident in 1990. These "near-death experiences" required me to access resources deep within myself, woke me up to the “big stuff” of life, and put my higher self in charge of my life. I want to make these resources available to anybody who wants to wake up to his or her full potential without needing a life-threatening "wake-up call."

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