Overcoming Procrastination

Procrastination is the habit of putting things off until the very last minute.  Many people procrastinate and this can be a problem in not only in business but in life as well.  When we procrastinate we cause unneeded stress to ourselves and those around us.

I have procrastinated many times in my life as I’m sure each of you have as well.  This is something that I believe we must all work to improve on.  We do not want missed opportunities because we put off talking to people about our business.

I wanted to share with you some of the most known causes that give reason to procrastination.  Remember that not one person is like the next and one person’s reason for procrastination might not be your reason.  It may come on because you are overwhelmed with too many tasks or simply because you are tired and do not feel like doing the work.  It honestly depends on the individual and what is going on in your life.

With that I wanted to share some of the most causes of procrastination:

1. Stress

When we become stressed it hard to get any work done.  There are many reasons that we may be stressed.  It could be that we scared in some aspect of our business opportunity, that we are worried about finances among many other things.  When we can minimize the amount of stress we have then we are able to spend more time working because we want to work, not because we have to.

I find that a stress reliever for me is to create a work schedule that fits me and my family.  My schedule has time for:  Work, Family, House, ME TIME and of course Play Time!  This helps to keep a clear mind of what you should be doing and helps to relieve certain levels of stress.

In his book The Now Habit, Dr. Neil Fiore suggests that making time for guaranteed fun can be an effective way to overcome procrastination.

2. Overwhelmed

There are many times when we take on much more than we can honestly handle.  We do this to help others, to show that we can handle certain tasks or to show strength.  Who doesn’t want to seem like they can do everything?  I know that I have certainly taken on much more at times than I should have and guess what?  I became overwhelmed!

So, we want to be sure that we are not taking on more than we can handle as when you become overwhelmed it may lead to procrastination.

To help with not being overwhelmed ask for help when and if you need it.  Delegate certain tasks out for help.  Set your daily to-do list and only list what you know you can complete in that day.

3. Laziness

Have you ever procrastinated simply because you didn’t want to get off the couch?  There are times we become drained and lazy and this will throw us into procrastination simply because we do not have the energy to work.

Once you become lazy in your business this can lead to trouble as it is very hard to get back to work.  We end up “stuck” because we become stagnant.  The only thing that can help when you become lazy is to FORCE yourself up and get to work.  There are so many times a person will call me to say that their business simply isn’t growing fast enough.  One question I ALWAYS ask them is: “How many people did you speak with last week?”  Many times that answer is; None or Two!

4. Lack of Motivation

It takes motivation to get up and work your business and go after the successes you want in life.  However, there are times when we all have pitfalls and fall into being lazy in our work.  With low motivation in your life and business you will become stuck and won’t be able to moving.

In order to find your motivation to have success you must first inspire yourself to succeed.  You must seek out what it is that will enable you to build for the things you want in life.

Think back to when you were a child and you wanted to become an Astronaut, Princess or even a Cowboy.  You KNEW deep in your heart that you could become what you wanted because you had a certain belief deep inside.  I’m currently vacationing in Florida with my family and my 11 year old Nephew Joshua KNOWS he will be a NFL Player when he grows up.   He REFUSES to lose sight of his dreams and he works hard every single day to perfect and improve on his skills.  He has inspiration and motivation that we all need.

Find your inspiration and there is NOTHING that will be able to stop you!

5. Lack of Discipline

This is what we all need as entrepreneurs.  We are the boss therefore we do not get “fired” if we don’t show up for work.  What happens though when you don’t want to show up?  Nothing does!  No growth, no completed work, nothing!  So, we must have self discipline in order to have success.

Think of all you want in life and write it down.  What do you want to accomplish?  What will success bring to you and your family?  Let this help guide you with having discipline. When you KNOW what you will be missing out on when you do not do the work and have the discipline you might find yourself working twice as hard as you did yesterday.

6. Poor Time Management Habits

I spent the first 11 months of my business in “hobby mode” simply because I had no idea of time management.  Was I able to really gain success in those first 11 months without time management?  No I wasn’t because I lacked discipline, I wasn’t motivated, I was lazy, overwhelmed and deeply stressed!  I guess you can say that I really procrastinated!

So what is it that will help you with your time management habits?  I personally believe that having a schedule will help you a great deal.  Commitment is another.  You must have the commitment to yourself that you will work your business.  Be aware of what you want and where you are and what you should be doing.  Do not be caught in the time management trap!

7. Lack of Skill

When we begin in our business we may procrastinate simply because we lack the skill of the business.  I want you to look at all the leaders of your business and KNOW they began exactly where you are today.  Every person begins at the same place, however they end at different places.  Those that will grow to become successful are those that will acquire the skills needed to become successful by training.

There is not one leader in the industry that got where they are today without training.  To become skilled you want to build your skill not only in the business but in yourself with personal growth, time management, inspiration and so much more.  Work on your business and work on yourself daily and you will develop the skills needed to become successful.

 8. Lack of Belief

You may procrastinate if you do not believe you will be a success.  This was a HUGE pitfall for me my first 11 months in business.  I simply didn’t believe I would be successful.  I simply didn’t believe a ‘Home Business’ would work because if they REALLY did work then everyone would work from home right?  Well, I now have the belief I need for success.

In a sense it every in the world CAN be a success working from home but they won’t.  The reason is because they lack the belief that they really can do this.  Know and understand that you have success in your grasp but will step up and take hold of it?  Will you do the work that is needed on your end to really be successful?

Each person is different and those that want it will find it and those that don’t know what they want will procrastinate until they eventually give up on their dreams.  Do not let that happen to you.  There is so much help out there and all you need to do is get up, stop procrastinating and realize that you are destined for greatness!