I like to compare procrastination to shooting yourself in the foot. Time does not stand still until you get your shit together, so what is it going to be? Are you going to allow someone else’s comments toward you stop you from achieving greatness? Maybe you have gotten your 20’th No in regards to anyone wanting your products or service. Newsflash! They are not saying no to you, so please don’t take personal.
Why do people sabotage themselves?
Procrastinators tell lies to themselves. Are you smiling right now? You tell yourself “I’ll get to it tomorrow,” “I’ll start that diet on Monday,” or “I work best under pressure when it’s last minute.” The problem is that tomorrow you won’t feel like doing it either. Another lie that procrastinators might tell themselves is saying something like “this isn’t important right now” or maybe they use the last minute scenario saying they are more creative under crunch time, however, that is not the case.
Here are the 3 different types of procrastinators:
- Avoiders. – They want to avoid fear, confrontation, issues, worry, failure or even have a fear of success. They are very concerned about what others think that they will lack any ability.
- Decision conflict. – Procrastinators who can’t make a decision one way or another. This absolves them of responsibility for the outcome.
- Thrill seekers. – Those individuals who wait until the last minute to get that rush when they need to get things done.
Read below for 5 tips on how to get it together so you can stop this cycle and move forward!
- Block out Distractions. – I know this might sound like a challenge within itself, but do not look at Emails or any Social Media until you tackle your #1 task of the day. If this means that you need to get your butt out of bed a little earlier to accomplish it, then that’s what I suggest. Social media, kiddos, emails, etc. can all be energy and time zappers, so plan to succeed not to fail. Tell yourself, today I’m going to do 5 reach outs to new prospects. Don’t get overwhelmed. Start small and work yourself up.
- Acknowledge the urge. – This will follow up to #1. It’s funny how our brains work, but once you recognize the urge to be distracted, such as checking those emails or see the latest comment on your FB status, just for that 1 time resist the urge and see how you do. It actually turns into empowerment. Set a 15-minute timer. If you make it that long, set it for another 15 and keep going with your task.
- Stop with the perfectionism. – I know in the beginning we want to know and understand everything under the sun about the products and business you are promoting. Realistically this is not feasible at the beginning. You will go into total burnout and will probably build your business more like a turtle rather than a stealth. You then have three viable options to overcome this type of pattern: educate, delegate, or eliminate. I discourage against quitting, so my advice to you is to learn as you earn. This is exactly what I did from the very beginning. I was completely coachable and knew I had an upline to reach out to for my 3-way calls.
- Manage your time. – Decide in advance what blocks of time you’ll allocate each week to family time, entertainment, exercise, social activities, and personal hobbies. Then schedule your work hours using whatever time is left. This can reduce the urge to procrastinate because you have something to look forward to each day. This will also allow you to focus on your work because you don’t have to procrastinate order to relax and enjoy life. I caution against overusing this strategy, however, as your work should normally be enjoyable enough that you’re motivated to do it. If you do not have a passion or feel inspired by what you’re currently doing, you might want to reevaluate your path, focus or company. It might be time to seek out a new direction that does inspire you.
- Acknowledge being tired. – Often we procrastinate because we feel too physically and/or emotionally drained to work. It can be difficult to get out of this pattern once we fall into it. When you feel lazy, even simple tasks seem like too much work because your energy is too low compared to the energy required by the task. If you blame the task for being too difficult or tedious, you’ll procrastinate to conserve energy. The more and more you ignore what needs to be done it will continue into a downward spiral and bring your mood down with it. You’ll have to decide for yourself how far you want to take this. I suggest you try different approaches for the next 30 days. Take what I taught you and apply it to your daily routine. Once you do something enough it will become a habit. Experiment for yourself, and discover what work habits work best for you.
Cheers to your success!
Did This Help You? If so, I would love to hear your thoughts below and please feel free to share.
Success Junkie Blog
Skype: Julie.burke7111
Email: julie@createsuccesswithjulie.com
P.S. Please make sure you grab my downloads including my “41 Powerful 1 Liners” to grab anyone’s attention.
P.P.S: Looking for a Mentor? Check out my “Private Coaching” tab and schedule a breakthrough session. Sessions are limited and book quickly so don’t procrastinate ☺
