You set aside that time everyday to make that video, or write that article, or even paint the shed... but for some reason you just can't seem to do it. You kick yourself, because you know deep down how much you have to offer, but it still doesn't seem to motivate you enough. You see other people producing, and you know you can do the same, or even better but still you can't seem to do the deed.
Welcome to the world of procrastination... where you will do anything and everything to avoid what is scaring you or overwhelming you!
I certainly talk from experience because I have been a Master Procrastinator in the past. For me, not delivering the best content possible, or just putting myself 'out there' really scared me and I found myself writing endless lists, where certain items kept appearing month after month.
However, I quickly learnt that procrastinating was not going to lead me to my dreams or support me in empowering and inspiring all you lovely people. Therefore, I have been quick to take action and learn some key strategies to overcome my fears.
More than likely, procrastination is holding you back from success and not supporting you in getting closer to your dreams; nor will it be helping you reach your full potential in life. Therefore, it's absolutely critical that you break these bad habits now... so that you can move forward, either with your business, at work, or in your personal life!
So - first of all you need to ask yourself: "why am I procrastinating"? Why am I not taking the required action that I must make to succeed and move forward?
More than likely it's down to one of the following:
* Perfectionism
* Fear of judgement
* Overwhelment
* Disorganisation
* Not doing what you love!
Once you have identified why you are procrastinating, here are my Top 5 Tips to taking action today.
1) Daily Plan of Action/Weekly Schedule
Make sure you have a plan of action! People don't plan to fail, but they do sometimes fail to plan. Without a plan of action you will just feel overwhelmed and will more than likely feel like you have more to do than you actually do.
Write yourself a daily schedule and implement 'rituals' into your day. A plan of action, prepared the night before, is like a roadmap for the next day. It focuses your brain on the important aspects of the day and creates a path of the steps you need to take to get you into productive action and away from procrastination.
Don't panic if you don't implement your rituals and daily schedule immediately, as sometimes it takes time and commitment to shift bad habits. Stick with it and be kind to yourself - do not come from a place of perfectionism. Remember - one step at a time.
Also - no plan of action = little success. Structured plan of action = big success!:-D
2) Work within a tidy workspace
If you have a cluttered workspace, again you will feel overwhelmed and totally disorganised. You will feel as though you are bogged down with paperwork and uncompleted tasks. You'll then create the danger of your time being directed to less important and easier tasks, causing you to put off more important activities. Working with a tidy workspace will allow you to focus all your attention on the most important task and not lead you to be distracted.
3. Reduce large projects to bite-sized pieces
Okay - so you have a 4 hour project ahead of you and you decide to schedule the time for the next day. However, have you taken into account that you may get interruptions, unexpected phone calls, meetings or an urgent task that could potentially come up out of the blew? It's not just the interruptions you want to consider... We all have only a limited attention span. Do you really think 4 hours in front of a computer is going to be truly productive?
Instead, split your 4 hours up into 40 minute sessions over 5 days and you have completed your project. Bingo! This is much more productive and you will feel as you have achieved those important results for your week.
4. Tackling perfectionism and fear
Perfectionism and fear of judgement has got to be one of the biggest reason to procrastinate for a variety of reasons. A great way to tackle perfectionism is to begin the task at hand with just one small simple step. Know and feel that even though the one tiny step won't be perfect; that at least you are getting closer to your goal.
For example, if you love writing but have a fear of it not being perfect, then start by just writing down some key notes on an A4 page or Word Document. Okay, it's not yet perfect but you have made huge steps in getting pen on paper.
Next, begin to form sentences 'one by one' and in any order that feels most comfortable. If you are really struggling to get writing, then even copy out a paragraph to trigger of the process. Okay, I'm not saying plagiarize. Instead just use this exercise to get your creative juices going.
The same can be done for videos or podcasts. Just begin by doing a 10/15 second video to get used to the camera and talk about anything at all. This will also help you overcome the fear of being in front of the camera.
5. Do what you are passionate about!
If you are not following your passion and doing what you love on a daily basis... you will tend to put of the majority of your tasks and generally feel overwhelmed. To overcome that horrid feeling of dread when you get up in the morning and make your life worth living, then I can't recommend following your passion strongly enough!
What if you don't know what your passion is? Well, ask yourself - what makes you come alive? What do you love talking about, reading about, watching on TV or even nagging other people about? Whatever gives you goose bumps and makes you feel awake and motivated, will be your passion.
Once you have identified your passion - then 'just do it'! Follow your passion!
To really overcome procrastination will take dedication and commitment in taking action everyday and changing those habits that are deeply set within your sub-conscious. The main thing is that you keep at it and keep taking action daily until your habits serve you.
We all have amazing power and potential to reach our goals, dreams and overall vision for our lives. Take action on the above and you will be one step closer to reaching them.
And, remember... if you are not doing what you love, then this is going to have a huge impact on your procrastinating skills. Find out what you are passionate about and 'just do it'!:-)
So what do you think? Are you ready to take action on your procrastination? I'd love to hear from you...
What has your experience been with these 5 techniques? How has this helped move you forward in either your business, at work, or your personal life? Any insights or tips to share with the community would be fantastic?
Thanks so much for investing your time and commitment here today and I hope you have received some great value out of this article!
To your transformation, inspiration & success!
Amanda Emily
Transformational Entrepreneur, Mentor & Coach
My passion is empowering people to realize their full potential and power to create whatever life they desire!
I am a successful entrepreneur and dedicated to teaching people how to create wealth from the comfort of their home and live a life of total financial freedom, opportunity and choice.
Visit my blog for transformational advice, tips & tricks: http://amandaemilyreed.com/
You can partner with me at: http://amandaemilyreed.com/partner-with-amanda/ Here - you will find my key criteria for partnership.
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