6 Easy Tips to Stop Procrastinating and Start Succeeding

When I ask business owners why they are not as successful as they’d like, they often tell me, “I plan on doing more when I find the time.” Let me be the first to tell you, they don’t find the time because some part of them wants to procrastinate. When you procrastinate you’re putting off things that you should be focusing on right now, by doing nothing or finding something that you’re more comfortable with. For some, they may not know where to begin. Others may doubt that they have the right skills to be successful. Regardless of the reason (or excuse) the result is less business growth and not enough clients. If you are consistently waiting for the “right time” you may wake up one day to see that it’s the same time six months from now and you’ve accomplished little.

Of course, it’s important to learn how to market yourself and have the support to take the actions to work smarter not harder. At the end of the day though, it’s up to you to put a plan together, schedule steps, and take action. The following tips will help you beat your own version of procrastination, and re-motivate yourself to get out there and make it happen. Your potential clients and the unlimited success of your business await.

Recognize where you procrastinate – take an honest look at your business and the areas that seem to hold you back. If you reflect on it, you are most often keeping yourself stuck. Don’t judge yourself, just become aware where you don’t take consistent action and the opportunities you’ve not yet followed up on.

Think about what it’s costing you – when you consider what procrastination is costing you, you may realize what you’re missing out on. Ultimately, if you put off marketing for tomorrow, you miss the opportunity to build your business both short and long term. This means you have less money, less chances to share your skills, and ultimately way less freedom to live a life of passion and purpose. Aren’t you worth it?

Understand the reasons why – take out a pen and paper and journal a bit about why you procrastinate. There is always something below the surface fueling your lack of activity or motivation. Perhaps you have fears that it may not work out, or you wonder if you will know enough to be successful. Or, it may be that the task is not something you enjoy doing. Whatever the case, if you can figure out the why, you can then determine a reasonable solution and/or get support to work through whatever may be holding you back.

Create an action plan with steps – often times when we look at the end road, the steps along the way can seem daunting. So, it’s important to create a manageable action plan. First, write down every step you’ll need to take to accomplish the particular goal. Next, organize the tasks in the order you’ll need to take them. Finally, schedule the steps in your planner and do ONE thing at a time. If you can view each step as a singular accomplishment, you’ll feel a greater reward, and getting to the finish line will not be nearly as overwhelming. Start with the easier tasks first, so you build momentum.

Get support – you don’t have to do it alone. If there is something you don’t know how to do, and that’s what keeps you stuck, ask a knowledgeable person for support. Perhaps you need to implement new technology to automate tasks you do (newsletter etc.). Recognize that there is support out there, and all you have to do is ask.

Reward yourself – once you’ve accomplished a task or milestone on your action plan, reward yourself for a job well done. This could be anything that fulfills you or makes you feel relaxed. I often treat myself to a massage once I’ve reached a goal. And along the way a little organic chocolate (in moderation) sure doesn’t hurt!

My question for you – think about why you deserve to be more successful, and why you’ve been getting in your own way. Make a plan for one of your of your goals, and put in motion step-by step. What will you do first?