Copyright 2006 Sandra P. Martini

I’m guessing that right now there are several tasks you’ve
been putting off and that when you look at your “to do”
list, you see some items day after day – perhaps even week
after week.  Maybe it’s redoing your website, figuring our
your books, having a difficult conversation with a client,
or kicking your marketing plan into high gear.

What’s stopping you?

Believe me, I deal with this same issue. But you know what
I realized?

Procrastination is not necessarily a bad thing.

Instead of seeing procrastination as a negative thing, I
now view it as a tool that helps me learn how I work best.

Here are the reasons I’ve come up with for why people tend
to procrastinate (and ways to deal):

1. You are feeling overwhelmed.

The Fix:  You need to start somewhere.  Just pick one thing
(ANY one thing) off your desk and do it.  I like to start
with something “quick and easy” so I feel a sense of
accomplishment and build momentum to move on to the next
thing.

2. You don’t enjoy the task.

The Fix: I once heard that if you “eat a toad first thing
in the morning, you can do anything”.  If you need to have
a difficult conversation with a client or handle a billing
issue, get it done first thing.  You will feel a great
sense of relief once it’s over and that “cloud” will no
longer be hanging over your head.  Or, if it’s a larger
project, set a timer for, say 15 minutes, and stop when the
timer buzzes.  This gets you going and allows you to make
progress while knowing you can soon move on to something
more enjoyable.

3. You don’t enjoy a part of the task or project.

The Fix: If you’re putting off an entire project just
because there’s one part you don’t want to do, either
figure out how you can get away without doing that piece or
outsource it.  The reward of finishing the project will far
outweigh any costs of outsourcing.

4. You don’t know how to do “it”.

The Fix: If you need to do something, but don’t know how,
wishing it done will not help.  You must either learn to do
it – online course, coach, mentor, etc. – or outsource it.
I am dating myself here, but Samantha from “Bewitched” is
not going to fly in, wiggle her nose and complete the task.

5. You feel stuck.

The Fix: Similar to #1, you may just need to get momentum
going. Give yourself permission to do just one small part
of the task. Or do the easiest part first. Doing this
usually creates momentum, and you end up doing a lot more
than you originally planned.

6. You don’t really want to do what you thought you should
do.

The Fix: Chances are good that if you really don’t want to
do something anymore, it is no longer right for you. Slow
down and listen to your intuition.  A goal may have been
perfect for you last year, but not any longer.  You change,
your business changes, let the project/goal go and see what
happens.  It’s okay to change your mind. : )

7. You are too busy.

The Fix: If you keep telling yourself (or others) that you
are just “too busy” to get something done, then you need to
reevaluate your time and the project.  Do you really need
to do the project?  If so, then one of the above reasons
most likely applies or you may be spending your time on
non-essential tasks.  If you are truly too busy doing other
“mission critical” items, then you must schedule future
time to do it, get rid of other tasks to create the time
you need or outsource it.

Once you start realizing which tasks you tend to put off,
you will learn to recognize the underlying cause and handle
it appropriately.  Perhaps you need to “eat that toad” or
maybe it’s time to delegate something – you will now be
able to handle each bout of procrastination as it comes.

Take some time to make a list of everything you’re
currently procrastinating and figure out which of the seven
reasons applies – don’t judge yourself, just list them.
You’ll soon be on your way to getting more done than ever.
GO FOR IT!

—————————————————-
Online Business Manager & Entrepreneur, Sandra Martini,
publishes the ‘Effective Entrepreneur’ weekly e-zine. She
also coaches small business owners to more efficiently
manage their businesses while increasing profits and having
fun. Sandra’s coaching programs are available via
teleconferencing, emails and telephone calls.  For more
information or to sign-up for ‘Effective Entrepreneur’,
visit http://www.thevirtualsolution.com today.  Want to
grow your business?  Sign up for the FREE e-course “How to
Write a Dynamic Marketing Plan” by sending a blank email to
smartini-187175@autocontactor.com today.

This entry was posted on Monday, September 18th, 2006 at 5:12 pm and is filed under Business, Business Thinking, Management. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.