Stop Procrastinating
You have to learn how to stop procrastination or it will stop you……dead in your tracks.
We all procrastinate to one degree or another but when you get started with online marketing, or any venture for that matter that takes time to build, you simply can’t put things off. You have to set goals and get moving.
Why Do We Procrastinate?
There are many reasons we procrastinate and if you get into the habit of not doing things it will be harder to break the cycle. The reason we typically don’t take action on certain objectives is because we don’t consider them a “must“, we tend to consider them as a “need to do” item. So, something we need to do isn’t as important as something we must do.
For example. We all know we need to do our taxes so it can wait, right? But as soon as April 13th rolls around we know we must get it done.
Aside from this; another reason for procrastination boils down to one of two things. We avoid taking action because we associate “taking action” with some type of pain. This pain can be physical, financial, emotional or otherwise but it is real.
When you fail to “do” something; in one way or another whether you realize it or not you are attaching, or associating, something negative to that action. That’s why you procrastinate.
How Do I Stop Procrastination?
The key to over coming and stopping procrastination is to change your mind, change your “need to do” to “must do” and stop associating taking action with a negative result. By changing your mind you “must” associate any action, and it’s outcome, in terms of what you will be gaining instead of what you will be losing.
In other words, If you need to quit smoking stop thinking about what you’re losing and think about what you will be gaining. If you need to lose weight stop thinking about what you can’t eat and what you’ll miss out on.
You can fill in the blanks yourself. This is obvious but of course too many times we look at the glass as half empty instead of half full.
Exercises To Break The Cycle of Procrastination
Need to do list
Start by exercising self control and self discipline. I’m a big believer in making a list to keep yourself organized and focused. And, this is the first thing you should start doing on a regular basis. But don’t title it “need to do list.” What should you title it???
When you make a list of things you must do you’ve taken a big first step in breaking the cycle of procrastination.
How?
1. You actually made a list (this in itself is something you could have ‘put off’)
2. You set small goals (the goals are within the list itself and when you complete them you have a success)
3. Positive association (how do you feel about what you’ve done?)
Don’t under estimate the power of this small action. It may not seem like much at first but by simply writing this stuff down you are creating a powerful psychological condition within yourself as well.
You took action and after you “complete” the task you have committed to you will feel good and more confident about the next thing you have to do. This small success is powerful and you must allow it to be because it’s one small part of the process. You need to train yourself ‘how’ to be consistent and take action on things which must be done.
Avoiding pain
I had a very good debate with a family member recently concerning human nature, fear, pain and why we do the things we do. If you take a moment and get very honest with yourself you will realize that everything we do, or don’t do, is a direct quest for the achievement of some type of pleasure or the avoidance of some type of pain.
Think about it….
Your goal is to make yourself conscious of this at all times. You must be aware of the ‘why‘ behind the decisions you make and actions you take. Sure, you make choices every minute of the day but when was the last time you really drilled down and honestly asked yourself why you took a certain path.
This can get complicated and convoluted as you dive into the psychology of this but the one thing I want you to get from this is that your sub-conscious drives your decisions. So changing the ‘how and why’ you do things involves awareness.
Stop, think, and take positive actions that are not based on fear or based on avoidance of pain. When you do this on a consistent basis you will in effect be “training” your brain to consistently and effortlessly allow you to make the choices that always move you in the positive direction you really want to go.
It’s All About Your Personal Development
Learning not to procrastinate is only one part of your personal development that you will need to work on to be successful in online marketing. Chris Farrell talks a lot about how you have to have the right mindset when it comes to building an online business. You can learn more on the Chris Farrell website.
You will eliminate procrastination altogether as you strengthen your other personal development skills as well. Having a positive attitude, goal setting, decision making and of course taking action are all interrelated activities you must learn to master. Use your passion as a resource and inspiration to draw from and it won’t seem like work.
Think about this and apply it. Stop procrastination by first making a list of projects you must do. Then,,, go do them.
Changing bad or unwanted habits is going to be a process and will require some work; so setting yourself up for success is vital. Having successful outcomes is ‘habit forming’ and that can only be achieved when you take positive action.
Start Now
Take the first step right now and write down three things you must do within the next three days. Make your list right now. Complete your list.
You will achieve one small positive success to build upon. Over time you will notice that you don’t have to consciously force or push yourself into consistent behavior patterns. The best of you will flow naturally. It’s a great feeling that you can only experience when you’re in the midst of it. So don’t procrastinate, go do something.
Stay focused and Stay faithful. I wish you every good thing.
Has this helped? Let me know.
