That Nagging Feeling Called Procrastination

What’s Your Procrastination Telling You?

You should be writing your next blog post or editing your sales copy. You should be recording the first few episodes of your podcast or working on your website relaunch. But you’re doing not these tasks. 

In fact, you find a million reasons not to do them. You tell yourself you’ll come back to it later. You decide that now’s the perfect time to update all your social media profiles with a fresh avatar. While you’re at it, you pause to clean out your inbox because it’s overflowing with messages. 

Next thing you know, the day has ended. As your head hits the pillow, you remember you still haven’t conquered the task that’s nagging at you. You’ll get it tomorrow you tell yourself but the next day, you’re doing the exact same thing.

Avoiding tasks you should do is known as procrastination. Most mompreneurs and small business owners think that procrastination is a bad thing. You might believe that, too. But procrastination is actually a valuable warning signal.

You take your car to a mechanic for evaluation when you see the “check engine” light and you should do the same thing with procrastination. When you first feel it, you need to slow down and evaluate what’s really holding you back. 

Procrastination is inner resistance. It’s a sign that your subconscious is speaking and you need to listen. Often, procrastination is telling you one of these things:

Change Direction

You’re ready to change direction.

Maybe you originally started your business so you could teach solopreneurs and online business owners how to DIY their websites. But you’ve come to realize that your true gift is coaching solopreneurs and showing them how to make more money form their business. 

Something isn’t a good fit

Your project or client isn’t a good fit.

Maybe you wanted to work with this client because they’re an industry name. Maybe you took on their project because you needed the cash. Now you find yourself procrastinating and wondering why you can’t “just do it”. 

Challenge is Gone

Your work no longer challenges you.

You use to feel energized by your work. It was a challenge and you loved it. But now, that’s changed. You’ve been doing one thing for so long that it no longer excites you and this makes you realize you’re bored with your current projects. 

Afraid

You’re afraid of success or failure.

At the root of procrastination, some solopreneurs and small business owners find they’re afraid of success or failure. That’s because success and failure represent change and change feels scary. You worry that if you succeed, you won’t be able to duplicate your success. You fret that if you fail, you’ll be embarrassed and disappointed.

When you’re tempted to procrastinate on a project, don’t give into the urge and fill the rest of your time with distracting activities. Instead, try to find a quiet place where you can journal or color. Give yourself permission to listen to your subconscious mind as your hand moves across the page. You’ll be surprised at how clearly you can hear your subconscious when you pause to listen. 

Your Procrastination Style

There are many reasons solopreneurs and business owners procrastinate. It could be due to perfectionism, overwhelm, or problems prioritizing. The key to overcoming procrastination is learning what your procrastination style is and how to deal with it. Once you’re armed with this information, you’ll find it easier to defeat procrastination and get back on track.

Super Mom

It’s Time to Put Down the Cape, Super Mom

It would be an understatement to say you have a lot on your plate. You have so much to do that your plate is overflowing with tasks. Your to do lists are usually a mile long. You’re always in motion, bouncing between projects and deadlines. You take on too much and usually, you don’t realize that until it’s too late. You may procrastinate by avoiding your to do list or working on tasks that are necessary but in the long run, won’t make you money.

Your Struggle Is: Refusing to Delegate. 

Take a deep breath and take a critical look at your to do list right now. Ask yourself what tasks are ones that only you can do, like coaching your clients or creating your new service package. But if a task doesn’t require your attention, consider delegating it. You can delegate by hiring a virtual assistant or taking on an intern that’s interested in your niche. 

Perfectionist

Stop Being a Perfectionist with Your Projects

Not only do you feel the pressure to get everything done on your to do list, you also feel pressure to have it done perfectly. You hate doing anything that you don’t deem your best work and you’re continually finding flaws in the finished project. You may procrastinate by telling yourself you’ll release your coaching program after you’ve polished your copy one last time or gotten two more testimonials.

Your Struggle Is: Failing to Launch.

Launching a new product or service is scary. You may find it helps to hire a coach that will encourage you to launch version 1.0 and upgrade your offering later on. You could also try setting a public deadline. Let the world know when they can expect your product and stick to that date, no matter what.

People Pleaser

Being A People Pleaser Means Your Needs Are Ignored

Whenever someone presents you with a new idea or project, you jump on it. You’re enthusiastic and you love getting to say, “Yes”. The problem is if you say, “Yes” to everything, you end up saying, “No” to important things. You may procrastinate by taking on someone else’s workload instead of tackling your own. You tell yourself you’ll work on growing your business as soon as you finish this marketing task for a client.

Your Struggle Is: Failing to Prioritize.

You put others’ needs and wants before your own. In some cases, this is admirable and it comes from a good place. But if you want to succeed with your business, you have to become ruthless and willing to cut projects and clients that aren’t right for you. Stop trying to fit your work around everyone else’s needs. Instead, do your work first and if you have extra time and energy, you can invest in helping someone else. 

Procrastination is not a diagnosis. Rather, it’s a symptom of something else that you need to address. Once you understand the root cause of your procrastination, you can begin to beat it and get back to being productive.