How to Overcome Procrastination to Achieve Your Goals
Pr
ocrastination is the enemy of great, but it doesn't have to be. We are in control of the level of greatness WE achieve. As these words ring out from my spirit, they cut me like a sharp knife. If I may be completely transparent, I ,too, have been the victim of procrastination. Today I will share how I overcame this pesky little habit known as procrastination.
Step 1: ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE.
Here's my confession: For an entire year, I have been dragging my feet, proverbially of course, to officially start a business blog for my own website... I have done the research. I know the importance of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and using quality content to drive traffic to your business website. I have explained this concept in depth to my clients. Yet I've been too lazy to do it for my own business. ONE. ENTIRE. YEAR. Today I'm taking a stand.
The irony: I am NOT a procrastinator. In fact, I'm typically the person who prepares well in advance because I don't need to feel pressured to perform at my best. I have put off starting this blog for so long, however; it's most important that I acknowledge my laziness. In order to overcome procrastination, you must start by being honest with yourself.
Realize the potential collateral damage of inactivity. I acknowledge my procrastination adversely affects my credibility. As a writer, it's hard to show others my talent when there is no visible proof. When I meet potential clients and they ask if there are writing samples on my site, in the past I had to admit, 'No.' My answer, though true, would always open up a can of worms. A writer with no writing samples could suggest a few things: I couldn't be serious about my craft of storytelling. Maybe my claims for experience are false or perhaps I'm not a good writer after all. While, none of these things are true; I only have one shot at making a GOOD first impression. And so do you. Take the first step to getting out of your own way.
Step 2: ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE.
Somewhere along life's journey, you will encounter people or situations that will challenge you. They'll challenge you to look deep within and answer "why". They'll challenge you to reinvent a more, improved self. They'll challenge you to push harder than ever to achieve your goals. They'll challenge you to be unconventional and think outside the box. Take my advise: Accept the challenge.
My challenge to conquer procrastination came in the most profound way--from a complete stranger. I attended WordCamp Atlanta 2017 (#WCATL). It's a three day conference surrounding WordPress, the widely used software which supports blogs and websites. After taking a class, I waited to speak to the instructor, whom I had met the year before. Judy Knight always offers great insight, but gives honest, tough advice. Judy suggested I introduce myself to a fellow writer in the class.
It was actually Sandra, the fellow writer, who inspired me to my core. Chatting through lunch, she prodded me with all the right questions about why I haven't written any blog posts, especially since I kept insisting that I should have already started this business blog for Diamond Point Writing. 'Why sit on the good material that could potentially help small business owners?' I knew that no excuse I provided would be acceptable to my own ears. After swapped a few stories and bonded over our passion for writing, Sandra challenged me to overcome my current state of inactivity. Start writing for goodness sake! And that is exactly what I did.
You must accept the challenge. Sometimes those around us, even those who barely know us, can see potential that we refuse to realize. Celebrate your willingness to accept the challenge. This is a big deal. How long did it take to reach this point? It took me an entire year to eradicate the effects of procrastination. We must celebrate the little victories because it will keep us motivated to achieve the larger ones.
Be aware: Procrastination is a slippery slope. Once I accepted the challenge, I started writing this very blog post. Started, yes, but when I didn't finish in one setting, I vowed to finish it later that evening. Something came up, and I did not get around to completing the post. One distraction leads to another excuse and another unfulfilled obligation. Before I knew it, almost a month had passed, which is a good segue to my next step in beating procrastination.
Step 3: COMMIT TO THE CHALLENGE.
Follow through is equally as important as first acknowledging your negligent behavior of procrastination and accepting the challenge to overcome. Without actually committing to the challenge, it is impossible to overcome whatever obstacles stand in the way of achieving your goals. What is your goal? Have you always wanted to start your own business? Make an impact in your community or experience professional growth? Identify your goals. Write them down.
Don't get lost in the weeds. Whenever faced with a challenge, I prefer the direct approach. Attack the root of a problem and eradicate the possibilities of recurrence. However, I also recognize when a more indirect approach is absolutely necessary. I handled my extreme procrastination through an indirect approach by acknowledging my faults and letting it go. It is pointless to get bogged down in frivolous details. If I had attempted to figure out why it took me a year to start blogging, I would likely still be in the same inactive rut. Distracted now with an attempt to sift through twelve months of emotional weight, and I would still be no closer to achieving the ultimate goal.
Acknowledge your short comings and move on already! Who cares if you have to take baby steps? Progression is a sign of movement; therefore, start down the path of achieving more today than you did the day before. Get moving.
Be patient. Rome really wasn't built in a day. Statistics suggest it takes a minimum of 28 days to develop a new habit. Procrastination is typically viewed as a bad habit. Naturally it is going to take some time and a lot of effort to put an end to this negligent behavior. Identify small daily tasks to ensure your success in reaching those larger goals. Endure the process.
Accountability supports achievement. Let's face it: even as grown ups peer pressure still works. Ask a relative or close friend who you feel is responsible to hold you accountable for achieving your goals. Another option is to set up a bi-weekly or monthly check in call with someone who has similar goals as yours. Why not help someone else along the way to maximizing your full potential of greatness?
At one point or another most people can be found guilty of procrastinating, whether intentional or not. Today, is the day to move past it. Stop allowing procrastination to stunt your growth. Let us go and do whatever makes us great.