Tap, Tap… is this thing on?
I hear the sound of microphone feedback in my head. I’m starting a new adventure. Maybe, not new, but expanded… real. For Real.
My business is OFFICIAL! I’ve trained, I’ve explored options, I’ve helped people. But now it’s time to stand on my own and go BIG. Is anyone else sweating here? It’s like when I moved to DC for work a million years ago.
This comes with a lot of fear. Just this morning as I was writing my business plan, I was shaking. I made a conscious effort to get out of my own way. The truth is… I’m afraid to fail. Judgement is ok, but failure isn’t. Too much is riding on this, well, at least in my own mind.
In the last few months, my view has gotten clear. Some of you may have already thought I already knew what I was doing. Thanks for having faith in me. While working with a teen client recently, we were talking about procrastination. Oh, that ugly word. I’m guilty right here! There are 3 types of procrastination:
Stall
Stop
Spin
Stalling is pretty obvious. Everything else is much more important (FUN) than getting that one thing done. We’ll get back to it….eventually.
Stopping gets me some of the time. I’m overwhelmed and just can‘t go forward. It’s climbing Mount Everest… but it’s really just the hill down the block on my way to Starbucks… you know the one that doesn’t really even wind you?
Oh, and my favorite, Spinning. Hello reality. Let’s just start one more thing. My mom told me she knew I liked chaos. That’s why I had my second child just when I was getting the hang of my first, while working full time. I *actually* said no to something because I was making this the priority. No more spin. No more distraction. Let’s move forward.
We all know the types of procrastination now. So how do we push past? Well, let me tell you what’s worked for me!
Instead of stalling, I just get one thing done of that big project. Someone on a morning talk show said “do 1%”… taking that one step will move you forward. Think of this… one step on a ladder means you’re not on the ground floor. Before you know it, you’re halfway up!
Oh, my friend Stopping. Do you remember as a kid, you’d ask Mom and Dad for a glass of water before bed. Then ask to read a book. Oh, then you have to go potty? How many of those asks got you to stall bedtime another half hour? Well, in this case, do all the “things,” then set your timer. Give yourself 20 minutes of uninterrupted work time. And yes, that includes turning off that cell phone next to you.
My favorite procrastination skill…. Spinning. JUST SAY NO. You are not allowed to start anything new until you finish something. “But I work better when…” I hear you. But are projects taking you much longer than they need to? Probably. Get it done. Say no. Your sanity will thank me later.
So as I sit here and contemplate my big step forward, let’s be more productive together. Let’s do great things!!!
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