Is procrastination killing your business? 
You know what I’m talking about. You thought you were working all day long. After all, you were at your desk weren’t you? You spent hours on your computer didn’t you? You’re tired, aren’t you? Then why the heck does it always feel like you haven’t gotten anything done all day? Oh sure, you can point to a few tasks you got done (for sure all the fun stuff like Facebook, right?), but what did you really accomplish
? Deep down you know you have to do better or you’re gonna have to get a J O B. (hurts just to think about it doesn’t it?)
3 Main causes of procrastination
What exactly causes procrastination? Why do we all succumb to it at one time or another
? We all know what we should do. We know we’ve got a limited amount of time. We know if we don’t make a schedule and prioritize our daily activities we won’t get the most important things done. So what the heck is going on? Cori Hughes says you’re probably scared, distracted or too worried about getting things juuust right.
In this short video about the causes of procrastination,
My new friend Cori Hughes, who is in my TSA group this week, explains 3 main causes of procrastination and what you can do to begin taking control of your time. If you’ve ever felt like you worked all day and gotten nothing done, you’ll be glad you watched this video. Because without question, procrastination WILL kill your business.
28. April 2011 at 18:50
Dave,
I appreciate this post! I really like the video with info about the psychology behind procrastination. I’ve done a bunch of introspection and I can see why I get lost in the social networking.
For me,in relaity it’s all about setting limits for myself! I’m having so much fun in this blogging community.
Just listening to this movie motivates to get back on track!
Linda
28. April 2011 at 20:19
I know what you mean, Linda. I found this video last night. I liked it so much I wanted to share it with my blog readers. I’m glad you found some good information in it too. I’m thinking about making guest bloggers a regular part of my blog. Especially when I find good stuff like this.
30. April 2011 at 14:28
DAVE-
You sneaky little fox!! I had no idea that you put this up here. I am flattered! I used to be a big procrastinator and I really had to get to the root of why I was procrastinating before I could fix it.
What a nice surprise you gave me today!!!
Cori
Cori Hughes´s last [type] ..Do You Need Social Media Efficiency Improvement
30. April 2011 at 14:54
Hey Cori,
I realized you hadn’t seen it when I was talking to you on Facebook. Watching this video is why I dug a little deeper into your other stuff. I found this on YouTube. I wanted to share it with as many people as possible because I think procrastination (for whatever reason) is a big part of why people fail to make progress in their businesses. And your video does an excellent job of pointing out 3 main reasons for procrastination and how to start to overcome them.
I’m glad you had a nice surprise when you saw it. You’ve actually inspired me to find more awesome content like yours and share it on my blog regularly. Guest bloggers and their posts or something like that. What do you think?
P.S. I also posted this on my Blogger blog
30. April 2011 at 19:31
Hi Dave,
As a newbie I love to see how others are doing their posts and how they have set up their blogs. Very clever use of anothers video. As for myself, I know that I get distracted too many times. I am the kind of person who makes a long list of things to get done and at the end of the day have only crossed out 2 tasks. Thanks for the reminder of keeping more focus in building my business. Looking forward to reading more posts of yours in the future!
Joyce
30. April 2011 at 20:17
Hey Joyce,
Welcome to my blog. I’m glad you liked the video. Cori has some very good stuff.
One thing you might try is prioritizing your tasks. If you’re already doing that, schedule each task in order of priority and work on each task for a specified period of time. Then move on to the next. I’ve found that setting up a schedule like that helps me stay focused and by only spending a limited amount of time on each task, I know when to move on to the next one. That will help you work on each of your most important tasks every day. Tasks that take more than one day get the same block of time the next day and so on.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
1. May 2011 at 10:24
Thanks Dave, for sharing Cori’s helpful video. Sure enough, I recognize in myself all three procrastinating causes she pointed out.
Perfectionism,and wanting to learn totally before trying, has definitely held me back from making videos. I think the reason kids learn technology so quickly is that they are not afraid to try and see what happens.
Social media has become a HUGE distraction for me. Since I can’t “lick” ‘em, I’ve decided to join ‘em. I hope that my addiction to social media will eventually pay off. But in the meantime, I am considering limiting the time spent socializing. I do love making friends for a living!
Buddy Hodges´s last [type] ..The Practical Value of Social Media Relationhsips
1. May 2011 at 10:24
Thanks for sharing this video – really answers some important questions about procrastination. I think fear plays a far greater role in procrastination that we realize – or are willing to admit.
Marquita Herald´s last [type] ..Hula … the Heartbeat of the Hawaiian Culture
1. May 2011 at 21:43
Hey Buddy,
I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback about Cori’s video here on my blog as well as on my other pages, social sites, etc. I think everyone has a problem with procrastination at one time or another. It’s not just business. It’s dentist appointments, buying Christmas gifts, doing taxes. You name it, and we’ll put it off.
Cori’s video did such a good job of pointing out the 3 main causes of procrastination, that I had to share it. I knew that lots of people could use the information and from the looks of the response it’s getting, I’d say I was right.
1. May 2011 at 21:52
Hey Marquita,
I believe you’re right. Fear plays a far larger part in our lives than most of us realize. Funny thing about it is, many are just as afraid of success as they are of failure. Now, I’m not saying that people are afraid of making money and having nice things (though some are). What I mean is this: what if you succeed in sponsoring someone into your network marketing business? All of a sudden you have a responsibility to that person. You have to train them and help them.
Many times people feel responsible for the success of their team members. In this case you might be afraid that you’ll let them down. See how much fear there can be? And most of it is hidden from us. It’s hidden by the barrier of procrastination. It’s job is to keep us from doing that which may lead to big changes in our lives. It wants to keep us fat and happy in our safe cocoon of what’s known and comfortable. It wants to protect us.
The challenge is to acknowledge that procrastination is a barrier thrown up by our subconscious to keep us safe from change. Once that’s done, we can communicate to our subconscious that we’re ready to move ahead, and it’s new job is to protect us from failure by hiding the fear from us by using a more positive barrier. Maybe we could call this one inspiration.
2. May 2011 at 21:51
Very nice using Cori’s video. That is networking in action.
Now I will be looking for great videos to add to my blog!
I find I procrastinate when I don’t have a clear sense of direction. Once I know exactly what I have to do, and schedule it, all is well again.
Most people seem to be paralised by fear. Taking action consistently will overcome just about anything. For one thing the more you do something, the better you get at it, providing you are willing to learn from your experience.
John Gaydon´s last [type] ..I’ve Had It With Internet Marketing!
3. May 2011 at 05:47
Fear is the main thing that makes me procrastinate. I agree with just make a decision. When I quickly make a decision to do something it generally is a positive in my life.
3. May 2011 at 06:12
I can certainly agree with that, John.
If I’m not sure of what I want to do, that’s a great way to not get anything done.
You’re right about taking action also. Doing the thing you fear will take away the fear of doing it. After a while, you wonder what you were so afraid of in the first place. And once you start to get good at it, you tend to forget that you were ever afraid at all.
I’ve found that without a clear deadline I tend to procrastinate a lot more. If I’m under time pressure, and only have a certain period of time to accomplish my task, it’s much easier to focus and concentrate on the task ’til it’s finished. Even deadlines I set myself work for this.
3. May 2011 at 06:16
Right on, Andy.
Once I’ve made a decision to get something done, give myself a deadline, and then schedule the time for the work; everything seems to just fall into place. The trick seems to be taking those 3 steps immediately upon deciding which direction you’re heading and how best to get to your goal. And then repeating those 3 steps each time you decide on your next objective.
3. May 2011 at 15:28
Hi Dave! Awesome blog banner! That is probably one of the coolest I have seen:) I am with you both about procrastination killing your business! And you are right Dave in that we better learn how to get away from it or we will find ourselves out getting the dreaded JOB! I learned something from listening from The Slight Edge that helps me and might help others. At the end of each day, make a list of things you accomplished and got done. You will then have to stare the procrastination monster right in the face and own up to it. Do this a few times and you will find ways to be more productive:) Great post!
Glyna Humm´s last [type] ..Appreciation Marketing – A Must Read For Home Business Owners!
4. May 2011 at 09:38
Hey Glyna
Thanks for the compliment on the banner. I’ve gotten lots of feedback on it. It was designed by my friend Richard Bravo.
That’s a great tip on how to force yourself to recognize what you did or didn’t get done during the day. It’s probably a very good idea to start each day with your prioritized plan, have a scheduled time for each item on your list, and end each day reflecting on how things went and what you got done. Then make your prioritized list of what you want to accomplish the next day so you’ll go to sleep thinking about it and your subconscious can work on it all night.
This is one of the most popular posts I’ve ever published. I guess there are a lot of people who can relate to fighting the procrastination monster.
4. May 2011 at 20:49
I am so glad to see so many people getting some good advice out of this blog post and video!!!
I also want to thank Dave for being so awesome and sharing it with so many of his readers.
In talking with Dave today, I mentioned that I just began my own company called Socially Savvy. And he thought I should come over here and get the word out!! So here is my company plug…
Socially Savvy is my new Social Media Management Company that specializes in social media design, coaching, strategies, and the day -to-day management of all your social media profiles. Socially Savvy offers services for all business models from the newbie marketer to the established company. If you need some social media assistance or guidance, check me out at http://corihughes.com/social-media-management-services/.
And that is all I am going to say about that;)
Have a wonderful rest of your day!!!
Cori Hughes
Cori Hughes´s last [type] ..Do You Need Social Media Efficiency Improvement
4. May 2011 at 21:10
Hey Cori,
I’m more than happy to introduce my readers to your content and your service. The reaction to your post just proves to me that I was right thinking that I should share it here on my blog.
So there you have it everybody. If you or someone you know in whatever type of business is in need of help getting their social media campaigns off the ground and running smoothly, contact Cori at the address above. And tell her Dave sent ya!
6. May 2011 at 21:01
Hi Dave, I agree with Cori about the three causes of procrastination. Fear is actually the cause of so many counter-productive behaviors. It is very evident in the crazy years of one’s life called the “teenage” years. I would like to suggest one more – being overwhelmed! When we are feeling overwhelmed – sometimes it results in “analysis paralysis” (I didn’t coin this term but liked it so much that I repeat it). Cori’s advice about understanding the reasons behind why we procrastinate is also right on the mark. But I would also like to add to this that before one can understand the reasons why – they need to first recognize, admit, and realize they are procrastinating – not every one does
6. May 2011 at 22:07
Hey Julie,
I agree with you about feeling overwhelmed. The funny thing is, that it’s hard to recognize that when you spend too much time trying to make sure everything’s perfect, (or analysis paralysis) that’s a form of procrastination. Believe it or not, sometimes a person can be afraid that they’ll succeed! I always thought that the concept was ridiculous, but while I was working with a business coach I discovered that not only is the concept not ridiculous, but it’s probably almost as common as fear of failure.
That’s one reason someone might have a hard time admitting that they’re procrastinating. After all, if they’re planning they’re working towards their goals, right?
7. May 2011 at 13:16
Thanks for bringing this issue in an understanding way. It would be helpull to learn these things in a training. Great video. I am sure it will help a lot of procastination struglers.
Marloes
9. May 2011 at 02:47
Hallo Dave, thanks for this issue and if you follow my blog and than the Ebook you will see that I know a lot of this issue and you can read , find books to fill with fear and prograstination and still not solve the problem.
Thanks for sharing,
cheers…Mario…
9. May 2011 at 03:42
Hey Mario,
Yep, there are lots of books and information concerning procrastination out there. The key is to not just read the books to get information on the subject. One has to want to overcome it and take action to make sure they don’t stay in the same pattern of behavior.
7. June 2011 at 18:50
HI Dave,
Procrastination is most definitely a business killer. I’ve talked to many folks who just can’t seem to work from home at all due to procrastination and allowed distractions. I don’t seem to have this issue.
The only time I really have any difficulty with procrastination is when I’m not completely clear on which direction I want to go in and will fuss with other things while I let the decision ‘percolate’ a while.
Thanks for this post as I’m sure it will benefit many.
Linnea´s last [type] ..Facebook “Send”
6. October 2011 at 23:15
Yes it is, Linnea.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, its’ to live by the Nike principle. Do It Now!