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If you’ve been following the news, you know that global commerce screeched to a halt recently when the gargantuan container ship, the Ever Given, got “stuck” in the Suez Canal in Egypt. A Twitter post by @ChazHutton nicely captured how the essence of that event relates to a tendency that even the best of business owner struggle with: procrastination.

What will procrastination do to your life? It’s a business killer. It makes you waste time or, can cause you to miss deadlines. Sometimes, it may mean losing out on an opportunity to grow your business. The big question, and one that we’ll be talking about here is why you procrastinate.

What does procrastination in your business look like, exactly?

You have big goals that you’re excited about. You’ve written down those goals in a tidy list. You clear your desk, have pen and paper beside you, and your computer keyboard in front of you. Ready? Yes!

But wait, you think. Shouldn’t I create a to-do list first to make sure I achieve my goal and nothing falls through the cracks? And then once I finish my to-do list, I need to create a timetable so I can stay on track to work toward my to-do deadlines.

You think… maybe I should do some research into project tracking software that I can color code so the to-do list milestones stand out. That would be cool. So, you jump on the Internet, and key in “project tracking software.” and see lots of choices. Maybe you even download a free one or buy something with lots of features that could come in handy. Scrolling through the product web site, you start to watch product videos.

You’re on your fifth video when you glance at the time. Almost two hours have gone by. Remembering now that you still need to go to the grocery store to get stuff for dinner. If you go now, the traffic won’t be as bad, and when you get back, you’ll still have time to get some work done.

A trip to the grocery store includes: 10 minutes of browsing for a birthday card, waiting in the coffee shop drive-through line, a stop at the gas station, and – since it’s on the way – a run into Target to save a buck or two on a few personal items that you’ve been meaning to get. You get home and glance at the clock while unpacking bags. If you don’t start dinner now, everyone will be starving.

Do the hard things and don’t let procrastination win

Back to the Twitter post. If the above scenario sounds familiar, then yes, the green thing straddling the banks is you – sidelong in the middle of the Canal, procrastinating and sabotaging everything you want to achieve in your business.

While running your own business is exciting, it’s not always fun. It requires you to do things that are sometimes uncomfortable. There’s a lot of uncertainty, which is usually not fun, and often no guarantee that all of your hard work will generate positive results.

No wonder we procrastinate!

But, when your day-to-day actions don’t align with the vision you have for your future, you can count on being disappointed, and you only need to look as far as the mirror to see why.

What type of business procrastinator are you?

What characterizes procrastination in business? Activities that are more fun or less challenging but tinged with underlying guilt, dread, anxiety and sometimes a dose of self-loathing when you know you need to be doing more important things.

There are varieties of procrastination that have their roots in lack of self-discipline, fear, and misguided awareness of importance. Which ones apply to you?

The perfectionist is laser focused on making everything just right before she can move on to the next task. Set a deadline for yourself, do the best that you can, and then move on! Progress is better than perfect.

The planner loves to envision what could be and how it will look and feel when it’s a reality. Trouble is, she never does anything to make it real or struggles to follow through to completion. Set a specific goal, take action, and complete it.

 The avoider fears making a mistake so much that they’d rather not try anything at all in case it is done poorly and judged or ridiculed because of it. Honestly, most people are busy with their own problems, not yours. Do the best of your ability and let the chips fall where they may, and know that no one is perfect.

The poor priority setter tends to tick through her list of to-dos without taking into account what is really important. The tasks that matter and move your business forward must always take priority.

Why procrastination is such a threat to you and your business

For entrepreneurs, the problem of procrastination is particularly significant because so much of the initial work requires a self-starter mindset.

Early in your business journey before you have momentum going that includes expectations and deadlines to meet, procrastination can eat away at your vision, making it easier to settle for less. Maybe that “less” is returning to a paid position as an employee or, if you have sufficient funds, relegating the excitement and empowerment of entrepreneurship to a “nice to have” rather than a “must have.”

When you continue to procrastinate on taking action now to achieve what you envision for your future, you become entrenched in a pattern that can go on and on. Sometimes for years.  The long-term repercussions of chronic procrastination have only one outcome: regrets.

How is procrastination showing up in your business?

As an entrepreneur, it’s critical to ask yourself where you are in your business journey and what you’re procrastinating about. Are you hung up on deciding something important, like what business idea to pursue or what steps you need to take to meet your end-of-year income goal? Or, are you avoiding the big issues and focused only on inconsequential decisions, like what brand of printer to buy?

Recognizing fear when you think about something in your business is a good indicator of what you’ll most likely procrastinate about.

You’ve got to acknowledge that fear and take action anyway. I don’t advocate making rash decisions, but I do advocate starting and doing and then course-correcting as you go.

Remember that the time you have to achieve your goals is finite. There are only so many days, weeks, months, and years. Getting stuck because of procrastination has stopped many business owners from reaching their potential and achieving their vision.

It’s true – we are all, in our own little ways, the Ever Given. Know what procrastination looks like in you and your business, and do whatever it takes to get past it and back on your path toward success.

Do you have questions about how you can succeed in your business and accelerate your journey toward reaching your goals? I invite you to learn more about From Startup to Success coaching packages. Begin with a no-cost 30-minute consultation to discuss where you are with your business and where you want to go.

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