Start Somewhere

 

Sometimes you just need to get started.  However, don’t you want to wait until you have enough time, or you are in the right mood, or you have every possible required tool at hand?  I do!  Why do we put off getting started?  We have tons of reasons, better yet excuses that delay our start.   Often, it seems daunting to start a big project.  It can be paralyzing to face something that we know will require concentration and focus.  We search for tasks that we know require less time or we get distracted with less important action items.  Start somewhere.  Break the project down into consumable bites.  Set attainable goals that build towards completion of the larger project.

Just start…

Procrastination

Procrastination is a problem for me. Just as the people that work for me.   I am not near as productive as I should be.  There are always good excuses to put things off.  Sound familiar? I feel a little bit like I am writing this MMM directly to myself!  There are two specific things I need to remind myself in order to become more productive…

Stop planning, start doing!

I am a great planner. There are a lot of plans in my head, notes in my desk, and lists on my computer.  I have regular work projects that need completion. There are books to write and businesses to start.  Planning is important but at some point, you have to just do it.  Plan appropriately, but don’t let the planning become the work.  More importantly, don’t let planning be your excuse for procrastination.

Don’t be a perfectionist!

Chasing perfection causes me to take longer to complete tasks.  It just takes more time to be perfect and it is almost never required.  This is actually a bigger challenge for those of us that are self-employed.  We don’t have others to impose deadlines and demand completion despite imperfections.  Just know that it always takes longer to be perfect and the payoff for that perfection seldom offsets the time it takes.

Aim Lower?

Tough circumstances often call for smaller, less lofty goals.  A lot has been made of setting stretch goals both personally and in business.  The theory being that they encourage over-achievement and far reaching success.  In good times, with momentum and confidence that may be true.  In more challenging times when we feel overwhelmed such lofty goals just add to that feeling.  The thing is that the dread is often worse than the dreaded.  We can dread a goal or task so much because of its perceived enormity that we never get started.  The size of the goal can actually cause paralysis and no action is taken at all.  Smaller, manageable, less daunting goals can be confidence builders.  They can be the antidote for the paralysis.  This is certainly true in these difficult times.  Hard times are for maintaining, rebuilding and retrenching.  Stretch goals are not appropriate in these times and can actually prove demoralizing.  It may sound strange to say but…  Pick one thing and aim lower this week.

Happy President’s Day!