If I had a dollar for each time I procrastinated, I wouldn’t need a business.  I’d be independently wealthy.  Since no one was willing to pay me to avoid doing stuff, I had to figure out how to overcome procrastination instead.  Moving past procrastination in favor of taking action has paid off bigtime in my business, and it will do the same for you.

How to overcome procrastination:  Introduction

Some people don’t struggle at all with procrastination.  Then, there’s the rest of us.

For as long as I can remember, procrastination was an issue for me.  Doing homework, cleaning my room, putting away laundry… it seemed like I just couldn’t make myself do much of anything until the very last minute.

When I started my own business in 2017 (long before I became a coach), procrastination seemed to follow me.  Market research, creating content, making offers, market-testing products and services… procrastination at every turn.

I learned the hard way that every day you don’t take action in your business is another day of lost time, revenue, and growth.  But once I figured out how to identify and address the root causes of my procrastination, EVERYTHING changed.

Today, I’m sharing 3 strategies to help you learn how to overcome procrastination as a small business owner or solopreneur.  With procrastination out of your way, you’ll be able to get more done in less time, so you can make more money.

Understand why you’re procrastinating

If you search online for “how to overcome procrastination,” you’ll be hit with a slew of motivational hacks:

• “Count down from 5, then start.”
• “Make yourself do it for 2 minutes.”
• “Think of it as eating the frog, and just do it.”

Hacks can be handy in a pinch, but they’re kind of like putting a bandage on a wound that really needs stitches.  Sure, it may cut down on the bleeding for a while, but it’ll probably keep happening until the underlying issue is resolved.

How do you resolve the underlying issue when it comes to procrastination?

Procrastination can be caused by several different mindset-based factors.  Sometimes, more than one is involved in a single situation.

To understand why you’re procrastinating, ask yourself:  “What’s stopping me from taking action here?”

As you work to find the answer, consider these common procrastination culprits.  By the way, these are all mindset-based issues. After all, as I like to say: Time management = mind management. Procrastination is both a time management AND a mind management issue.

Overwhelm

Might sound like: “There’s too much to do, and that’s stressing me out, so I’m avoiding getting started.”

Indecision

Might sound like: “I can’t decide where to start/what the next step is, so I’m avoiding the situation.”  May also include, “I’m afraid I’ll make the wrong decision, so I’m choosing not to make a decision.”

Low motivation

Might sound like: “I don’t want to do this right now,” or, “I don’t feel like doing this.”

Perfectionism

Might sound like: “I’m afraid I won’t do a good enough job, so why even try?”  Or, “I want it to be perfect, and that’s stressing me out, so I’m avoiding the issue.”

Self-doubt

Might sound like: “I don’t think I have what it takes to do this, so I’m avoiding it.”

Fear of failure

Might sound like: “I’m afraid I’ll get it wrong, and that would make me feel terrible, so I’m avoiding even giving it a try.”

Confusion

Might sound like: “I’m not sure how to approach this issue” or, “I don’t know what to do, so I’m not doing anything right now.”

Awareness is 80% of the work when it comes to changing your mindset and habits. Gain an awareness of why you’re procrastinating, and you’re already 80% there.

Coach yourself through the issue(s)

Once you’ve identified the issue (or issues) that are at the root of your procrastination, you have an opportunity to coach yourself on the issue.

What does it mean to “coach yourself,” exactly?

Coaching yourself means:

• Becoming aware of the thoughts, beliefs, and emotions that are influencing your behavior,
• Analyzing whether they serve you in achieving your goals and becoming the version of yourself you want to be, and
• If not, deciding how you’ll choose to think, feel, and believe instead

Remember, these are just examples, and your thought process may look different.

Example:  Procrastination due to overwhelm

For example, if you’re procrastinating on getting started due to overwhelm, self-coaching might look like this:

Thought:  “There’s too much to do.”

Analyze:  Does it serve me to think this?  Probably not, because if I continue to think this way, I won’t ever get started.  This task/project/goal is something I want/need to get done.

Decide:  How will I choose to think and feel instead?  I’ll choose to think that all I have to do at this point is the very next step.  I’ll choose to feel focused.

Example:  Procrastination due to perfectionism

If your procrastination stems from perfectionism, self-coaching might look like this:

Thought:  “I’m afraid I won’t do a good enough job, so why even try?”

Analyze:  Does it serve me to think this?  Probably not, because if I continue to think this way, I don’t ever give myself a chance.

Decide:  How will I choose to think and feel instead?  I’ll choose to think that even if I don’t do a great job, the lessons I’ll learn and the experience I’ll gain from trying will be worth it.  I’ll choose to feel courageous.

You could take this self-coaching even further by asking questions like:

• “How does it impact me if I don’t let myself try?”
• “What could possibly happen if I didn’t do a good enough job, and how would I handle each potential outcome?”
• “Is it possible that I WILL do a good enough job?”
• “How am I defining ‘good enough,’ anyway?  Is that a fair and kind definition?”

Example:  Procrastination due to low motivation

Let’s look at another example.  This time, we’ll consider how self-coaching could look when you’re procrastinating due to low motivation.

Thought:  “I don’t feel like doing this.”

Analyze:  Does it serve me to think this?  Probably not, because this is something that I need to complete, and that I told myself I would do.  If I don’t do it now, I’ll be stuck dealing with it in the future.

Decide:  How will I choose to think and feel instead?  I’ll choose to think that I can get this done and move on with my day.  I’ll choose to feel motivated.

A great way to take this self-coaching further would be to check in with your future self.  More on that below.

Consider working with a coach 1:1

Self-coaching is one of the most valuable skills you can develop for both your personal and your professional life, but it doesn’t come without limitations.  Working with a coach 1:1 can help you gain awareness and objectivity around your situation, and help shorten the learning curve on self-coaching.

Develop a strong relationship with your future self

Regardless of the reasons why you might be procrastinating, a great strategy for learning how to overcome procrastination is to develop a strong relationship with yourself.

Procrastination as a survival response

Procrastination often comes into play as a survival response.  Part of your brain wants to keep you safe, maintain the status quo, and expend as little energy as possible.  When this part of your brain perceives that a task might be difficult or draining, it may encourage you to procrastinate.

That procrastination survival response is great if you need to traverse a desert, but it’s safer to wait things out during the day, then take action once the temperatures cool at night.  On the other hand, if you’re procrastinating on reaching out to prospects?  Or getting a new revenue stream up and running in your business?

THAT kind of procrastination often isn’t in your best interest.

Check in with future you

That survival-focused part of your brain only has your short-term interests in mind.  It doesn’t have the ability to consider the long-term consequences of today’s choices.

One way to shift out of short-term thinking and into long-term consideration is to check in with your future self.  Here are some questions to help you get started:

• How will future me feel if I stop procrastinating and get this done?
• How will future me feel if I continue to procrastinate?
• What advice would future me give in this moment, as I struggle with procrastination?
• How does it serve me to take action here?
• How does it serve me to continue to procrastinate?
• Logically, does it make sense for me to take action on the next step?
• If so, can I stop procrastinating and take action as an act of love for my future self?

Remember that you and your future self are on the same team.  You have the ability to influence your future self’s workload, thoughts, feelings, and outcomes.

After all, the person who tends to suffer the most when you procrastinate is future you.

How to overcome procrastination:  Conclusion

Figuring out how to overcome procrastination can seem like a big task.  Motivation tricks and hacks might come in handy, but beating procrastination long-term is an inside job.  Today, I shared 3 strategies to help you learn how to overcome procrastination in a lasting, meaningful way:

• Understand why you’re procrastinating
• Coach yourself through the issue(s)
• Develop a strong relationship with your future self

As I shared earlier, I used to be a lifelong procrastinator, but I was able to grow and change.  That means it’s possible for you, too.  If you’d like some help with navigating and overcoming procrastination, schedule a free call with me today.