Procrastination is my sin.
It brings me nought but sorrow.
I know that I should stop it –
in fact, I will – tomorrow!
Gloria Pitzer – The Recipe Detective (Retired)
Where to start? And How? Those are the two most frequently asked questions I hear from people looking to start their own web businesses – whether they already have an off-line business or want to start a new business on the Internet.
Most of us know someone who is making serious money with their Internet business – and we’d like to do the same. But those ‘where’ and how’ questions, coupled with the wealth of information available on internet business and business start-up, can often result in information overload and an on-going quest for that next bit of information or technique to enable you to get started…
Never-Ending Quest
And it can be a never-ending quest that sees you putting off your start indefinitely! There’s always something more pressing to be done, isn’t there (and not just checking your emails, walking the dog or having a coffee!)?
Well, you’re not alone! And yes – I’ve been there too!
At least 95% of us are procrastinators at heart, according to AnnA Rushton, author of ‘Procrastination – How To Stop It Right Now!’
AnnA admits to being a procrastinator herself. She notes that this isn’t a modern phenomenon related to our high-tech and high-stress society. Apparently, historical records exist that show our ancestors were just as bad – but imagine them putting off inventing the wheel, building Stonehenge or discovering America because there were just too many other things to worry about!
Your Lost Opportunities
Now – be truthful – how many opportunities have already slipped through your fingers because you didn’t act on them? What could you have done that would have improved your life beyond all your imagining, but you didn’t quite get round to it?
Well, building your own Web business is one of the easiest ways to achieve this – and it can be so low-cost and easy that you’d kick yourself if you didn’t get going, now that you’ve come this far and are reading this!
The Key To Getting Started
The key to getting started with your web business is to jump-start your willpower, so you can move from inertia to action. Try to understand the forces at work that are holding you back – both those inside you and the social pressure of ‘negative culture’ – the people all around you who tell you “don’t be so silly, of course you can’t run a web business”.
The Latin meaning of ‘procrastinate’ is ‘to favour tomorrow’ – or perhaps the principle of ‘Mañana’ that we’ve borrowed from the Spanish! But, according to AnnA, the key to overcoming our natural tendency not to start something is to recognise that procrastination is a four-letter word!
Yes – you may have your own four-letter word for it – but you can kill procrastination very effectively if you recognise it as
F*E*A*R.
The FEAR factor is huge when it comes to procrastination – are you afraid to start, afraid to keep going or terrified of succeeding – or all three? Fear paralyses us: whether real, perceived, logical or irrational it literally stops us in our tracks like ‘a rabbit frozen in the headlights’. And, believe me, I’ve been there many a time, too!
So, when you find yourself not taking the actions you know you need to take, look at fear in another way:
First * Examine * All * Resistance
The most effective tool in combating the first signs of procrastination is a pen and paper (but don’t spend hours agonising over the colour of ink or type of paper – just grab any old pen and paper!). Make it look like this:
Do this list for your Internet business – why you want to start and why you’re holding back… just keep going until you run out of things to put down.
One Small Action
Then write down one small action you could take to get started. For instance, you could put “Check the bookstores and online to see how many people are interested in my topic”.
Doing this will help you focus on what your real concerns are – do you feel afraid to take just the first step, or do you worry more about your ability to take the actions or project your fear forward into the consequences of those actions? And then to act!
To Do – Or Not To Do?
Then make yourself a list of ‘must do’ things in priorities A (important/urgent), B & C (least important). Each morning, write on a sticky note 3 things that MUST be done that day and put it where you can’t miss it – in the middle of your computer screen.
Notice that you are choosing to do those 3 things because you know that, once they are out of the way, you can do the more fun stuff! And make yourself a mental ‘Treat Jar’ – things you give yourself as a reward for doing the jobs on your To-Do list.
But don’t stop there – make yourself a ‘Not To Do’ list as well – all the things you should NOT do (but regularly do) until you have achieved the 3 things on your To Do list – checking the emails, walking the dog, having a coffee, etc.
In her book, AnnA also very effectively examines all the reasons why we hold back, and how we can overcome these, listed against the letters of the word ‘Procrastination’.
So, if you’re having trouble getting started with your internet business – or other opportunities are passing you by, have a look at AnnA’s book ‘Procrastination – How To Stop It Right Now!’
© John Thornely www.johnthornely.com 2008, 2009
Action Overcomes Fear
“Procrastination is the grave in which
opportunity is buried”
Chuck Gallozzi
Personal Development Writer/Speaker
John Thornely
© John Thornely www.johnthornely.com 2008
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