Procrastination Buster - Just Take Action!
In the course of my work and life, I meet so many people who have big, amazing, earth-shaking plans that get me excited just listening to them. But when I ask them how they're progressing with those plans the answer is almost always the same. "Well, I just have to - (insert any excuse here) - and then I can get started."
There are a million reasons that go in the middle of that sentence, but the basic premise is always the same; these people are not taking action. I bet you could hear yourself saying something similar when you think about some of your plans. I know I have said similar things myself, many, many times.
So how do you break out of this pattern of procrastination? Here are five key tips to get you started on the road to your own personal success.
Tip #1 - Don't listen to yourself. Very few of us are actually insane, but we do all have voices in our heads. As soon as we begin to think about stepping out of our comfort zones, the voices of our highly efficient self protection mechanisms start chattering and telling us not to do it. They can come up with a million reasons why we shouldn't go any further, but they all boil down to one. Fear of failure.
You can't shut them up - it's impossible. But you can ignore them and that's what you must do to move forward. Instead of thinking about what might go wrong, just concentrate on what to do next and just start doing it.
Tip #2 - Perfection is a pipedream. One of the most frequent reasons for inaction is telling yourself that everything has to be perfect before you start or else the end result won't be right. So what? Nothing's perfect.
The best results arise from trying and failing, learning and adapting, doing and adjusting. If you wait for every single thing to be right, you'll still be waiting when you die. Embrace imperfection and learn to use it. Just start doing.
Tip #3 - Don't listen to others. The thing about dreams is they're very fragile things and they need to be protected. You already know that you can crush them with your own self-talk, but far more destructive are the opinions of others.
How many times have you told someone you know one of your plans, only to have them shoot you down in flames? They do it for only one reason; to protect themselves. They might tell you that they are protecting you, but don't believe them. They don't want you to achieve your dream because they are afraid that you might change, that they may have to acknowledge they were wrong and that they might be found wanting in the face of your success.
Just like the voices in your head, listen, nod, smile politely and then just ignore them. As I keep saying, just start doing.
Tip #4 - The bigger your dream the bigger the axe. If you want to build a roaring log fire in your front room, you can't set light to a tree. You have to cut that tree down and then chop it into pieces small enough to fit in your hearth and small enough to catch fire. Dreams are the same.
No matter how huge your vision, you have to start somewhere with a small manageable piece that you can do in one day. Instead of standing back and admiring your great big, wonderful shiny future, roll up your sleeves, wade in, pull out the first task and deal with it. Then go get the next one and the next and the next, until one day you look up and you find that you've done it. Just start doing.
Tip #5 - Yes, that’s right - Just Start Doing! This is the simplest to say but it's the toughest to do. A novelist who began his writing career, very late in life was once asked how he finally got started. "Well", he said, "I decided to stop sharpening my pencils and write something. Since then, I've never stopped."
Taking that first tiny step and actually beginning the first task is so liberating and empowering that you'll hardly believe how good it makes you feel. It is like walking on air. All the talk is finally over and you are at long last becoming the person you want to be.
Stop waiting - Just Start Doing
by Andrew Grant
| Andrew Grant is a web entrepreneur, life coach and marketing consultant. He has written many articles on self growth and how to build a successful web business. Andrew publishes a FREE fortnightly newsletter, packed with valuable information for growing your wealth and growing your self. Visit http://www.money-and-mind.com to subscribe Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Grant |
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Labels: positive attitudes, procrastination, self discipline, self image, self talk
posted by Al Smith at 8:41 AM
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