Procrastination or hoping for the best is for losers
We all procrastinate at one point or another. Hell, I just procrastinated as to whether I would write this blog or not. Obviously, I decided it was better to do it now then later, and moved on, but procrastination can become a problem if you are actually a true "Procrastinator".
Charles Dicken appropriately called it "The thief of time". The more the clock ticks and you put things off, the more anxiety or guilt you get, and the more you waste time. Now that's a mouth full no-one needs to have.
Often procrastinators do so to avoid things in life. It's like an endless, relentless cycle of avoidance, anxiety and sometimes shame. "I should have done that!" is something we all can be accused of saying.
We procrastinate for many reasons: Perfectionism, fear of failing, fear of success, fear of discomfort and believe it or not, workaholism.
Perfectionism is the hardest game to play
The desire to be a perfectionist and gather as much information as possible before making a decision can hold high-performing, normally well-attuned successful people back from finishing certain tasks and moving forward.When tasks or your "to do list" pile up, you could feel emotionally drained, physically exhausted and guilty that work isn't progressing as it should.
Hope for the best
Quite often we just hope for the best when we are doing something. It's like jumping off a cliff and as an entrepreneur we have to do this a lot! However, hoping for the best without doing the hard yards and the work behind why you make certain decisions or act in a certain way can statistically ruin your chances of success. It's always a better solution to plan things out and make sure you are not relying on one party to achieve everything you hope to achieve. Spread the risk, put a good plan in place and make sure you know how to execute that plan.Life's limitations
We are our biggest critics and sometimes for those with an over-inflated ego, our biggest fans. But life has limitations and success may be brought on by being at the right place at the right time, but if you look at truly successful companies they have a plan in place, they execute that plan to the end, and then they evaluate that plan to make sure that they can do it all over again but better.If you find that you are constantly missing the mark, not making it to where you really want to go, or just sitting on the fence a little too long, then why not try changing. Use your time wisely, surround yourself with people better than you, don't waste your energy on things you can't change and working hard never hurt anyone.
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Léo
04 Feb 2019Such a great post Melissa! I totally agree that procrastination is a scourge, although I confess to practising it sometimes.
ReplyHowever, as an entrepreneur and a human, it is always a question of seeking the best possible solution because of the risks involved. When you jump off a cliff, isn't it to jump from higher up the next time? So for me, the values and success you dream of should be reflected in your professional life.
The key is to remain true to yourself and know where to draw the line. You think big or you prefer to stick to your mini-planned and carefully studied plans. That's what makes us smart business people.