And what to do about it.
You know it and I know it: Procrastination is a problem. I’ve been there and done that. Being a high-achieving, capable entrepreneur does not mean you are exempt. Actually, it’s like our little secret we don’t want the rest of the world to know: Procrastination is a BIG problem amongst high-achievers like you and me.
And after years of letting this procrastination rule my schedule, my level of stress, and my life, I finally connected the dots and realized something mind-blowing: My procrastination was actually a form of self-sabotage.
You see, deep down, I was even more ruled by perfectionism. My fear of failure was all dressed up and disguised in perfectionism, which presented as procrastination. In fact, as Elizabeth Gilbert says,
“Perfectionism is fear in really good shoes.”
I was afraid that if I actually gave 100% on a project, my work might reflect that and prove to everyone once and for all that I was not good enough.
Procrastination, driven by my perfectionism, was my fail-safe. It was my out. If my project didn’t live up to my standards — to everyone else’s standards — then I could always blame the procrastination. It wasn’t really ME who failed.
Whoa, talk about revelation. “You mean this actually has nothing to do with my organization or time-management skills? Procrastination doesn’t mean I don’t care or that I’m lazy?”
Nope. It’s actually the exact opposite. And this is exactly why it’s such a big problem for highly-capable people. Perfectionism and fear of failure is the biggest, meanest wolf in the pack and up until now, you’ve been allowing it to be in charge!
So, what’s next?
First, watch and listen to me talk about this more in the video below.
Once you identify this in your life, you’ll be ready to finally beat the procrastination and perfectionism that have been road-blocking the path to your dream business and dream life.
Second, get help.
Get some support. Procrastination is a habit that you’ve probably had for a long time. If you could break it on your own, don’t you think you would have already? (That may sound harsh, but it’s the truth and it’s a truth I had to face myself!)
Getting support and accountability was the game-changer for me! Getting help doesn’t mean you aren’t every bit the high-achieving, capable person you’ve always known yourself to be. In fact, this might be the most proactive thing you’ve ever done.
If you want some support and accountability for overcoming procrastination so that you can grow your business, you can grab my free workbook, Top 5 Things To Do To Get Your First Or Next Client, and connect with me in my private Facebook community, Life With Passion Society.
Then, let me know your thoughts below! Can you relate? I’d love to know!
Originally published at www.huffingtonpost.com on May 29, 2017.
Originally published at medium.com