I learned from one of my first mentors, Michael Port, that being successful in business is really about starting and finishing projects. He also taught me that most business problems are really personal problems in disguise.
That means that if you struggle with procrastination and finishing what you start in your personal life, this problem can easily plague your business. You’ve got to get a handle on it; otherwise your work and your income are going to suffer severely.
Fortunately, learning how to complete your projects is entirely within your reach, no matter WHAT your background happens to be. The only thing you need to bring to the table is a willingness and commitment to developing new behaviors.
Here’s how you do it:
| 1. | Own your issues – Stop making excuses about why you don’t get things done and just own it! Forget blaming, the fact that “mercury is in retrograde” or whatever else you’re telling yourself. Be honest about what keeps you in a vicious cycle of setting a goal, procrastinating and not getting things done. Make the commitment to do something about it, even if that “something” is a small subtle shift that only you recognize. |
| 2. | Start with something small and create a victory – When we get ready to make a mindset shift, we often convince ourselves that it’s going to be harder than it really is. Set yourself up for success by taking action on a small thing. Stop thinking and start doing! That simple action will ignite a spark of motivation that can propel you right to the end of completing a project. The best way to eliminate procrastinating is to DO something. The first step is not as hard and won’t take as long as you think, I promise! |
| 3. | Create support and accountability for when you get stuck – It’s not a matter of IF you’re going to get stuck, it’s just a matter of when. You will have a question, you will come up against an obstacle and likely, an opportunity you couldn’t foresee will pop on the horizon. You may find that the project takes longer than you thought, you run into a technical glitch or you hook up with a flakey vendor. If you don’t have strong support and accountability to someone other than yourself, you WILL stop dead in your tracks. SO, eliminate this challenge before you even get there and put in place a support system for yourself. |
| 4. | Break your project into smaller steps – I can’t say this enough. If you try to grab your project by the throat and tackle it, you will quickly get tired and overwhelmed. Dealing with one step at a time will keep you focused and allow you to make steady progress. |
| 5. | Keep your eye on your goal – It’s easy to get bogged down in the minutia of a project and forget why you started it in the first place. Which makes it really easy to get distracted from your project and never complete it. This is why you need to plan out your work. Doing so makes it a heck of a lot easier to work your plan! Is your goal to enroll a certain number of clients? Generate a certain amount of revenue? Sell a certain amount of a new product? Keep that goal in front of your face EVERY day so you don’t forget what you’re working towards. When you keep your eye on the prize you’ll be a lot less likely to give up on what you started. |
Keep this in mind: things will not go according to plan. Expect that and don’t let unanticipated circumstances derail your progress. Successful people got to where they’re at because they were determined to succeed and to keep moving forward no matter what happens.
Take the word “can’t” out of your vocabulary and stick with your project. The more you develop this practice the easier it will become.
What marketing project are you going to dive into first this year? Post a comment below and share your thoughts with us.
Sue Cartwright says
Hi Sydni, thank you for your excellent article which really inspired me this Monday morning.
I’m a great believer in ‘shipping out’ but it can be difficult to remove all the obstacles that come our way. Breaking things down into steps is critical to map a clear route to the finish line and it’s important to get the right balance between thorough preparation and completing things according to our set deadlines.
You are absolutely right that thinking too much can be our own worst enemy and it can take a lot of courage to see things through to fruition, especially if you are working on your own. I saw a great TED video by Amy Cuddy called ‘Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are’ about using power poses to put you in the right frame of mind to conquer challenging tasks and make things happen. With this in mind, I’m standing tall this week and shipping out – let’s hear it for achieving those small victories!
Sydni Craig-Hart says
My pleasure Sue! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment. I’ve seen many a small business owner frustrated and spinning their wheels simply because they were WAY overthinking an simple decision in their business. Kudos to you for recognizing your struggles and being willing to work to develop new habits! 🙂 If there is anything I can do to be of assistance, please just let me know. 🙂
Lela Clark says
Wow!
Awesome information and I need to take one step at a time not over think it or try to multi taks all at once! The big X on these habits and new ones to develop out of my new habits 2013!
Thank you so much for all you do,
Lela
Sydni Craig-Hart says
My pleasure Lela! I love how you are willing to stare your issues in the face (as we all should) and do something about them! You are such a joy to work with. 🙂
Jayne-Rose says
You will not believe how much of an opener this has been to me…I often wondered if I’ll ever get anywhere with my too many unfinished projects, and what is more frustrating about it all is that they all seem to be brilliant projects that you actually see success at the end of each one of them…but you don’t seem to come right and you wonder how do other people do it.. are they highly favoured than you or you are just not good enough? It is the worst feeling anybody can feel about themselves…meanwhile you are your own biggest stambling block for your success…
What a relief Sydni you have brought into my life…I am taking the first step immediately and I already feel like a winner…God bless you!
Sydni Craig-Hart says
Thanks so much for the note Jayne-Rose! You’re note made my day. Trust me… you are not alone. LOTS of entrepreneurs feel just like you. But trust me, you can learn the skills you need to complete the projects you start and make progress in growing your business. What project(s) are you working on right now?
Gina Bell says
Starting and not finishing was my reality until I got tip #3 in place. In 2011 a business girlfriend and I created a private Facebook group where we share ideas, declare the things we want to get done, give each other feedback and even commiserate a little when/if needed (not too long though because we each promise to give a nudge if the woe-is-me lingers).
These are all great tips. Finding ways to start and finish projects is vital for entrepreneurs who want to take big strides this year.
~ Gina xo
Jennifer Bourn says
What? We have to finish the projects we start? You’ll achieve your goals faster if you get things done?! Shocking 🙂
This post is so RIGHT ON. It’s true that personal habits bleed over into business and affect your success … and I love that the very first tip you give is to OWN your issues. Amen to that!
Amy Kinnaird says
We have to create and tell ourselves new stories that are positive. I get mprojects done on time. I work hard and don’t get distracted…when I do this, I set myself up for success!
Sherri Garrity says
Sydni, this is fabulous advice. I would add one comment from my own business consulting and coaching work – my guess is that many people who struggle with procrastination also over commit and under deliver. Many times clients tell me they’re overwhelmed and need accountability… but when I ask them to do a brain dump of all the little nagging UFOs (un finished objects) they have, 75% of them are often not a priority or not feasible in the first place. Getting back to strategy first and then setting realistic and achievable goals is really important… and then you need to get them done, no excuses!
Kristi Hyland says
Procrastination is not my friend… I love the fact that you call people on owning it. That is one of my biggest pet peeves. So, thank you for calling people out. One of the things I have found in life is that people find it much easier to point the finger at everyone else. They seem to forget that there are three fingers pointing back at them. Just own it so you can deal with the situation and move on! Thanks Sydni!
Nicole Bossard says
Good morning, HAPPY NEW YEAR, and Thank Goodness It’s Monday!,
Sydni, this article is just excellent! As someone who had a longstanding procrastination problem, this is FANTASTIC NEWS! You can learn the skills needed to start, thrive thru whatever comes up, and FINISH! Once I gave up the myth that people who were die-hard deliverers were simply born that way, (and I was not) I started to shift and my circumstances did also.
The mindset shift is CRUCIAL! Old thinking. Old results. And, your straight up delivery minus the judgememt was also perfect. Thanks again to you and all the commenters. Really great, actionable information and perspective!
Sydni Craig-Hart says
Thanks very much for this note Nicole! I’m so glad you enjoyed the article.
It is refreshing to learn that “finish your project” skills can be learned, isn’t it? 🙂
What are you working on these days?