Tag Archives: procrastination

10 Tips to Overcoming Procrastination

1 Apr

This is the first year – EVER – that I am not dreading April. Usually when we hit April 1st, I am less concerned about pranks and more disturbed by the fact that in 15 days I will be turning in my taxes. This year I finished them on March 15th (Number 1 on the 10 Tips to Overcoming Procrastination list). It worked for me. It looks like there is hope for me yet.

Most of us procrastinate in one or more areas of our lives. There are those who are right on top of all their business related activities but fall behind on the personal. Others, procrastinate on certain aspects of their work that they do not enjoy – such as the detailed part such as accounting or taxes.

Here are ten ways to overcome procrastination

10. Write down a list of all the projects you have put off.

9.    Prioritize them by date you need to have them completed.

8.    Decide what needs to be done first and DO it!

7.   Divide a big project into manageable parts and tackle one a day.

6.   Get a timer and set it for 15 minutes. Focus on that one part without allowing yourself to get distracted.

5.   Get someone to help you get started.

4.   Find an accountability partner and report your progress.

3.   Make a game out of it and have fun!

2.   Celebrate progress and keep going.

1.   Set a fake deadline before the real one.

I set a fake deadline for my taxes and have enjoyed a sense of smug accomplishment for the last two weeks. Good luck with your deadlines and remember, be kind to yourself!

What tips can you add? What are your secrets to avoid procrastination?

Karen Sebastian is a serial entrepreneur who wants to help you succeed in your business. Please email her at hopepreneurs@gmail.com if you would like to book her as a speaker or want one-on-one coaching. Subscribe to this blog for more inspiration on how to become a HOPEpreneur.

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3 Hindrances to Successful Blogging

13 Mar

Here are three main hindrances that can hold you back from writing a blog: People-Pleasing, Procrastination and Perfectionism. Which one of these is keeping the door closed to the benefits of writing a successful blog?

Open the door and explore the opportunities that await on the other side

People Pleasing

One of the things that I’ve observed in jumping into the deep end of the social media pool is that there are few original voices. The only way to avoid criticism is to do nothing. You can’t please everyone so move forward with what you want to do. One of the reasons I push through with writing this blog is to discipline myself to be on the lookout for topics that I can develop. Then I start writing about them. Every time I complete a blog with original content and post it, I increase my credibility. Have you found your own voice? Are you moving ahead with your ideas?

Perfectionism

I commend you for wanting to do things the right way and warn you that trying to get it all perfect before you move forward will limit your success. Who says it has to be perfect? Learn from others and share your knowledge gained through mistakes. These are often our best teachers.  Besides, if goof you can easily go back and fix it. What topics are you going to write about?

Procrastination

This final deterrent is closely linked to the first two. It will take forever to write your blog if you are wondering about what people will think and feel the need for perfection. Write the blog in stages and save the draft. Set a deadline for publishing it. Keep a list of potential topics. Write a series of blogs. Come up with the top ten list on a given topic. Or make it three like this post. Set up a schedule and stick to it. When are you going to start?

I urge you to move forward with your blog. Start today by setting your perfectionism aside and sharing your words of wisdom and insight. I know I would love to read what you have to say and I know I’m not the only one.

Karen Sebastian is a serial entrepreneur who wants to help you succeed in your business. Please email her at hopepreneurs@gmail.com if you would like to book her as a speaker or want one-on-one coaching. Subscribe to this blog for more inspiration on how to become a HOPEpreneur.

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