Hey Mom in business… I get it!
Even though you are juggling the many tasks of running your business and family, you may also find yourself procrastinating on the most important things you need to do for success!
UGH! How is it possible?
The problem with procrastination is not really in the act of procrastinating itself, but in what you make that mean when you do it… Adding meaning to procrastination is where we fall apart. We attach meaning to everything we do, after all we are human beings. If you want to avoid the inevitable ‘shame spiral’ as Brene’ Brown has coined it (that ugly thing that happens when you throw yourself into self-loathing and berating internal talk) it’s time to get some more information about procrastination.
You see there are some pretty compelling reasons for procrastination – let’s take a look:
- Fear – If you are afraid of something – regardless of whether your fear is founded or imaginary, it doesn’t matter. Whether there is a monster under the bed or whether you think there’s a monster under the bed it doesn’t matter, fear is paralyzing. If you put things off and delay your decisions because you fear you may lose something of value, your antidote is to educate yourself through enhanced communication with others and heightened participation and involvement. Learning more about that which you fear, will lighten the fear.
- Emotion – Emotions can be both exhilarating and paralyzing. If you procrastinate because of underlying emotional responses, you may need to do some integration with yourself. The best place to start with this is to verbalize your emotions when they occur. (If you’ve never experienced EFT, this technique is SURE to help you here!) Recognize when emotional triggers happen in real time, and then take the action you’ve postponed despite them. The other way to move out of transfixed emotions… is to literally shift to feeling grateful. Force yourself to verbalize three different things you are immediately grateful for and see it that works!
- Burnout – If your struggling with burnout because you’re working too much, not sleeping enough and not exercising self-care, those are real issues. If you recognize that you will are bordering on burnout, it’s essential for you to take a break. (A real break!) Perspective shows up when you take time away from the grind. Signs of burnout may also mean that you are struggling with monotony, doing work that doesn’t match your brilliance, and making too many sacrifices. If there’s a way to spice it up, or delegate tasks that are being postponed – try it.
- Incompetence – Although this is a harsh word, you may be postponing tasks because you feel ill prepared or even inept at doing what you need to do. Skills gaps are real things and can stand in your way. Not everyone is good at everything. When confronting a skills gap that’s causing you to put things off, write it down. Identify the skill that is missing, and determine if you really want to navigate learning something new. If not, it’s time to find the right resource who can fill in the gap, and delegate to get it off your plate.
- Distraction – We are living through a time of unprecedented distraction. Never before have human beings had to face the level of inputs and options that are available to us every minute. No one knows what the results of this will be, in the future. If distraction is your procrastination drug, you must carve out focus time for deep work. It is essential that you create boundaries that work for you and protect you from the endless availability of information input.[Tweet “Dump your brain daily. Keep track by #writing thoughts down before you quit! #productivity #mompreneur”]
- Temporary Brain Fog – There are times when it seems like I can’t think any longer. I have been so busy at times that my brain switches endlessly from thought to thought and task to task while accomplishing nothing. When this happens, I know it’s time to empty it out. I call this brain dumping or dumping your bucket. If you struggle with temporary brain fog, sit down, grab a pen, and start writing down everything that is on your mind. Something happens in the process of writing your thoughts down. It seems to legitimize them when you read them in a list versus keeping them all in your head. With a list, your brain can start to decode and categorize in a different way than it does in thought. If you’re procrastinating because of brain fog, get into the practice of brain dumping daily before you leave the office. Nothing will be lost if you write it on a list and return to it the next day, but you will experience the freedom and clarity that comes when you create brain space.
- Complexity – Running your own business requires far more complex processing than ‘transactioning’. As a mompreneur, you likely move from strategic thinking and ideation, to imagineering and engineering fluidly, daily. Big thinkers can create big projects that can be incredibly complex. Complexity can overwhelm. Simplicity is easy to follow. If you procrastinate because you work with complex systems and projects daily, you need to get better at segmenting your large projects and big goals into smaller, simpler bits and set mini goals for yourself that are less complex and easier to attain.
Although I’m sure there are more reasons for procrastination, these seven listed (and the growth actions necessary), will help you move through some of the most common.
How does procrastination occur for you? Where do you feel stuck in your business? What could you do to overcome procrastination stagnation? Please share your comments in the box below.
