Productivity vs Procrastination
You have a great idea. When you think about it, your creative juices start to flow. Possibilities race through your mind, sparking excitement and inspiration. You grab a notebook or your phone to make a list of first steps. You check to be sure your chosen domain name is available. It is. Still.
You’ve been considering this idea since 2018. But you’ve never managed to get beyond making a list of first steps. Why not? What’s stopping you from moving forward?
The standard excuses are:
Not enough time. I’m too busy to take on another project.
Not enough money to fund my idea.
Not enough necessary skills. I don’t know how to build a website, start a podcast, or write my book.
Not enough tools. I don’t have the equipment to record Aunt Millie Bolivian commune adventures and wouldn’t know how to use the equipment even if I did.
Not enough… blah, blah, blah.
You’re smart. You understand that every problem has a solution — if you decide to find it. And yet, you fail to act while weeks, months, or years fade into history. Not acting becomes an emotional torture chamber, but still, you do nothing.
Why?
If you want details, there’s plenty of scientific research available. Instead of taking steps to accomplish your great idea, you could read Joseph Ferraris’ book Still Procrastinating?: The No Regrets Guide to Getting It Done. According to Ferraris, 20 percent of people in the U.S. are chronic procrastinators. More knowledge about procrastination might make you feel better. But what will really make you feel better is acting!
Your first action is to admit that you’re afraid: afraid of failure, afraid of success, afraid of criticism, afraid of vulnerability, afraid of not being perfect…
Your second action is to forgive yourself for using fear as an excuse for not focusing on your creative dreams.
Your third action is all the rest. Break your list of action steps into small, easily doable chunks. And then, get on with it!
