The Dream Killer

Why not put off until tomorrow what you can do today?! Wait.. what?! Read that again.

One of the things that hinder people from seeing the fulfillment of their dreams is procrastination. Procrastination is "the action of delaying or postponing something (Oxford Languages)." The thing is, "tomorrow never comes....(Osho)"

So many people struggle with procrastination. I encounter people who often put off for tomorrow what could be easily accomplished today. So...what really is the big deal? What's wrong with doing it later?

The truth is, procrastination is a dream killer! It ensures that you never see the results of your dreams. The only thing we know for sure is that tomorrow is not promised. Often we live like we have forever. But all we really have is today. And even if we see tomorrow, tomorrow comes with its own concerns. You dont necessarily know what will come tomorrow. If tomorrow has something good to offer, then what you do today will make all the difference as to whether or not you are ready to take advantage of the opportunities presented. If tomorrow is filled with not so great things, then chances areb ou will be so busy dealing with what comes up, that you won't have time to accomplish what should have been accomplished yesterday. Ecclesiastes 11:4 says, "Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap (NIV)." In other words you can't just dream about all the things you would like to see happen. You have to put some work in and prpcrqstination prevents you from maximixing each opportunity.

Osho says, "...it is always today." Think about that. All we have is today. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow may never come for us. What is it that we should give attention to now? Today is all we have!

So how do we get deal with procrastination? Well, here are some very simple tips.

1. Confront the root of the issue. There is usually an emotional root to why people procrastinate.

2. Think about the 2 most critical items that need to be accomplished. In other words, if you only accomplished 2 things that day that would get you closer to where you wanted or needes to be, what would those 2 things be?

3. Write out a to-do list with all the tasks that need to be accomplished, ensuring the 2 most critical items are at the top of your list. You want to prioritize what has to be done.

4. Set time on the calendar to focus on each item at one time. If you know it will take you 30 minutes, then time block 30 minutes on your calendar to devote your attention to that specific task.

As a small business owner, there are a miliion things that need to be taken care of. Often, just the thought of it all can be enough to paralyze one from action. I realize that procrastination may be a defense mechanism to prevent one from being overwhelmed, but if you consider what must be accomplished, not taking action is not an option. I once heard it say that the way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. In other words, don't try to do everything at once. Just start with the little things and you will be surprised as to the difference it makes in the long run.