It's not Procrastination, it's Fear.
By Antje Bauer
Hands up if you’ve said, “I’m too busy,” or “Too tired right now,” or “Don’t have the bandwidth.” These are all little sentences that give your mind a legitimate excuse to not do the work your were supposed to do. They cause you to delay important tasks endlessly and eventually it leads to procrastinating. But if you look deeper, maybe you are simply afraid of doing the work.
The truth is, when it comes to your DREAM - you can't be too busy, too tired, or whatever else you want to use as an excuse. It’s just fear.
What is this fear?
It’s the fear of not knowing where to start, and the fear of failing. Sometimes not having clarity about your vision and goals will cause your brain to look for the easy way out. That’s why you find yourself in a cycle where you want to achieve your goals, but land up procrastinating - because you simply don’t know where to start.
Procrastination is the easy choice when the problem or task is far too challenging and overwhelming. It’s a behavior I’ve noticed among people in all ranks and industries. For example, a small business owner might put off writing a proposal for an investor because they don’t know how to write it, or don’t have faith in their ability to raise funds for their company. Therefore, rather than confronting that fear, and overcoming it. It’s easier to procrastinate.
Does this sound familiar - like something you’re guilty of?
Overcoming this Fear is easier than you think.
When tackling any of my big goals, whether it be setting up a new company, or a new workshop for a client - I like to break things down into bite size actions that I can manage.
Going back to the example of the small business owner’s proposal. Trying to sit down and write it all at once might seem too daunting. So, before your brain and fear kicks in, break it down into something more achievable, such as:
Doing research on proposals.
Finding ready templates that you can use.
Talking to people who are great at writing.
Looking up a YouTube video on pitching to investors.
It is actually quite simple to overcome those blocks and get past fear by breaking down your goal into as many small steps as possible.
Then, It’s Time to Just Get Started
Once you have these bite size actions, and you have created an outline, then it's all about starting. Look at the list, and see which item you can tackle first. The key here is to - JUST START. Don’t give your mind time to find an excuse, because it will. When fear and procrastination have become a practiced natural program, the only way to snap out of it is to - JUST START.
Personally, I like to open up a blank document and just start dumping my thoughts. Whether it’s for an article I have to write or a workshop I have to curate - actually sitting and doing a mental dump onto the paper is my way of - JUST STARTING.
Over time you will see the story emerging. By this time your brain is looking at putting the pieces together rather than frozen with fear or finding a way to procrastinate. You’ll see that every thought has a purpose in this process, some take you further, some turn out to be dead ends. But all that materializes with time and as you add.
So, just remember - when it comes to your dream - that one idea you really want the most in life. Don’t put it off till later. You’re only cheating yourself if you do. Overcome the fear, and put in the work to make things happen.
