The best way to get something done is to begin. ~Author Unknown
One of the challenges of entrepreneurship is to overcome procrastination. Without external deadlines, managers, and performance reviews to keep you in check, you must become your own boss.
Especially if you’re working from home, it can be easy to get caught up in distractions like your favorite TV show, laundry, invitations with friends, your children or your significant other calling for your attention.
However, if you are going to be successful as an entrepreneur you will need to get things done, and that means getting things started.
A research study carried out by Yanping Tu and Dilip Soman in 2014 shares 4 ways you can trick your brain in order to move you into action and overcome procrastination.
1. Categorize events so they finish in the present. According to their research, people will be more likely to initiate and, therefore, complete a task if it’s categorized in the present rather than in the future.
To trick your brain into believing that a task must be completed in the present, make your due date the end of today, this week, this month, this year, or prior to a significant event like a dinner.
This will increase the chances that you’ll start immediately, and finish your task sooner than if your deadline is next week or next month.
2. Use similarity to categorize events. Do similar things on similar days. For example, you might have yoga every Monday morning and a networking group every Monday evening.
Take advantage of this pattern and use Mondays to start new projects. Tell yourself, “I start a new project every Monday” and break-up your larger projects into smaller projects accordingly.
If there is a similarity between your future deadline and the current date, you will be more likely to start your projects.
3. Use visual representations to break-up the time. Fill in your calendar so that all days from the start date to the end date of your project are in the same color. This helps your brain categorize your project deadline into the present, and increases the chances that you will begin and complete your project on time.
4. Shift your brain into an action orientation. Rather than focusing on the “why” or if you should or should not start your task, focus on writing down 6 to 10 action steps. This will increase the likelihood that you will begin your task.
The more difficult your goal is, the more important it is to write down your actions steps.
Finally, if you’re a busy entrepreneur, it’s even more important that you trigger your mind to begin so that you can finish your projects. If you have a lot of time on your hands, these tips may be less powerful.
To achieve Time Freedom, clear your mind, move through your projects and towards the life you desire. The sooner you do this, the earlier you will experience a life of Time Freedom created by your design.
For more information on these tips, please reference:
Tu, Y, & Soman, D. (2014). The categorization of time and its impacts on task initiation. The Journal of Consumer Research, 41, 810-822.
If you’re going to have success in your business and achieve your goals you’ll need a few essential pieces. For one, you need intense focus. When you’re focused on a particular outcome you’ve got to be ready to play full out and make a very deep commitment to getting results.
Next you need awareness. What are you doing right and how are you holding yourself back? If you don’t know this you can spend a lot of time working extremely hard with no results, a lot of exhaustion, and a feeling of emptiness inside – “what am I doing wrong?”
Once you’ve developed awareness, it’s all about self-mastery. Having awareness without making the necessary changes will not enhance your life. What are you aware of that you need to change right now?
And, finally it’s about time mastery. It’s about using your time effectively, making fast decisions and commitments and changing your mind slowly. To start getting fast results you’ve got to make fast decisions. If you’re ready to make a life changing decision and get some fast results apply for your complimentary decision-making session immediately. Fast decisions get fast results.
