Don't Procrastinate Your Way into 2022.

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This is a New Year's Resolution post. But unlike most posts that encourage you to start the year fresh, and start planning for your year ahead in January, I am going to take a different approach and one that would promote a characteristic of all successful business people...

Starting NOW!!

It is going to become apparent that I have never been a big fan of starting "effort" at some date in the future, because there is no better time to "take action" than now. Whether it is weight loss goals, or building a business, or starting a new activity, or educating yourself...people tend to delay their starting point. Why?

We procrastinate.

Procrastination is a natural part of life. We all put off things that we know we should be doing now, but unfortunately this more often than not ends up in failure and lack of accomplishment. So I want to spend a few moments today discussing this very topic, and helping you get your business running full speed ahead BEFORE we head into 2022.

But first, I want to share a few stories with you. Stories of just getting to it...stories of how I approach life and business.

On September 1st, I decided I would lose 30lbs.

I have never been out of shape, but in recent years I have carried more weight than I probably needed to. I recently hit the big 40. I have found in last few years that lugging around this extra weight through sports, through normal day to day activities, was leading to a plethora of injuries. What I could get away with in my 20s, is no longer a reality.

So in September, much in advance of a New Year's Resolution, I decided that I was going to get to my ideal weight of 195lbs. A weight that I haven't been at since I was 19 years old (and when I was playing competitive basketball 6-days a week). So I just decided to do it, and I started my diet on that very day, September 1st.

I wanted to lose weight the simple way, and the most realistic. Weight loss at it's core is not rocket science, if you consume fewer calories than you burn, you are going to lose weight. You cannot defy science, and if you can achieve a net gain on calories daily, you are going to lose. So I downloaded a calorie counting app, and started to put in EVERYTHING...every snack, every calorie I consumed during the day.

This actually conditioned me not to eat certain things, and to avoid snacking and sometimes entire meals (you do not need to eat 3 meals per day to be healthy). I didn't change my exercise routine, as I have ALWAYS exercised 4-5 days a week...for the last 20 years.

Anyways, here we are 3.5 months on. I am down 22.5lbs, with another 7.5lbs to go. I could have waited until January 1st to start this as a "new year's diet", but I decided to make a decision to start right away and I made myself accountable for this decision.

OK, so how does my weight loss story apply to business? Well, the reality is that I take the exact same approach to business...and always have. Let's have a look at what I am referring to here.

Business Preparations in advance of 2022.

Though the final month leading into 2022 is a busy one for everyone, it definitely is not a time to rest on your laurels. The reason being is that ANY day can be a productive day, regardless of the year.

In business, there is the same number of hours in December as there is January, so why would you wait until January to be productive. That is the logic that my brain has never comprehended, but it is the logic that many people reason with to delay the "starting point" of their business, or progress.

This December for Carson and myself also happens to be one of the busiest Decembers in Wealthy Affiliate's history. We are burning the midnight oil working to get READY for the new year.

We are not sitting back simply because we made an artificial "work hard" date, starting January 1st. The reason for this is that if you delay your starting date, you can rest assured you will find another excuse as to why you can't work hard in early January...and will postpone your success once again. Procrastination is a bad habit and on that will likely repeat itself.

So if you are reading this, and you were planning on delaying your efforts in your business until January, DO NOT. Make some progress in the next couple of weeks, you will condition yourself to work harder, accomplish more, and kick the perpetual habit of procrastination.

I often times, even to this day, will put off things that I either am not too keen on doing, or things that don't have a near term finish line. I procrastinate as well, but one thing I do is try to be very aware of when I am procrastinating and work quickly to address it. Be coherent of WHEN you are doing this, you will know exactly when we are doing it.

If you let it get out of hand, or you make it a habit (which it becomes), then it will remain a persistent hurdle in your success in business and life.


Have a good procrastination story, or a technique that you personally use to overcome the procrastination bug? I would love to hear about it, drop me story or a strategy in the comments below.

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Recent Comments

156

My story is I procrastinate when I am working on something, and it becomes complex, and it seems unable to figure it out or get the help to do so, so I lay it aside for another day and another day and so on. I am a big-time PROCRESTINATOR. I am not proud of it though!!

Thank you for this message... I am working on it daily NOW.

Stay bless

Elizabeth

You know I think it might be alright to do a little extra study and thinking on a problem that has us perplexed when we first encounter it Elizabeth. I don't think that is a major fault.

You are right Chuck, and that is what I am doing moving forward.

Kyle, I am a procrastinator! I have been constantly struggling to deal with this fact. I push daily to change my habits and achieve more.

I don’t foresee myself quitting; therefore, I will remain committed to improving.

Thanks for pointing out that even at your level, you shared that you too face these roadblocks. It is very reassuring to know that we are not alone.

Thanks,
Canty

Yeah, part of it is distractions that we all have around us. Whether that is TV, the football game, social activities, hobbies, social media, work, family...it goes on and on.

Sometimes I feel it is less about procrastination, and more about time allocation. In business we need to carve out time, and be productive with the time we can dedicate to it.

I am starting to improve on the time management and distractions! Inches per day to keep failure away.

Canty

Thanks for this post Kyle - illuminating as always!
I love the thought that "there are as many hours in December as there are in January" - never thought of it like that before.

Still going like a train towards completing the training before Christmas.

Seasons greetings to you, Carson and all at WA

Terry

Yes, it is simple things like the "hour" comparison that gives us perspective. :)

Seasons greetings to you as well!

I totally Agree Kyle. Why wait? I often need to grab myself in the neck and tell myself - Do it now or you will never do it. I can totally relate to what you write here. Every time I find myself procrastinating I try to tell myself do not think - just do it and how good it will feel to get things done. And it helps.

Yeah, we have to catch ourselves in the act sometimes. I have to remind myself when I know I am procrastinating, I don't do it all that often (as I have pushed myself away from these bad habits), but it certainly still happens.

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