Battling Procrastination Like A BOSS MOM- Part 1

Now that I am once again a full-time mompreneur, I started to find myself quickly overwhelmed. Dividing my time between family, my marriage and attempting to grow not one but 3 different businesses has definitely taken it’s toll. But still I can’t help but realize, there’s a lot more I could be doing. I have mastered the arts of project planning, manageable goals, weekly task lists and daily to-do’s BUT every time I’m on a roll and things seem to be going in the right direction, a detour or a series of detours appear preventing me from finishing my actual goals. Or sometimes there isn’t a detour at all. I just spend so much time planning the steps and goals and then I just feel (suddenly) exhausted or I just have to watch 13 episodes of Law & Order in row. More recently instead of meeting the deadline to apply for grant I missed it by needing to reorganize my linen closets. That’s when I knew, that I have real problem and the problem is…..me. I am always in my own way. And because I obviously use procrastination to sabotage before I tried to fix it, first I had to find out why we (I) use self sabotage, And why entrepreneurs are particularly prone to it.

Well, what is self sabotaging behavior?

Psychology Today defines Self Sabotage as “behaviors that create problems and interfere with long term goals.” The behaviors can range anywhere from procrastination (most common), self-medication with drugs or alcohol, comfort eating, shopping sprees you can't afford (or binge watching TV) to more severe behaviors such as cutting or other self injury acts.

Since procrastination is most common and my personal arch nemesis and a particular struggle with many Boss Moms I know personally . Let’s tackle that.

So why do we procrastinate? Why are we constantly putting off important things until the last minute or worse yet until it’s too late? In the first of the this series of blogs, let’s talk discuss the first reason why we procrastinate and what we can do to stop this behavior.

Reason # 1 You think you aren’t good enough. You don’t believe you have what it takes to be successful, so you remain stagnant. You half ass your way through business by avoiding networking events or forming strategic relationships. You buy tons of products and programs to help your business that you never use. Your email is filled with hundreds of emails that you’ll never read.

Your biggest fear is that you are an impostor and sooner or later people are going to find out. You want to believe that you have what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. But deep down you don’t believe it.

Fix # 1 - Remember your why. Why did you start this business or this blog or this project? Why did you choose to be an entrepreneur? Write down your reasons and keep it somewhere where you can refer to it often. My suggestion is to read it every morning.

Fix # 2 - Anytime you start feel self doubt creep back in, take a few moments and reminisce on some of your accomplishments. Big or small. Remembering a moment you were really proud of yourself will shift your thinking and let you move forward with a boost in confidence. Do this often until it becomes a habit

Fix # 3 - Recognize your dopeness! Grab a pen and paper and write down all the skills, talents and knowledge you already have at your disposal that ensure your future success. You are enough, you have enough.

Fix # 4 - Be gentle with yourself. Even when you know your why and remember your accomplishments and skills and talents, you’re still gonna screw up. Even the most successful entrepreneurs aren’t perfect, nobody is a the perfect mom. We all mess up. Next time you miss your kid’s big game or blow that sale, don’t fall down that hole of self doubt and criticism. Figure out what you could have done differently forgive yourself and move on. Self-compassion is essential for a mom and an entrepreneur.

Try these tactics to battle your self doubt instead of procrastination. Leave me a comment and let me know what your struggles with procrastination are and if these tips help.

Stay tuned, next up we'll dive into another common reason that leads to procrastination, and how to battle it.