I really don't feel like writing this blog, so I'll do it later. Hey everyone and welcome to part 2 of my series on time management techniques. We've all experienced the beast called Procrastination. It can act like a theif to rob you of your time before you know it. And the worse part is, when you look up, you have no one to blame but yourself, and that awful feeling of knowing you still have this horrible task to complete. Well I'm here today to give you some time management techniques I use to overcome procrastination.
I remember as a kid, my mother would ask me to rake the leaves in the yard in autumn. This was a task I absolutely hated and I'd be out there for hours. Most of my time out there would be spent just holding the rake or trying to invent better ways to do it. Cursing my mother and listing all the reasons I hated raking leaves. At the end of the day, I'd still have to get it done and I had no one to blame but myself for being out there so long beacuse I was just procrastinating.
Procrastination can be detrimental to your business as a network marketer for the simple reason that you are your own boss. You are accoutable for your own actions and your own results. The biggest problem beginners run into is procrastinating when it comes to calling leads back. You may wait until it's the right time of the day. Or once you start, get nervous and go check an email. You may have to wait until you have all of your materials in front of you perfectly before you call a single person. Or, a good problem to have, you may have a large list to call and you feel overwhelmed. Either way, not doing this activity will sink your business faster than the Titanic.
To overcome procrastination, take three steps. First, recognize when you are procrastinating. This takes some brutal honesty with yourself about when you are doing this. You may fill your task list with easier, minor tasks instead of the larger more difficult one. You may be excessively getting snacks, or talking with friends. The trick is to recognize and listen to that little birdy on your shoulder that's telling you, you have to get something done.
Second, recognize why you are procrastinating. This will be more dependant on you as the person and the assigned task. The most common reasons for procrastinating are either the task is too overwhelming, or the task is unpleasant. There's a whole host of reasons, but they generally fall into these two categories.
Third, just do it! (like Nike) If the task is overwhelming, ask yourself, how do I eat an elephant? I ask my team this question all the time when we have a daunting task or heavy deadline. The answer is, you eat an elephant one bite at a time. Break the overwhelming task down into bite size pieces and focus only on that one. (see Part 1 for more of focusing) Call one person at a time. Give them your full attention when you speak. After you call a few people, reward yourself by taking a quick 5 min break. But keep it short or you will start procrastinating again! Don't go to watch your favorite television show. Remind yourself of the unpleasant consequences if you don't get it done. Maybe you won't be able to take that vacation, or buy the toy for your child, or get out of your job that you hate! These should light a fire under you. And finally, perhaps the best way to overcome procrastination is to assemble a team of people to hold you accountable. Call your upline or get on a call with your downline and hold each other accountable for completing a pre determined task. Peer pressure works as seen in AA groups and weight loss centers. You can leverage this to your advantage.
I hope these techniques will be helpful in overcoming your procrastination. Time management techinques are one of the keys you will need to succeed as a network marketer.
For more on time management techniques and moving into the entrepreneur mindset, download your free copy of my book called Lambs to Lions at http://www.lambstolionsbook.com/ It's packed with all kinds of practical applications to literally transform yourself into a successful entrepreneur, starting today! Remember to Have a Great day, because you Deserve it!
Mitchell Graves
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