Stop procrastinating.

I'm a little busy; I'll do it tomorrow. I don't have the resources to start. After I finish this project, I will do it..

It’s a common human habit that when we want to start something, we let life and every other excuse get in the way. I constantly come across different people with great ideas for business, but they never commit to starting them. Of course, they do some research, but that's the far they go. With time, the once burning urge to start a business goes away, and they lose interest. A lot of people doubt their own ability, or feel that the idea is not worth the effort, and perhaps they don’t have what it takes to succeed.

It's unfortunate that some of these are good ideas never see the light of day.

So why do we postpone doing the important stuff?

Research shows that some people are just avoiders and they have a fear of failure, sometimes even success. They focus on what people think about them starting a business. They would rather sit and procrastinate than face dozens of questions from people of how they are going to run a business, how they are going to make the idea work, and the dreaded 'do you know what you're doing?'

So, are you stuck in a procrastination cycle? Maybe you have tons of ideas, but you haven't dared to start any of them? Here is a simple guide to help you take the leap and start something this year.

1.     Choose a realistic goal and set a deadline

Set realistic goals. Since you want to turn your dream into reality, the best way to strike a balance is to set long-term and short-term goals. A measurement of action is required everyday to make the goals achievable. For instance, if you're writing a book, you schedule to write 1500 words per day no matter the situation until you get the book done. Do not focus on the 150,000 word target.

Similarly, set a deadline for each task. Planning, preparing, and prioritising are all part of a business, but execution within a given time frame is where you find results. According to research by Fast Company, a deadline is likely to be met if it's scheduled the same day of the week as its assigned. If you assign a task on Tuesday, set the deadline on Tuesday the following week, it's more likely that you'll start working on the job sooner. This may change over time but have fun with it and get the work done.

2.     Batch tasks and break them down into small achievable goals

When you decide to start a business, the first thing you need to consider is to group tasks in batches. If you need to respond to emails, do them one after the other. If you have to answer phone calls do them in one batch and so on. This allows you to accomplish each task at a time. Then break down large tasks into small attainable steps. Start with the hard tasks, whilst your mind is fresh and you have a longer attention span.

3.     Start a website advertising your idea

If you start something and put it out for the public to see, you are likely to get motivated to push through. If by any chance someone comes across your website, they need to find helpful information including a what you are providing, how to contact you and so on.

4.    Establish the entity

When you start thinking about starting a business, you get excited and spend a lot of time researching. While this is important, it can be unproductive if you spend all the time in the research stage, you can’t stop procrastinating. Take the leap and apply for a business name and number. It will keep you motivated to get the business running in the right direction.

5.     Join a group of likeminded individuals

There many local networking groups, that often meet once a week to discuss each other's business. People who refer work to who they know, like and trust. Go online and search for one that is related to your business. Join and interact with individuals who can offer support to build your business. You may be lucky to find people who want to promote your business. In the end, you want to be part of the like-minded community to guide you through the journey.

If you keep falling back to procrastination from time to time, then you need to use the above steps to bounce back faster to the productivity wagon. You can start by changing the way you approach critical issues in your business and ensure you're actually moving forward.

Stick with it, and your productivity will increase drastically. So, why don’t you get started with beating procrastination and become a performer in business? There is much more to achieve.

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