7 Essential Keys to Positive, Productive Proactiveness

“You can either take action, or you can hang back and hope for a miracle. Miracles are great, but they are so unpredictable.”

Peter F. Drucker

Are you tired of rushing to finish minutes before a deadline?

Do you ever feel frustrated or stressed when you haven’t completed everything?

Have you ever delayed starting a task because you thought it was too hard or would take too long?

Recent research has found that 75 percent of college students procrastinate and chronic procrastination affects 25 percent of adults. Over 95 percent of people consider procrastination to be a problem. They would like to change unresourceful ways due to the negative impact on their performance, wellbeing, relationships and life style.

Three main reasons why people procrastinate

Piers Steel, business professor at the University of Calgary in Canada, explains there are three main reasons why people procrastinate:

Anxiety related fears:– These can include a fear of failing, not being good enough, feeling judged, or being rejected. Sometimes we’re fearful about how to begin and afraid of getting it wrong

Rebellion:– If we feel unappreciated, unsupported or a task has been externally imposed on us, this can create a feeling of “you can’t make me do this”.

Reward:– It’s proven that we won’t engage in behaviour unless we receive a reward from it. This means we look for a payoff when we procrastinate. An example of this is doing activities that give us pleasure or pursuing goals that we feel we’re likely to attain. We’re more likely to put off tasks that aren’t as much fun or take longer to achieve.

Can you relate to times when you’ve procrastinated?

Which one do you most relate to? Feeling fear, unsupported or disengaged?

You may be wondering how this relates to communication and public speaking?

For many leaders, professionals and business owners, even the thought of having to speak in front of a group, can cause them to procrastinate and avoid public speaking at almost any cost. It takes commitment, courage and consistency to face those very real fears and move through any obstacles holding you back.

Once you turn procrastination into action, you can develop the ability to speak confidently and passionately without the fear, nerves or anxiety.

Roger Hamilton, Social Philanthropist and author of Your Life Your Legacy, explains that taking action and applying what we have learned as soon as we can, supports our fulfillment and growth. Not taking action can lead to feeling frustrated and frazzled.

7 Keys to overcoming procrastination so that you commit, create and complete!

Prepare: Have you ever noticed when you’re feeling centred and aligned, how your day flowed more easily? De-cluttering your desk, meditating, setting your intention for the day and surrounding yourself with items that feel good, such as, crystals, beautiful flowers and music are all positive ways you create this.

Prioritise: Being clear on your outcomes and creating a list of priorities maintains balance and focus. As you create your list, ask yourself “Is this taking me towards my goals or taking me away from them?”

Practice self-care: It’s proven that when we nourish our minds and bodies with nutritious food, exercise and fun every day, we are more productive, creative and fulfilled. You may like to set an alarm so that you work for 55 minutes and then take a 3-5 minute break so that you remain fresh.

Productivity: Check your progress regularly throughout the day to ensure you’re on track. You may need to adjust the time you have allowed for tasks or reschedule some items for the next day.

Proactive commitment: Commit to yourself and stay focused. Be clear with those around you that you will be incognito for a designated amount of time unless there is an absolute emergency.

Personal Support: Engage and surround yourself with people who inspire, support and are of a similar mindset. Adopt an approach of asking your support team to handle tasks that you’re happy to delegate. This will free you to concentrate and empower those around you by demonstrating your trust in their ability

Presents!: How do you reward yourself? By scheduling time to do the things you love, you’ll feel more inspired to complete your tasks. After all, you deserve this!

The key to your success is ACTION!

Here’s to taking the steps to Speak from Your Heart and Share Your Message!s