From Planning to Action: Overcoming Procrastination in Entrepreneurship

From Planning to Action:

Overcoming Procrastination in Entrepreneurship

Have you ever found yourself constantly planning but never taking action? That's what I like to call "procrasti-planning." It's when you keep putting off actually doing the things you need to do by constantly refining your plan. It might seem like you're making progress because you're constantly working on your plan, but the truth is, you're just delaying the inevitable.

I get it; planning (especially for my fellow teachers) is often something we LOVE. Who doesn't love a good to-do list in a cute notebook with a nice pen? But it's time to take a step back when it becomes a form of self-sabotage.

I'll give you an example from my own life: I've been talking about getting a dog for years. I even went as far as buying all the gear and researching different breeds. But do I have a dog now? No. And the reason is simple: I kept telling myself I wasn’t ready. I felt like I had to have XYZ in order before I could actually finally just do it. That's perfectionism showing up, and it was holding me back.

It's easy to fall into the trap of procrasti-planning, especially when it comes to our careers or businesses. We spend all this time planning, but then we never actually take action. It starts to feel better to plan because it feels like progress, but in reality, we're just delaying the inevitable.

And how about when you've been saying you want to go live on Instagram or launch a workshop for months, maybe even a year, but you still haven't done it? That's another classic example. Or maybe you want to start a business, but you're always finding excuses to put it off, saying you need to "get your ducks in a row." You're spending all your time planning and working on things behind the scenes, but where's the action? Where's the implementation?

So if you're feeling stuck in the cycle of procrasti-planning, it's time to ask yourself why. Are you afraid of failing? Do you think your life has to be in a certain place before you can start taking action? Once you identify the root cause, you can start working on breaking the cycle and taking real, tangible steps toward your goals.

Procrastination can be a trap that is difficult to escape from, especially when it comes to planning. Many of us believe that planning is a form of investment in ourselves, but if it's not promoting income-producing tasks or ways to put ourselves out there and get ahead, it might be time to re-evaluate.

A common way we fall into procrasti-planning is by signing up for programs or services that encourage us to keep planning. For example, platforms like Canva can be a dream for procrastinating planners, as they offer endless options for customization and design. However, it's important to be mindful of the things we sign up for and make sure that they're not promoting long periods of planning over action.

Holding planning sessions with accountability partners may seem productive, but it's important to remember that action sessions are what will ultimately lead to progress. We need to stop playing around with all the planning and start taking action. The temptation to make everything perfect can often delay progress, but it's important to remember that there is no such thing as perfect.

Instead of getting wrapped up in planning, focus on taking action. Don't keep buying pretty T.J. Maxx notebooks and not executing any of these plans. We can't afford to let all that planning go to waste.

Here are a couple of tips to help you shift from avoiding to action:

Ask yourself, "What's the worst that could happen?"

• One of the biggest reasons we avoid taking action is the fear of failure or disappointment. To overcome this, it's helpful to ask yourself what the worst-case scenario would be if you did take that action. For example, what's the worst that could happen if you consider getting a dog? The worst that could happen is that the dog won't behave in your house, or you may have to travel a lot and find a babysitter. If the worst that could happen is something you can handle, then there's no reason to avoid taking action.

Set hard deadlines and give yourself time to reflect on whether you're meeting them.

• Deadlines are a powerful motivator, but setting realistic and achievable deadlines is essential. You should also give yourself time to reflect on whether you're meeting your deadlines and adjust your goals if necessary. For example, if you set a goal to go live on Instagram three times by the end of the quarter, set reminders on your phone to check in on your progress and adjust your strategy if necessary.

Hold yourself accountable

• One way to hold yourself accountable is to put your plans out there, even if they're not fully fleshed out yet. For example, if you're planning to run a workshop, place the date and start promoting it, even if you don't have all the details yet. This will give you a sense of accountability and motivation to get the work done.

Chose the Right Business Coach

•  Be mindful of who you decide to work with if you invest in a business coach or business services. Make sure that they are helping you take action and not feeding into your procrastinating planning spirit. If you're a procrastinator, you might be tempted to focus on planning instead of taking action. A good business coach or service provider should challenge you to take action, not just design.

Take Action to Maximize Income

• Remember that taking action is what will make you money. Ask yourself, from time to time, is this an income-producing task? When promoting your products or services, including a call to action, such as a link to your bio where people can sign up for a call or book your product. Don't just plan; execute the plan and take action.

The last thing I want you to make sure you do is to ask yourself what your life will look like a year, two years, or even three years from now; if you continue down the path of procrastination and excessive planning, it's essential to consider the impact it will have on others. The decisions you make as an entrepreneur have a ripple effect, so it's crucial to take action toward your goals and not let procrastination hold you back.

Ready for the Solution for Procrastination and Overcoming Planning Paralysis?

When you work with a business coach like me, you can be sure that there will always be action steps and that the focus will be on execution, not just planning. A good coach will call you out if you're not taking action and ensure you're always moving forward. I have included weekly action steps in my coaching program "Clarity to Confidence.

Clarity to Confidence is a 12-week coaching program that helps you clarify your vision and goals, show up, share value, promote yourself online, and build community. Every week, my participants have action steps that I model, walk them through, and hold them accountable for implementing. These action steps help you take concrete steps toward your goals, provide a space to reflect on your mindset, and overcome any blocks that might be holding you back.

So book a discovery call now if you're ready to make a change and start taking action.