News Spotlight: So What’s Holding You Up? – 5 Steps for Leaders

 

By Sherman Joseph

 

How often do you say to yourself, ‘I will get around to it. Or if I had enough money I could do this or that’? Yes, it does take money to do some of things that you desire to accomplish; however, that should not be your main reason for getting started. So what is holding you up?

 

Many people struggle finding the motivation to begin something, while others have no problem starting, it’s finishing that becomes a problem. They cannot seem to finish the task at hand. No matter what your reason may be, today we are going to put a stop to it. No more excuses. “I can’t or I am too tired” is no longer an option. So if you find yourself having trouble with staying focused and motivated, try these simple tips:

 

Stop the Negative Chatter- Stop telling yourself what you cannot do. The mind is such a powerful tool. Sometimes it seems like we have two voices speaking in our mind. There is the voice that is telling you that you should start working on your task; then you have to face the other voice telling you it is okay to put it off since you need a break and you deserve it. For many, the second voice tends to drown out the other. So fight off the second voice with everything that you have. Listen to the voice that tells you it is time to get moving!

 

No More Procrastinating- The first thing you are going to want to do is put an end to procrastination. It is so easy to procrastinate. Life happens, you may be a single parent, a student, or what have you, and it can then become so easy to put things off that need to be done now. Believe it or not, procrastination actually eats up so much more of your time than you may think. Whatever you need to get done today, do it.

 

So how can you find out if you have some areas of procrastination going on in your life?  Take a look around your home—do you have a piles of unwashed laundry? Or, my favorite, do you have a pile of unfolded clothes just waiting to be put away? How about the unfinished business plan that you keep putting off? Maybe it is the elliptical machine that you just had to have to start shedding those unwanted pounds that is sitting in the corner or the garage collecting dust. These are just a few examples to show you that have some procrastination going on in your life.

 

Get a Vision- Now take the time to envision your task completed. Do you see the doors opening to that new business, customers lined outside waiting to get in. Maybe you are working towards that promotion at your job. What would it be like to come home and tell your spouse, “Honey, we got a raise!” Think like it is already yours. You have completed it! Remember, you have to see it to achieve it. It is not uncommon that people do not appreciate the benefit of creating that mental picture. If you are able to see it before you have it, this will serve as a great motivation factor to get going. The more you think about it, the more you will become convinced you can achieve.

 

Be Willing to Pay the Price- Success is not achieved without a price. Most often, to achieve success we have to push ourselves. I remember watching a YouTube video and the speaker said that you have to push yourself as hard as you want to take your next breath.  Just sit there for a second and hold your breath. How does it feel? I am sure it does not feel too good. You instinctively want to take that breath of air. Well, we should have that same desire when we are going after our dreams. Push yourself. You should be your biggest fan and your biggest critic so that you can always be improving.

 

How can you try and push yourself? If you think you can complete a project in an hour, try to get it done in 30 minutes. Add more to your to do list and become extra productive with your day. Make each minute count for something. There is truly a sense of pride and accomplishment in being able to defeat your worst enemy—you.

 

Make Time to Rest and Relax- Now all work and no play is no fun, and makes for a very dull and boring life. I am not saying that you cannot have any fun.  You have to leave time for rest and relaxation. Your body is your temple, and you have to keep it healthy because without it, you will not be able to accomplish anything.

 

So try putting these few tips into action. Today you have no more excuses. There is nothing that should be holding you up. Swing for the fence, and knock it out the park. I believe in you.