Ask the Master Newsletter Archives

Welcome to the previous editions of the Ask the Master newsletter. On your left you will find links to tips and the how to’s of running a Virtual Assistant practice. We hope you enjoy your stay and if you have a question you’d like answered send it to submission@vatp.ca.

Procrastination - The Hidden Costs

"Procrastination is the fear of success..." - Denis Waitley

Procrastination is to postpone or delay needlessly. It is to put off things of importance we know must be completed. For some procrastination is not an issue however studies show up to 95% of all people at some point procrastinate with 10-25% with a chronic problem.

What are the costs involved with procrastination?

• Virtual Assistant Training Program
• Reasons for Procrastination
• The High Hidden Costs
• Taming the Demon

This program is for you if :

• Your dream is to work from home and have the freedom of
• running your own business
• You are looking to transition from the corporate world
• You are struggling with your own Virtual Assistant business
• You want to shorten the learning curve of growing your business
• You have a passion for supporting others

As a result of taking the program you will gain:

• A strong foundation to build your business
• A shortened learning curve
• Increased confidence to get ideal clients
• Tools, skills and strategies to begin working immediately with clients
• Marketing resources and ideas
• A clear vision for your company
• Business development skills

Join us for our next informational sessions:

• Monday August 27 from 4:00-5:00pm PT (7:00-8:00pm ET)
• or Wednesday September 5 from 9:00-10:00am PT (noon-1:00pm ET).
  
  Send an email to monday@vatp.ca or wednesday@vatp.ca for further details via autoresponder.

Some of the reasons for procrastination may be:

• Perfectionism; I can't possibly start until this and this happens
• Anxiety; what if I make a mistake or do it wrong
• Ambiguity; this really isn't important or matters to me
• Inability to handle the task; there's no way I can do this
• Pleasure seeking; I really just need to work in the garden for an hour first
• Limiting beliefs; I don't deserve to be successful - I've always been a failure
• Whatever the reason we need to be willing to take an honest look at ourselves in order to be able to change the behaviour.

What happens when we procrastinate? What is the result of procrastination? It almost always adds stress, disorganization, and frequently failure. While most psychologists believe it is a complex behaviour there are generally fears underlying the behaviour, usually a fear of failure or fear of success.

When we procrastinate long enough we end up running on adrenaline, which many of us are overusing as a result of our fast paced society. Adrenaline is part of the "fight-or-flight" reaction we have in response to being frightened or afraid.

When we release into our bodies it causes increase heart rate, strengthens the force of the heart's contraction, increases blood pressure, opens up bronchioles in the lungs and elevates the blood sugar level. While it may be a source of energy it is a negative one.

The first step to overcoming procrastination is admitting that you do it which then brings awareness around it when you are doing it.

To eliminate or radically reduce procrastination be sure to plan and block your time, set realistic goals and break them down into smaller steps that are not overwhelming, set rewards and consequences for not sticking to your plan. Ask yourself when you are anxious or afraid "What is the worst thing that could happen and could I live with the outcome?"

Replace your self-talk from "have to" with "want to", "finish it" with "start it", "perfectionism" to "being human", "this is overwhelming" to "where can I start", "being deprived" to "having fun".

Another great tool to overcoming fear based reactions and behaviours is to stay present in the moment. Whenever we look at past performances or behaviours or think about what might be ahead we can trigger fears. We often imagine scenarios which never come to past or are nowhere near as bad as we imagined. This quote sums it up. "I've suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened."

When you stay present in the moment and don't worry about the past or what may happen in the future there is nothing to fear in the moment. Staying present is a great tool for overcoming fear and/or anxiety.