Is there a project, idea or goal you’ve wanted to take action on but haven’t yet? Do you have the best intentions, but never find the right time or the motivation to actually move forward with it? If so, you’re like the majority of people who have the seeds of ideas and the best of plans living in their minds, though they never do anything to bring them to fruition.
The truth is, once you actually start doing something it isn’t as difficult to keep moving; getting started is what holds you back. Here are some reason why you may be procrastinating and ways to overcome them.
Moving Past the Fear of Failure
This is the number one reason people never try very hard, if at all. They’re afraid their idea or plan won’t succeed. They’re terrified of not reaching their goal. Everyone wants to be successful, and the thought of failing is often too much of hindrance to give you the incentive you need to actually try. If you knew you would succeed in what you wanted to do, wouldn’t it be easier and wouldn’t you feel more motivated to try? Of course you would!
A simple way to move past the fear of failure is to make a list of all the positive and negative things that may arise while pursuing this goal and the benefits it may bring to you once it’s accomplished. Look over the list and see if your idea truly is worth taking a risk on or putting into action. Do the potential benefits outweigh the possible risk of failure? Each time you feel like procrastinating, take a look at your list and how your life could change for the better if you pursue it. This is often enough of a catalyst to get you out of their rut and moving forward.
Overanalyzing Can Hold You Back
A lot of people have good intentions to start on a goal. They gather all of the necessary information, buy all the right equipment or supplies, and have everything down as to what they want to do and how to do it. And there it stops! Whether you think too much, overanalyze or are constantly preparing, this is vastly different than actually doing something.
Too much knowledge isn’t necessarily a good thing. Of course, you want enough information and enough facts so you know your goal or idea will probably pay off in the end, but once you’ve got a good framework set up, just take steps each day to make things happen.
Take that First Step to Reach Your Goals
It’s been said that less than 10% of the general public actually reaches their goals. This has more to do with never taking that first step rather than lack of money, fear of failure, or poor planning. That first step is always the most difficult. Once you’ve got it behind you though, the second, third, and each subsequent step will be easier.
Simply choose your goal, plan a basic framework for getting there, and take action each day—no matter how small—to making it happen. If you stop thinking so much and simply take action, you’ll find that you accomplish more goals than ever before.
