Ep 40: How to Beat Procrastination - Coaching Conversations

In this episode of Coaching Conversations, business growth experts Nick Psaila and Chris Herbert break down the reasons we procrastinate and how we can overcome the tendency to shelve the hard decisions.  

Whether it’s marketing or lead generation, the root cause of procrastination could be costing your business tens of thousands.

Nick and Chris discuss the ways in which rationale, logical decisions evade even the most astute business owners.

Often it can cost you MORE to fence sit (and those splinters hurt!)

This inspiring episode of “Coaching Conversations” will encourage you to re-focus on landing clear-headed, timely decisions. You will be reminded that calculating the cost of not making that decision can bring clarity. Because as we all know, time is money. Enjoy!

Time Code/Show Notes

 0.26  Welcome to the show and intro.

1.34   Nick dives straight into why the tension of procrastination connects to “desire” and “will” … and the subconscious decision of business owners “not to act” on making a decision.   

4.19   Is procrastination simply not acting on a desire?

4.30   What are the triggers of procrastination? Nick discusses the events and thoughts that can cause you to stall on making a business decision; common triggers include hiring a new employee, spending money and making a call on your own health habits.

6.40   Nicks crunches procrastination down to “making a non-decision based on lack of data”.

Investing in cryptocurrency can illustrate the example of procrastination due to a “wait and see” mindset. The trigger? The possibility of losing money.

7.35  Another trigger is “replay” otherwise known as the voice in your head. It can make indecision easy to accept - and repeat.  

8.50   Procrastination can be used in clever ways but in business, it simply costs you money. It is a thought process that retards  action.

9.20   Nick lays it on the line. Ask yourself, what is the cost of indecision?  What’s it going to cost if you don’t buy that software  – or the new ute – or if you don’t pay your super? What happens if you’re procrastinating over a decision to stay in a  stale relationship?

11.15    It is important to calculate the enertia – decide what you need to do to make the decision happen.

14.15   Consider the last time you made a serious decision, did you set yourself small goals around making that happen? Nick insists this is a vital step towards a satisfying outcome. He uses the example of hiring a new employee; filter by phone call first, only do a small number of interviews until you’re ready to progress…make the decision-making process easier!

16.05    The only way to move through procrastination is to BEGIN! “Start by starting,” says Nick. If there’s a lock-in point today, it’s to simply BEGIN.

19.30   If you need help with tackling procrastination in your business reach out to Nick and Chris. (It’s an easy decision to make!)                            …. [email protected]

 EPISODE SUMMARY       

So much to take away in this episode – so let’s get started!  

When business owners everywhere are employing caution more than ever, you must learn to tackle indecision in order to thrive.

Ask yourself what’s the trigger? What’s the replay? What will it cost you if you don’t act at all? You must decide on the enertia needed to get yourself moving. And don’t forget that setting small goals, creates a clearer path.

The final note is to “start by starting” – if you suffer from procrastination

(as we all do to some degree in our professional and personal lives), moving forward only comes with “starting the thing”. Keep reminding yourself that indecision will cost you more than “not” making a decision. Changing your mindset towards decisive action will become easier with practice and eventually, become second nature!