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Ready to Overcome Fear and Procrastination? Here’s Your Complete Guide

Procrastination

Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s close to many of our hearts, but it’s also one that’s hard to face up to: Our fears and our tendency to procrastinate. These invisible barriers hold us back from reaching our true potential, and did you know that they’re deeply linked? Research in the field of psychology backs this up, but I know it’s true because I found it out the hard way. 

Procrastination? I was the queen of it! Running late to everything, doing everything last minute– it was almost as if I thrived on it. But on this path of entrepreneurship, I’ve learned that I cannot afford to indulge in these constant delays. I’ve also learned that it’s not laziness or lack of time that leads me to procrastinate – it’s fear. And every time I give in to that fear, there are consequences to face. With so much on the line, I’ve had to confront my fears head-on, put schedules and plans into place, and overcome procrastination so I can build my business and be there for my beautiful family. 

As always, I’m going to be perfectly open with you – I’m still a major work in progress when it comes to fear and procrastination! I still sometimes find myself cornered by my fears, slipping into procrastination, and then rushing to complete things at the last minute. But each conquered task, no matter how small, is a victory worth celebrating.

So, how am I clocking up these small wins and overcoming the more daunting obstacles? Stay tuned as I share my personal strategy for confronting fear and breaking free from a lifelong habit of procrastination. First, we’ll take a quick look at how fear and procrastination are linked. Then I’ll give you a five-step guide to defeating both. We’ll look at a few personal examples along the way so you can get a feel for how to take the first steps on this journey of self-discovery and pushing boundaries. 

How Are Fear And Procrastination Connected?

“Fear stops a lot of people. Fear of failure, of the unknown, of risk. And it masks itself as a procrastination”. – Lisa Anderson 

I love this quote as it perfectly captures the fear-procrastination connection. Fear can be an overwhelming emotional deterrent, making us subconsciously avoid certain tasks. We put them off and put them off until they become a genuine problem. 

Here’s one of the biggest things you need to know about these deep, underlying fears: The successful people you admire have just as many of them as you do. They’ve simply learned to push through them. This realization can be liberating and inspiring. It reminds us that we don’t have to be the smartest or the wealthiest mama in the room to achieve our dreams – we just need to be willing to overcome our fears.

Ultimately, your approach to fear will propel you into one of two groups:

  • The Dreamers: These are the people who yearn for a different life but are held back by their fears and self-doubt. They often find themselves saying, “I don’t have the skills,” and so they avoid doing things they don’t want to do.
  • The Doers: These are the people who, despite feeling unskilled or unprepared, push through their fears because their desire for a better life is stronger. They are willing to make sacrifices, show determination and discipline, take risks, and persistently face challenges.

No matter which category you currently identify with, the following five-step guide will help you cultivate the determination, discipline, and risk-taking ability needed to conquer your fears and transform from a dreamer into a doer. 

5 Steps to Facing Your Fears 

As a mompreneur, facing fear is part of the journey towards success. Understanding and overcoming your fears is crucial to personal and business growth. So, here are the five steps you need to take to tackle your fears:

Step 1: Self-Awareness

Make a habit of tuning into how you are feeling, including your emotions and the physical sensations in your body. For example, I always knew the idea of diving into debt was daunting, but I felt it strongly in my body after my first meeting with our accountant. Hearing that we could expect to make a loss in our first year and, if we were lucky, break even in years two and three made my heart drop. That feeling made me question everything, but that was fear talking. Notice how fear manifests in your body and be aware of the critic inside your head that will latch onto it and fuel your doubts.

Step 2: Naming your Critic

Giving a name to this inner voice separates it from your true self and diminishes its power. For example, I call mine “La Colocha” which in English translates to “The Curly.” As a mama, you may be able to relate to my reasons – My hair is naturally somewhere between wavy and curly, but after pregnancy hair loss and regrowth, I’ve developed unruly curls on the side of my hair that annoy me. So I decided to name my critic after my random curls! I know you have an equally personal term that means something to you and that perfectly encapsulates your inner critic – find it, and give that negativity a name. Doing so separates these fearful, critical thoughts from you, reminding you that you don’t have to listen to or obey them. 

Step 3: Acknowledge Your Critic 

So you have caught your critic and separated it from your core self. Now, it’s time to acknowledge that what it’s really trying to do is protect you. By recognizing and appreciating this, you can engage in a constructive dialogue with your critic, acknowledging your fears but reaffirming your capabilities and resolve to move forward.

Step 4 – Build Courage 

Courage isn’t something you’re born with – it grows with consistent practice. Reframe those critical thoughts in a way that allows you to accept the fear while choosing to push on and do the thing anyway. Courage is about making choices that align with your values and vision, even when it’s uncomfortable. This is a step you’ll need to revisit every time you face a daunting task, but the good news is that each time you push through, you’re making your courage “muscle” stronger. 

Step 5: Grow and Learn

Growth comes from pushing past fear. Go back to your vision and your goals for the future. What will the next five years look like if you get past this fear? What will your life look like if you give in? Reminding yourself of what’s at stake can help you develop the resolve to make it work, no matter what. Once you get to this place, you’ll be on a path of endless growth and learning. Failures will start to feel like stepping stones to success, each setback gifting you with a lesson that brings you closer to your goals. 

How Facing Fears Helps You Crush Procrastination

On procrastination, I have another big secret for you: It’s okay to not want to do hard things. But, just as you need to figure out how to push through your fears, the key to crushing procrastination lies in pushing through the uncomfortable parts. 

When you procrastinate, you waste time that you could be investing in something meaningful. Recent studies have shown that people regret more the things they haven’t done than the things they have done. Overcoming procrastination is therefore one of the most important skills you can learn.

Let’s take a look at one of my recent procrastination indulgences and what it almost cost my business. Building a safe online space for other mompreneurs was one of my most important goals. If you are in my Facebook Community, you may have noticed that the group was created at the end of November, but I only invited my first members on the 3rd of January. So what was going on in December? 

I had the passion to launch back then, but the fear of not having enough time and not wanting to let others down held me back. My husband kept asking when I would start, and I kept pushing it out. 

How did I overcome this? I acknowledged the fear, recognized why I was procrastinating, and then found a way to break the pattern. In this case, the fear barrier was significant, so I invested in an online course that helped me build courage. Crucially, it also taught me the importance of automation and provided me with templates, processes, and a plan. I scheduled my January posts, created a growth strategy, and determined how much time I could commit on a weekly basis. I even made good use of my commute to fit in all this planning. 

Once I had my vision and strategy all mapped out, I was ready to launch my Facebook community. A few weeks in, the overwhelm was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, the community has become a significant source of joy in my life. This journey taught me that acknowledging fears, understanding why we procrastinate, and finding ways to build courage are key to overcoming obstacles and achieving our goals. Looking back this has been the best thing I have done yet, meeting amazing mamas who have quickly become my online friends and something I feel so proud of. This keeps me going every day, I am so glad I pushed through my fear!

5 Steps to Overcoming Procrastination

Let’s now break this down into five actionable steps you can take to beat procrastination and move forward with that task you’ve been avoiding – you know the one!

Step 1: Get Clear on Your Vision

Start by creating a vision board that encapsulates your goals. This visual tool will be your constant companion, reminding you of what you’re striving for and giving you the motivation to push through daunting or unappealing tasks. For a more in-depth exploration of this concept, pop over to Episode #20 of my podcast.

Step 2: Understand Why You Procrastinate

Once you’re clear on your vision, it’s time to identify the root cause of your procrastination. Are you avoiding certain tasks due to fear or overwhelm? Is it a lack of clarity holding you back? By asking yourself these tough questions, you can uncover the deeper reasons for your procrastination. Once you understand the ‘why,’ you can begin to address it directly and find ways to overcome it.

Step 3: Break It Down

Large tasks can often feel like impossible mountains. To make them more manageable, break them down into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Instead of focusing on the daunting end goal, concentrate on what you can achieve week by week. This approach works like magic for reducing stress as it allows you to make steady, tangible progress.

Step 4: When Are You Most Productive?

Everyone has a particular part of the day when they’re most productive. Identify these peak periods and schedule your most challenging tasks for these times. Tackling the hardest tasks when you’re at your best makes the process more efficient and far less daunting.

Step 5: Celebrate Your Wins

Finally, remember to celebrate your progress, no matter how small. Each task you complete brings you one step closer to your dream, so don’t be shy about congratulating yourself. Whether it’s a simple jump for joy or a day at the beach with your kids, these celebrations reinforce positive behavior, provide a sense of achievement, and keep you motivated on your journey. You’ll find that once you start a task you’ve been avoiding, it’s not as bad as you thought. In fact, you might even enjoy it!

Final Thoughts

Facing your fears is scary, I know. It can feel like if you never start, you’ll never have to worry about failing. But you’ll never have a chance to succeed either. I truly hope that these steps will help you overcome fear and procrastination. I want you to go into this with realistic expectations, so I have to tell you – it’s a journey that demands consistent effort and courage. 

To give you some structure and make the path easier for you, I’ve created an easy-to-follow guide to conquering fears and crushing procrastination. This is free for you to download, and I recommend printing it off and keeping it close to your workstation so you can constantly remind yourself to keep pushing through. You’ve got this – I know you are capable!

“Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being excited about what could go right” – Tony Robbins

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