Erin’s dream is to grow her yoga business, put together a series of workshops and create her first retreat. She is a talented and inspirational teacher with adoring clients who often ask about her next event. In fact, several months ago, Erin announced to clients that a date for the retreat would come soon.
I had the pleasure of taking Erin’s class last week, and we grabbed a coffee after class to catch up. I asked her when the retreat was happening. Uncomfortably she said,
“Oh, I know, I’ve been meaning to set a date, but haven’t gotten to it yet. I’ve been so busy lately.”
If I weren’t a life coach who knew Erin well, I would have sympathized with her “too busy” story and moved on, but I can recognize an excuse a mile away. So I continued the conversation,
“I know how much you want to grow your business and creating this retreat is a big dream. What is keeping you too busy to get this going? Can I help you talk it through?“
Quietly Erin said:
“I keep promising myself to set a date, weeks fly by, and I make no progress. Every time I start to look at locations, I get overwhelmed, confused and stuck. What’s wrong with me?”
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Erin, she’s just being human and stuck in the trap of procrastination. We chatted a bit and got to the bottom of what was blocking her. Erin got teary and explained the painful internal conversation running through her mind daily:
- “What if no one signs up?
- Why would someone pay that much money for a retreat with me?
- I may be kidding myself not be able to put together a great experience for clients.
- Maybe I’m just not ready to do something on that level?”
Ouch. No wonder Erin was stuck. Her procrastination was just the voice of fear and self-doubt yelling louder than the sound of her dream!
The trouble is, the negative voices stemming from fear will not just go away on their own. Erin will not wake up fearless one day so what IS the solution to procrastination?
Since this is one of the most frequently asked questions I hear as a coach, I decided to put together a free e-book:
Typically when we feel fear, the mind interprets it as a sign to stop because we’re going in the wrong direction. Ironically, the reverse is true! What we are most afraid of is typically the very thing we need to do to move forward and achieve our goals.
Taking action may feel scary, but the trick is not to let fear stop you. You have to get comfortable being uncomfortable and not always knowing the answer. Every time you push through fear, you get stronger and more confident. Growth requires getting out of your comfort zone. I promise you nothing extraordinary was ever accomplished in your comfort zone. Also, know there is a direct correlation between the level of your achievement and the ability to deal with being out of your comfort zone.
I hope you find this guide helpful. Please reach out to me with any questions or comments at christine@christineyoungcoaching.com
I would love to hear from you!
PS: Each week I offer a limited number of 20-minute complimentary consultations. I would be happy to help talk you through what’s underneath your procrastination. Just click here to go directly to my calendar and schedule your free 20-minute session.
