Guest Blog: by Lireko Dorothy Ncube
"Procrastination is the enemy of entrepreneurship."
Tick tock, tick tock – let’s be honest, we have all sat listening to the sound of a clock ticking away the hours and minutes whilst we procrastinate about doing the things we really need to be doing. But the reality is that time really doesn’t wait for anyone, so we all need to stop the habit of saying: “I will do it tomorrow”. Funny enough, it is a habit we all fall victim to at some point in our lives, no matter how organised we are – or think we are. For example, have you ever found yourself watching “Desperate Housewives “or “Come Dine With Me” when you should be working? My guess is that we have all been guilty of that crime at some time or other.
So, here are a few tips to help you say goodbye to procrastination and stop wasting precious moments – remember, just do it!
1. Learn to manage your time
Don’t wake up in the morning with a schedule that you cannot follow, otherwise you will just be wasting precious time. Allocate time to your tasks each day, and give yourself enough time to complete each task, otherwise you will get back to the habit of constantly working under pressure due to procrastination and putting things off. Such pressure means you might find yourself making mistakes, or worse still, not even achieving the goal. Be realistic in setting your timelines.
2. Always have a deadline
Setting deadlines for yourself and sticking to them may be tricky in the beginning, but there is a saying that “practice makes perfect.” Keep practicing to meet those important deadlines and, before you know it, this will become a worthwhile habit.
3. Keep your eyes on the prize
Clearly define what are you doing and what are you aiming to achieve. Perhaps you are working on a presentation that will score you a multi-million dollar account? That is definitely something worth pushing yourself for. So focus your eyes on that end result and you will definitely remain motivated to see your task through to the end.
4. Aim to do it right the first time
Sometimes working on a task over and over again becomes tedious and boring, and then the temptation is to just throw whatever that task is onto one side to do later – procrastination again! So when you set your mind to do something, clear your head and tell yourself that you will complete it and do it right the first time. Avoid making the same mistakes over and over again, otherwise things will never get done.
5. Finally “just do it”
Realise that it is you who has to deal with this task or challenge and just do it. A moment wasted will never be recovered, so stop procrastinating and get on with it.
Lireko Dorothy Ncube is a guest editorial contributor to Lionesses of Africa. Lireko lives and works in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is a regular blogger on entrepreneur lifestyle and communications topics.