One habit common among many people is postponing things they badly need to finish on time. You could be an entrepreneur who managed to build a business despite you nursing this habit. But if you really want to boost business success, it is time to develop a better sense of responsibility. As a brand owner, neither you nor anyone in your team should take procrastination lightly. The simple act of trying to delay things you can actually do now can be detrimental both to your personal growth and business success.
Why We Love to Procrastinate
We can consider procrastination as an extensive problem. We all have our own reasons for procrastinating. But what many did not know is that such habitual procrastination dates back to ancient civilization.
Around 800 B.C., Hesiod, a Greek poet already cautioned us about putting off work. According to Cicero, a Roman Consul, procrastinating is hateful and downright harmful. These are but a few examples of early records showing this habitual hesitation of doing things right away have been around for ages now.
Many factors lead to procrastinating. This can include demotivating and hindering factors such as anxiety, fear of failure, having abstract goals, lack of control and motivation, perfectionism, and task aversion. Knowing your reasons for delaying your tasks is the first step in curing such a habit.
Reasons Why Procrastination Can Ruin Your Business
- Your Brand Image Gets Affected
Your reputation as a brand can make or break your ability to become successful. If you can’t commit to your deadlines and try to put off things that needed your attention asap, this can affect the quality of your goods and services. You can even lose customers just because you failed to ensure all tasks are dealt with in a timely manner.
One of the worst things a business owner can put off doing is handling existing issues the soonest time possible. Let’s say you recently learn that pests started making a home out of your business location. Even if you are not in the food and hospitality sector, you need to call a reliable pest exterminator as soon as possible if you don’t want to turn off your customers.
- You Could Miss One-of-a-kind Business Opportunities
Many opportunities that will cross your path often don’t come twice. The fact that you have numerous competitors trying to win your customers is enough reason for you to keep up with all your tasks. Failure to do so can lead to rushing and your inability to grab opportunities when they present themselves.
For example, you failed to deliver the right amount of goods to a specific customer. You could have earned their trust if you managed to deliver their orders on time. Instead of securing another batch of orders, they might change their minds and find another business that can cater to their needs in a timely manner.
- This Can Put You and Your Employees at a Health Risk
Regular procrastination only puts unnecessary stress on you and your employees. You can end up rendering overtime just to finish what you failed to do the day before. This can lead to inadequate rest and sleep, inability to eat on time, and even burnout.
Fighting Entrepreneurial Procrastination
There are things you can try to stop procrastination from ruining your business. Start by planning your day ahead and giving yourself a couple of breaks. Planning procrastination can do the trick in putting your extra time into doing small but productive tasks.
Have you heard about the Pomodoro technique? This is a productivity hack where you work for 25 minutes followed by a short break. After four blocks, you allow yourself to indulge in a longer break. This helps you accomplish more without overwhelming your brain too much.
It is also a good idea to answer your why’s in accomplishing your tasks. Write your business goals somewhere where you can easily see them and a couple of answers to your why’s on sticky notes placed on your desk. These will serve as reminders that you have bigger goals to fulfill and that you can’t afford to waste time.
Start with your biggest tasks to eliminate a big chunk of your workload. Of course, it is crucial that you try to eliminate the root of your problem. If you feel like procrastination is now impacting your productivity and your business, you can consider talking to a pro to address the issue on a deeper level.
Procrastination can ruin your plans and put your business at risk. You should not let such odd compulsion damage your business. The earlier you address your habitual procrastination, the sooner you can stop yourself from being the very reason for your brand’s failure.
