I can procrastinate like a big dog! Which is weird, because I love being productive. I’m addicted to seeing the needle move, so the fact that I have days where procrastination is the name of the game kind of shocks me!

Now you might be thinking that you don’t procrastinate, which is incredible if that’s the truth, but many of my students or coaching clients have disguised their procrastination as “research and planning”.

Is this you? Can you Google something to death? Do you gather so much information about something that you suffer from decision paralysis?

Are you spending hours researching and planning so that you don’t have to do the brave stuff?

Well, my friend, it’s time for some real talk. And some of the Carmen tough love that I’m known for!

Stop. Being. a. Fraidy Cat.

What would you accomplish today if you were brave?

Mark Twain said it best…

“the secret of getting ahead is getting started”.

When you are falling into that research and planning rabbit hole, you are just hiding behind whatever it is that’s making you fearful. There is nothing, zip, zero, zilch about business that’s comfortable.

If you’re going to pursue growth, you’re going to pursue discomfort.

So what is procrastination and why do we do it?

Why does 92% of the population set goals and then not achieve them?

Procrastination is simply defined as, “the action of delaying or postponing something.”

Why do we procrastinate?

Some say it’s laziness, which isn’t quite accurate since even hard-working, organized people procrastinate from time to time for reasons other than laziness.

Some say that it’s a lack of priorities and time management. If you only spent less time on Instagram, you could get your work done. You could, but you’re choosing not to.

You are probably procrastinating because of emotions and your inability to manage them. Quite often we procrastinate to cope with insecurity, fear, self-doubt, fear, and other negative emotions. You are making decisions based on how you feel rather than what you think. Procrastination is you saying “I don’t really feel up to doing XYZ right now”.

Procrastination might be showing up in your myofunctional therapy business disguised as fear and doubt or perfectionism.

Procrastination disguised as fear and doubt:

• Fear of imposter syndrome
• Fear of being judged
• Fear of looking like an idiot
• Fear of uncertainty
• Fear of failure
• Fear of success

Fear is meant to protect you. Deep inside, your brain is wanting to protect you from harm. You need to tell your brain that there isn’t a boogeyman or bank robber, you’re just chasing your dreams! It’s important to figure out what the fear is from so that you don’t allow it to hinder you in knocking your goals outta the park.

Procrastination disguised as perfectionism.
Well, if you’re anything like me, I already know this is an issue for you. I’ve never met a dental hygienist who wasn’t a type A+ person! (I learned at a seminar once that a “type A+” person is just a type A with 8x greater chance of dying from a heart attack…can you say stressed out?)

I know that you want to take pride in your work. You want everything to be “just right”, but I want you to understand that this isn’t the story of the 3 bears, and you aren’t Goldilocks.

When you’re a perfectionist, procrastination shows up because you’re afraid you can’t do something perfectly, so you just put it off, until you’ve got it perfectly figured out. Perfectionists don’t even want to get started until they’ve got their poop in a group. When it comes to building a myofunctional therapy business, many of you “don’t want to talk to Dr. So-n-so, until you’ve got it all sorted out”. Mastered. Understood. Until you know all the answers.

So guess what happens in many of these cases? Nothing. You do nothing until you can wrap your head around it and get organized. To make matters worse, I struggle twice as bad as a perfectionist, because I also have an OCD streak that makes me really strive for excellence and perfection. This is part of the reason that I created the Ignition Implementation Lab. To push you towards getting started, not getting things perfect. When you start your myofunctional therapy business from a minimalist standpoint and launch an MVP (minimum viable program) you avoid the pitfall of perfectionism because you can’t be perfect and launch an MVP.

Here’s how I tackle procrastination in my myofunctional therapy business when it sneaks up on me.

#1: Just get started.

I pick the thing I’m dreading the worst and I just make the decision to start. Marie Forleo says “Fear isn’t the enemy. Waiting to stop feeling afraid is.” Wow, isn’t that the truth? We are all fearful and we will never stop feeling that emotion. But what sets successful people apart from those who just dream about it? Successful people move forward in spite of being afraid. They do it anyway.

In his book ‘Originals’, organizational psychologist Adam Grant writes “…they feel the same fear, the same doubt, as the rest of us. What sets them apart is that they take action anyway. They know in their hearts that failing would yield less regret than failing to try.”

Your brain has a way of making you perceive the threat or risk as something way bigger than it is. Take the time here to evaluate how you can lower the perceived risk of doing the task. Then break it down into teensy steps. Then take one step at a time. You will find your rhythm and you will build your self-confidence and self-trust too.

#2: Start before you’re ready.

This is hard for perfectionists because that’s just not how we are wired. We don’t like to go into a situation feeling unprepared, disorganized, or uncertain. If you can wrap your mind around starting before you feel ready you will be able to see forward progress. I feel like mastering this step requires you to remember two things. Number one, finished is better than perfect. Number two, if not now, when? Don’t eat that elephant whole. Chop it into pieces and take one teensy step at a time.

#3: Get organized and set limits.

If you truly are going to research or plan something, you need to have a clear focus. “I’m going to research third-party scheduling applications” is a great place to start. You’re defining exactly what you need to do. Next, I’d like you to set a time limit for your research so it doesn’t take over your life. You don’t need to research for hours. You will paralyze yourself with too much information. Set a deadline for completing your research and making a decision and get rid of distractions.

Here is an example: “I’m going to research the top three third-party scheduling applications for 90 minutes, and I will make a purchasing decision by August 5.” My research has a clear focus, a time limit, and a deadline.

There you have it, my friend. The next time you begin to procrastinate, try asking yourself why you’re procrastinating. Is it fear or perfectionism? After all, understanding the cause of your procrastination gives you the power to address it.

My procrastination solutions are simple. By just getting started, starting before you’re ready, and having an organized, clear focus you will be able to turn your procrastination into progress!

What is the first thing you’re going to tackle today that you’ve been procrastinating?

P.S. Have you read 6 Steps To Starting a Myofunctional Therapy Business?

About the Author, Carmen M. Woodland

Carmen is a powerhouse myofunctional educator, whose “secret sauce” is teaching women how to build their own, incredibly satisfying career in myofunctional therapy.  She is obsessed with all things myo, myofunctional therapy business, marketing, social media, content, data, revenue, goals, and helping you navigate the messy and magical journey to becoming an authority in the myofunctional therapy niche.

She teaches you the tried and true secrets to building a career you’re in charge of, and one that’s life-changing for both you and your clients.

Shy away from the hard stuff?  No way, Carmen gets down in the trenches with you, just like your favorite gal-pal there to cheer you on.  Her no-nonsense-tough-love-common-sense-solutions-oriented approach is the real reason that she gives you the kick in the pants you need.  Carmen is your one-stop shop to learn everything you need to know about delivering effective myofunctional therapy, and building a thriving, profitable myofunctional therapy business.

A dental hygienist who got tired of watching unhealthy people slip through the cracks.  She took her 15 years of dental hygiene experience, completed advanced post-graduate training in orofacial myofunctional therapy, earned a prestigious M.B.A. (Masters in Business Administration), grew a successful myofunctional therapy business, and now she works from home with clients around the world and runs an extremely popular myo coaching and business training program.

If you find your passion intersection at the corner of Myofunctional Therapy Avenue, Dental Hygiene Highway, Female Entrepreneur Boulevard, and Work From Anywhere Way…then get cozy here, because you’ve found your unicorn!  Carmen is here to educate, encourage, and empower you while she teaches you all the things!