Procrastination may be one of the most harmful habits for business owners. My experience has been that highly productive people have a discipline of “acting in the now.” When they are posed with a given situation, they immediately look to see if it can be handled now. Continually postponing simple initiatives and putting them on the back-burner results in a “log jam” of tasks in which many of these get “lost in the shuffle”. This results in a negative reaction to those involved in the transaction. It also generates the perception that you are not in control of your time or your business. The prompt response does just the opposite- it says to the other person that they are respected and worthy of a prompt response. Late responses say just the opposite, that you are not important and “I will get to you when I can.”
Another habit that can be harmful is doing the easy things first and pushing the more difficult things off until ‘later’. Highly productive people understand the importance of doing more “uncomfortable” things first. Going home each day knowing that your “slate is clean” and you have not left any items open or neglected is not only very productive, but it is also a very rewarding feeling!
Procrastination in every phase of our lives always brings negative results. Living and acting in the NOW will not only help your business be more effective but will make your life more enjoyable.
Tim Hyland
Founder and CEO of Hyland Insurance
