DO YOU PROCRASTINATE? IT MIGHT MEAN YOUR GOALS ARE TOO BIG

There is nothing wrong with having big goals. You should have big goals but if you find yourself procrastinating to work toward those goals... it could mean they are just a bit too big. So how do you reach those big amazing goals and push through the procrastination?

Think big and then think small.

For quite a while now, I've wanted to start a podcast. For two years actually. Every time I've started to work on this big, hairy, audacious goal, I would find myself procrastinating and dragging my feet. Part of that was/is a little bit of fear but a lot of it has to do with how overwhelming a podcast could be. Even with a background in radio, a podcast is a different beast and there are so many unknowns. 

How am I overcoming my procrastination? I'm keeping my big goal but also thinking small, in MITs (Most Important Tasks). Instead of the big "START A PODCAST" goal, I'm writing MIT step goals like "record an intro" and "learn how to prep a website for a podcast stream." These little goals are much more palatable but still keep me on track for my big goals. 

In a conference I recently attended, I asked how the presenter recommended tracking goals (small step goals or one big goal), particularly when using something like a vision board. He recommended placing your big goal on the board and then sticking the step goals in front of it. Then when you accomplish a step goal, you can take it off the board and see that you are that much closer to your big goal- progress! 

Get SMART. 

SMART goals have been around forever but I think we often forget to use them in our personal lives (opposed to setting SMART goals in a professional setting). SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results, and Time-bound.  When you set goals that are specific, can be measured, are achievable (going back to step goals vs one giant goal), can show results, and have a timeframe in which to accomplish them, you can be better motivated to get them done. The parameters can help you overcome procrastination. 

Don't give up and pivot if you need to.

This is not a post to tell you to give up or bypass your big goals. If you have a big goal and you don't find yourself procrastinating, keep it up!  But if you do find yourself holding back, consider the two ideas above and don't forget that sometimes you may need to pivot your goal into smaller ones or that sometimes your goal can pivot into a different direction and shape into a new big goal. That's totally awesome! The point is, there are ways to work through procrastinating and you've got this. 

What goals are you working on and how are you overcoming procrastination? Share with me in the comments on Facebook or Instagram. 

Photo by Michael Heuser on Unsplash