Procrastination vs. Gestation

Have you ever been stuck on a project before you even started? Let's say that you have some upcoming assignment, but you fail to start until the night before or right before the deadline.

This actually happens a lot more than you think and to many more people than you'd imagine. It is a common epidemic that actually might be rooted in something deep inside you. Take note of why you are feeling the way you are when procrastinating. Maybe it is because you simply don't like the project and are forced to do it for one reason or another. Maybe it is because your mind still hasn't fully formed the ideas that you intend to put out there. This descriptive difference may lead to a new word being used to describe your situation rather than procrastination. That word is gestation.

Whatever you are working on isn't fully formed and needs time to ripen in your mind. 

The important difference between procrastination and gestation is willpower. While you are gestating, you are intentionally taking a break from your work in order to fully form your thoughts. While you are procrastinating, there is constantly a little voice inside your head that is nudging you to finish your work.

Best way to combat this? Decide right here and now that you will continue procrastinating for the next five or so minutes and THEN you will do your work no questions asked. 

By allowing yourself a break, you can actually fully relax and enjoy the time you have. What often happens is when you are procrastinating that you are in a state of half-relax and half-stress knowing that you must get the work done. Take control and make intentional use of your time.

Making Money

A note on making it big:

As I am working on these deals of mine (I am a licensing agent who helps people sell their ideas), I realized that one cannot focus on the outcome. In the case of what we are learning, licensing, one cannot focus on the monetary benefit. If someone makes that their goal, then they will be miserable the rest of the time. Getting the paycheck is such a small part of the entire process.

It is like the story of Sisyphus. He works so hard to push a rock uphill only to have it fall down to the bottom again. Once the rock is at the bottom, Sisyphus must once again push the rock up the hill.

The entire process of licensing starts with coming up with an idea, changing it to fit your customer's needs, doing market research, pitching to companies, negotiating with companies, and cutting a deal.

One should enjoy the entire process not just the outcome. The only advice I can give in this area is that if you aren't enjoying it (a question you must ask yourself) then get out of this industry and try something else. The entire process is heart-breaking and will test you on every level. If you do love what you do, then you will enjoy every possible outcome and "roll with the punches" much better.
In essence, do what you love to do and finding what you love to do is worth every bit of effort.

Working through Emotions

A note on emotions and perserverance:

During several points of time during the week, I was working through some doubts about my business. The ideas I was trying to license weren't going as well as I had hoped. I expected by this time to be further down the road with some of these projects.
As I was experiencing these emotions, I realized that I was much further ahead than I was from last week.And had made even more progress as compared to the week before.

When going through anything of this magnitude during any time in your life, the first thing to do is to acknowledge the emotion. (Many of the tips I will be giving can be found in Olivia Fox Cabane's book Charisma Myth) When you acknowledge what is going on within you, you can then take steps to work through that emotion. It takes introspection and self-knowledge to know what is causing this emotion.
Once you know what is causing the emotion, you can either remove the cause or treat the symptoms. It is recommended that you remove the cause, but if that isn't an option then there are a few more things you can do to cease the emotion from taking over and ruining your day.

1. Realize that it is just an emotion

We are human and as such we are prone to valleys and peaks of how we feel. Realize that this negative emotion will pass eventually and life will return to normal.

2. Realize the emotion has happened to others

Visualizing that there have been others who have experienced this emotion as well can help you work through it. Personally, I feel a negative emotion and almost feel as if I am the only person in the world who has ever experienced it. THIS IS UNTRUE. Billions of people over tens of thousands years have been through similar situations like you and I. That visualization will help you work through the emotion.

3. Smile!

If the last steps didn't work (Acknowledge and both realizations), then "fake it 'till you make it." Plaster on a fake smile and you can trick your mind into thinking that you are happy. This will then cause a chemical cascade which will ACTUALLY lead you to feel happier. Sounds crazy, right? It's not crazy, it's science!

Let me know how those work for you... I want to hear your feedback. They have worked for me and I hope they do the same for you