This is super important! Every leader I've met has grappled with over thinking issues, finding reasons to act later, and waiting on someone else's opinion before moving forward. Procrastination is one of the best ways to delay doing, to steer away from the unknown, and most of all, avoid fear.
One trait that stands out in transformational leadership is the momentum created by doing. Seth Godin writes about this constantly. "Understand that the only thing between you and the success you seek in a chaotic world is a lizard that figures out that safe is risky and risky is safe." Seth refers to the lizard brain, the prehistoric brain stem that is responsible for fear, anger and revenge. "Ship often. Ship lousy stuff, but ship. Ship constantly."
It makes sense. Building momentum through creating, pushing out important work, executing pathways releases energy which in turn builds confidence and a sense of accomplishment. But don't confuse this with being busy. Busy can hide in the shallows of procrastination. Tackling what you know is important, and being relentless in the pursuit of your goals strips away the activities that steal your time and deliver little value.
So next time you are faced with a task that you want to put off till tomorrow, next week, later, shut down every alternative option that your lizard brain offers you, grab it by the throat and place it in a lead box.
Do it. Without any hesitation. You win. Regardless of the outcome.
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