Other than the tried and true motto, Just Do It!, what do I have to share with you about procrastination? Is procrastination something we can conquer or is it a temptation that we have to contend with daily? Why do we (I) procrastinate? Why is it so hard to stop procrastinating even though I know it keeps me from being productive and meeting the goals I have for my life?   In other words, as the quote on a friend’s fridge reads, “Lord, why do I do what I do, when I know what I know?”

I honestly have more questions than I do answers where procrastinating is concerned.   The truth of the matter is procrastination has been a bad habit that I know I need to do something about I’m just not sure how. 

I am aware of at least two instances in which I procrastinate.   I will procrastinate about completing tasks if I feel I can’t do them perfectly. The other instance is when I’m attempting to avoid the discomfort of completing things.  Here’s the bottom line of what I recognize about the results of this avoidance in my own life.

1. It leaves me with an uneasy feeling. The uneasiness I feel when I procrastinate, weighs on my mind more than the task I need to complete.
2. The tasks I procrastinate on cause a ripple effect throughout my life.  I procrastinated on writing this post, because I wanted it to be perfect.  Now, I find myself up late at night, when I should be getting the rest I need to take care of a baby all day.  The end result of my decision to keep putting this off is I may be (very) tired tomorrow.
3. Procrastinating means I limit my choices.  A good example of this is when you need to buy a gift for a party.  When you procrastinate, you have to choose whatever you can find on short notice even when you know there are better options.

As career moms or mompreneurs we’ve decided to divide our time (more than it already would be).  This means we really must have clear priorities and diligently seek ways to be more productive.  We need ideas and strategies for dealing with our encounters with procrastination. 

As an ongoing assignment for myself I’m reading Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy. The premise of the book is if you eat a frog at the beginning of your day, nothing worse can happen in your day.  Your frogs are the most difficult tasks on your To-Do list.  If you eat them first they will give you the momentum and energy to complete your other tasks. (source: www.EatThatFrogmovie.com)  The principles in this book may help you, as well.  It has very brief chapters with action steps at the end of each chapter. 

I would like for this post to get us brainstorming and sharing ideas about how to break this really bad habit.   In what areas of your life do you procrastinate the most? When you know you have a tendency to procrastinate in an area, what do you use to get tasks done? Please, leave a comment.

1. How do you create your own business opportunity?
Begin with by taking an inventory of yourself –  your strengths, your weaknesses, your skills, abilities and your values.

• What career(s) have you pursued? This will get you thinking about business ideas that are right for you.  It might surprise you that looking at your career pursuits might give you a hint into a business idea that might be a good fit.
• How do you volunteer your time? Is there a common theme to your hobbies or time spent volunteering?  This may give you more insight into what you should be doing than anything else.
• Can you combine your career and volunteer experience to create an opportunity that you can make money doing?

2. RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH your idea. Don’t get stuck here!

I think this is the place where most of us get stuck.  You may not know how to begin.

• Is there a market for your idea? Search the internet, local bookstores, the public library, hobby shops and local businesses to see if there is any business similar to what you are considering.
• Who are your potential competitors?  Are they having a hard time finding people to buy their product or service? If they are, it doesn’t mean you abandon your business idea.  This prepares you for what you may be facing.  You can begin brainstorming potential solutions.
• How will you get your product in front of potential customers? How are your customers/clients going to know you exist? Why are they going to choose you over the other guy? This will be an ongoing process to determine the best method for reaching your audience.
• How much will you charge for it? This is when locating competitors can really help you.  It gives you a range of prices and methods of pricing that you can use as a starting point.  You can also determine from this if your idea will be profitable enough for you to keep going.

Research is the time to settle in your mind, if you’ve discovered the business opportunity that’s right for you or if you should keep looking.

3. Move into ACTION, ACTION, ACTION. Write down action steps to get you moving towards your end result – your business opportunity that you created.

What is it going to take for you to make this work in your personal life?

The possibilities for home based business ideas are only limited by your imagination.  One of the things I will discuss on my blog is examples of home business “opportunities” moms created for themselves.  The opportunities I present will not require you to use loans or debt of any kind to be successful.

Do you have a unique background and aren’t sure how to create your own opportunity?   Email me or leave me a comment and I may feature your question on a blog post. OR If there is a specific idea, you would like to learn more about as one of the featured business opportunities leave a comment below.

I’ve got an idea.  Come in closely now and listen to what I’m going to say very carefully. Why don’t you stop looking for a home business opportunity and create your own?

Don’t get me wrong.  There are legitimate opportunities out there.  Every opportunity is not a scam or a get rich quick scheme.   Sometimes out of our desperation to find something to make money we abandon common sense and sound wisdom.  Let’s be honest, the reason so many people are scammed is because they want a short-cut to success.  There ain’t no such a thang. In my experience the requirements for success have not changed.  Sweat equity, stick-to-it-ness, an I’m-in-this-for-the-long-haul mentality and a willingness to tell anyone who will listen about what you do, always have been and always will be the basics.  These four requirements are also known as hard work, perseverance, commitment and passion.

Come back tomorrow and we will discuss how to begin this process of creating your home business idea.