2. Isabelle, Procrastination and Other Natural Disasters
Two Cents from the Chief Visionary

The infamous snowstorm of 2003 left me stranded at my house for almost a week. All appointments were rescheduled as D.C. tried to get back on its feet (in my neighborhood quite literally since the sidewalk resembled an ice skating rink). Here was my perfect opportunity to catch up on a ton of piled up work, plus several bushels in advance. Yet I, along every other business owner I talked with, was completely paralyzed by the worst natural disaster known to entrepreneurs - procrastination! Having gone through this once before, I thought I was prepared to deal with Isabelle.

I wonder what happens during snowstorms and hurricanes that compels "us" (I know there is at least one other person out there to justify my royal "we") to stay in pajamas, watch the weather channel for hours and search for lost friends from college on the web. Perhaps it's nostalgia for school snow days, when we had full permission to stay home and do anything we wanted, as long as it wasn't productive. These days we normally we kick ourselves for ignoring seemingly important tasks, unless a knight in shining armor (or a storm) comes along to save us from mountains of piled up work. That morning, one client confessed to me that she was secretly hoping to lose power so that she could guiltlessly take the day off. Other entrepreneur clients confirmed the forecast - the Procrastination Avalanche was in its advanced stages and hitting businesses all over town.

I finally relinquished the struggle for super-productivity and decided to ponder Procrastination in order to write this article (which of course I procrastinate on until the storm was over.) Being the major energy drain for entrepreneurs everywhere, it was simply my duty to devote a few hours of R&D amongst my own Procrastination Avalanche to this natural disaster. So here are just a few of my thoughtfully crafted reasons and solutions to procrastination:

• Big Picture Vision is lost, we are caught up in details and start resenting all the "to dos". It's time to stop running (or running away, whichever applies to you) and get back in touch with your vision. Consider "why am I doing this, really?" Once you reconnect with your dream, the "to dos" will take care of themselves.
• Fear of end result (sometimes of failure, but mostly of success). Breathe, acknowledge the fear and read my article Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway (or better yet a book by the same title.) Use your fear to move you forward instead of pulling you down.
• Indecision and fear of making the "wrong" choice. Newsflash, there are no wrong choices, just different paths. Few things can't be undone, returned or repainted (can you tell this one was inspired by my home decorating process?)
• Tasks are huge and overwhelming and there isn't enough time to do them all, so why bother! Break it down into little, manageable, bite-sized pieces. Celebrate progress along the way as you get through mini-tasks and bigger milestones. Rewarding yourself along the way does wonders - it's all about incentives.
• Distractions are everywhere - phone, email, fridge/vending machine! How about leaving the office for a while, silencing the phone(s) and making time and space to be productive. According to Stephen Covey, most distracters are things that we perceive as urgent but are not important. Figure out what is important and why, then just say no to everything else until it's done.
• Too much to do, too little you. See the point above about saying "no". In some cases a "no" can be just as empowering as a "yes". Be honest, there is only so much you can do. Everything else gets delegated, renegotiated or put on the shelf until the next snowstorm!

Clearly, there are many more - my clients and I are discovering new Procrastination varieties daily as our businesses grow. Begin by forecasting your own procrastination spells; become aware of why you're wishing for the power to go out; and create strategies for weathering the storm. Whether you've only experienced Procrastination during blizzards, hurricanes or avalanches or are regularly struck by this natural disaster, it's essential that you... keep your sense of humor! Give yourself permission to take and enjoy days off, whether planned or nature-imposed. Stop kicking yourself for taking it easy once in a while. Surround yourself with motivated, proactive, energetic people who will inspire you to keep going and maybe come over to play in the snow with you. At YES!Circle, our mission is to help you stay inspired, motivated, and when all else fails, surrounded by amazing people who are weathering and thriving through the same storms as you. We look forward to seeing you (and your sense of humor) at the next event!

Margarita Rozenfeld
Chief Visionary
YES!Circle
margarita@yescircle.org