5 Ways Yoga Teachers Procrastinate and Why it Hurts the Growth of their Business and Career
Procrastination isn’t just the thief of time – it reduces your chances of building a successful yoga teacher career and business – it can, quite literally, prevent you from making the money you need in order to make a living!
Does Olin Miller’s quote resonate with you?
Or what about Steve Pavlina's quote:
The momentum of continuous action fuels motivation, while procrastination kills motivation.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m no angel!
I’m guilty of it too…although since I started running my own businesses over 17 years ago – I must admit I have gotten better at resisting the urge to procrastinate far more regularly than I used to do!
Because I know it hurts my business AND my confidence and motivation!
But it’s a clever thing, that procrastination! It can turn up in your life disguised as something else, so you fall for it!
Here are 5 ways procrastination can disguise itself in your yoga business and your life:
1. Complacency - This is where high confidence in your ability, laziness or a lack of concern means you put off taking immediate action. We don’t try because we don’t feel we need to make a special effort in order to do this.
Maybe this shows up in your book-keeping. You don’t sort out a book-keeper, or software to keep tabs on your accounts; or file all your expenses accurately, and you end up like one studio I worked with – at the end of the year with no accounts; a box full of receipts to sort through (which either you do yourself or you pay more to your accountant to do for you!) and NO idea what state your business is truly in!!
Seriously – I’ve witnessed this first hand!
2. Avoiding discomfort - A biggie this one! This is when the task is so big, or so unenjoyable, you opt for putting off the unpleasantness!
Maybe this shows up when you’re trying to devise a strategy/plan for your yoga business. I also find it rears its head when you are being pushed into making a decision: decisions such as which niche? What software to use for students to book? What colours for your logo? What e-mail system to use? How do you deal with your accounts? These things make your head hurt! So you leave it for another time.
And it’s true – in business there are SO many decisions you need to make your head hurts! And as solopreneurs, there’s often no-one to talk to or work through it with which makes it seem even harder!
PLUS what if you make a “wrong” decision?!! This alone can keep you stuck in limbo and fear of making a mistake for months!! And you need to know – that indecision will cost you dearly. (See more about how to get over this fear of making wrong decisions in Understanding 'Forever choices' versus 'Getting started choices', and why this can catapult your yoga business to success more quickly.)
3. Fear of failure - Perhaps the biggest and most insidious disguise of them all!
You are SO sure you’re not good enough, experienced enough, there’s too much competition out there….blah blah….whatever the “story” is you tell yourself – that you don’t even start! This one kills action before you’re out the gate!
You have to stop using the “f” word!!
OR, replace it with “feedback”.
4. Emotional barriers - Ever found yourself blaming a “bad day” for not doing something?
You know – you’re “too tired” after that long day yesterday. You’ve had a row with your boss/partner/child and you’re just not in the right frame of mind to start this now. You’ve got a bit of a headache/not feeling well/the washing machine broke……
But if this happens regularly, perhaps we need to admit that these are just excuses. Life happens to all of us! Some people let it stop them in their tracks – some find ways of ensuring they can deal with the “crisis” but still get back on the bike pretty quickly!
Which one are you?
5. Action illusion - Have you ever found yourself planning what you’re going to do in some wonderful excel spreadsheet or document – all beautifully set out with coloured font and pictures? It takes you an hour! That hour could have been spent working on something which would actually grow your business!
Have you ever found yourself writing lots of blog articles because someone told you you need to have a social media presence, but you put off actually making contact with real people who might be your potential students?
Have you ever found yourself taking yet another yoga training course, so you can become a “better teacher” when you haven’t built up a loyal following of students who can benefit from this additional knowledge you can bring?
Have you ever found yourself doing loads of “admin” stuff, working on preparing for the business you already have, and got to the end of the week and realised you’ve not actually done anything to grow your business and bring in new students?
Then my friend – you are guilty of “action illusion!”
You‘re busy all right…. but not necessarily doing the right things…..
So do you recognise any of these in yourself?
Seriously – I recognise all of them – on a regular basis! It’s not that they go away! It’s just that, if you are truly serious about making a success of your yoga teacher career you need to recognise these disguises when they appear, and not let them trick you into putting off what you wanted to get done.
And the more you do, the more progress you make: the more momentum and confidence you build and the greater your chance of success. You become an unstoppable force….it changes you, from the guilt ridden “I should have” or the regretful “I could have” to “I did what I set out to do”
I can’t think of any better feeling than that!
Good luck!
Namaste,
Shona
