Do you find a million other so-called 'urgent' items on your to-do list; like hanging the laundry or dusting the bookshelves?
Are you a bit of a procrastinator?
It was 9 a.m. and I had a deadline to get a proposal in. I had met with a pretty senior person in a great company and they were interested in a workshop and coaching program. It was an exciting project and I was itching to get the bones of it down and ready to send out.
No procrastination here. No hesitation at all. I was on a roll. It was flowing beautifully and I sent out the proposal out a day before it was due.
I hit 'enter' on my keyboard and stood up and stretched. As I reached out my arm I knocked over a pile of documents on my desk. It was the pile that had been sitting there for the last 6 weeks, waiting to be sorted through, dealt with and filed.
This was about the tenth time I had knocked over that pile. I was pretending that it wasn't there. It is the work that I least like to do. And I had gotten to the point of absolute desperation with it.
In fact what had happened was that I was telling myself an amazing story about how dreadful, long, tedious and unnecessary this type of work was.
And the truth is, the story was much worse than the reality. When I finally forced myself to deal with it, it was over in less than two hours. When I surrendered to the pile of papers, it was a lot less complicated or tedious than I had anticipated. In fact, there was quite a sense of satisfaction in actually dealing with the issues, and especially in the new space available on my desk.
I have to say, that story made me feel pretty stupid. I had procrastinated for 6 weeks over less than 2 hours of work! Where's the sense in that?
So here's what's interesting and important in this whole issue; we are constantly telling ourselves stories about everything in our lives. We define our reality by the stories we tell.
There are activities that we do that we call 'hard work' and other activities that we call 'play'. It's not the same for everyone. What I call 'hard work' could be 'play' for you. What is the best fun and enjoyment for you, I may be calling a chore.
The exciting thing is; you can change it. You can discover and decide which story will make your day feel like fun and ease rather than difficulty and challenge. It's all in the story you tell.
Your success in business is very much about the story you tell. Think about what you replied that last time someone asked you about your business. What story did you tell? Did it excite and inspire that person? Did it excite and inspire you?
If not, you are telling a dis-empowering story and that's your choice. But it won't bring you business success. Start telling more powerful stories that create buzz and excitement around what you do. You'll see an immediate shift. You'll experience a transformation in how you feel about your business and how it is being perceived externally.
Remember, it's all about the story! Where do you need a more powerful story?
LISA BLOOM is a Professional Storyteller who helps entrepreneurs and business owners beat overwhelm, stress and discomfort with marketing to find confidence, attract ideal clients and make more money by finding their success story. Lisa's Leadership Development & Coaching Programs and Speaking gigs have engaged, motivated and inspired people worldwide! She is delighted to offer you the complimentary ebook "Using Stories to Get Great Clients": http://www.story-coach.com
