Just sit down and do it! I don’t know about you, but when I’m not getting things done, that’s the first thing I tell myself!
How often have you told yourself that? You know you have important things to do but it’s so hard to make yourself do them!
The good news is… it’s not just you!
The not so good news is that there can be many reasons why you can’t make yourself do the work you know you need to do. Sometimes it’s simple procrastination, but more often than not, there’s an underlying reason for the procrastination. And every single one of those reasons is not only affecting your productivity, but your creativity as well.
Any one of the reasons I’m going to share with you might be the one that’s keeping you from getting things done that will help you achieve your goals.
I’m pretty sure I’ve used all of them at one point or another in the last 20 years, and if you ‘re not yet where you want to be with your life and/or business, I’ll bet you have too.
Here are 9 reasons you may have trouble getting things done:
Reason #1 – Your Goals Don’t Inspire You
If you can’t get yourself to write for your blog, start your online business, or begin on a big project at home, perhaps your goals aren’t the right goals for you.
It’s so much easier to motivate yourself when you’re clear on your goals and why you want to achieve them.
If your goals don’t inspire you to get out of bed in the morning, maybe it’s time to re-examine them and make some changes.
Reason #2 – You Lack Clarity
It’s hard to get busy when you only have a vague idea of what you need to do. Be crystal clear on your intention. We all know we have things to do, but are you certain of what exactly needs to be done?
Our brains don’t like confusion or ambiguity. We reject uncertainty, so clarify your task until you’re certain of what you need to do.
I can certainly attest to this one. Most of my lack of productivity comes when I can’t figure out where to start on a project, or how to explain what I want to someone else.
Reason #3 – You Fear Failing
Fear of failure is one of the greatest and most common obstacles to getting things done. I know I’ve let it stop me in my tracks many times over the years. When you feel like you’re going to fail even before you get started, it’s really challenging to make yourself sit down and do the work.
The trick I’ve learned is to visualize succeeding instead of failing. If you have to, break your success down into the smallest of steps. Count your small wins and celebrate every single one of them!
Reason #4 – Your Focus Muscles Are Weak
Sometimes our ability to focus is extremely impaired. It’s so easy to get distracted by other things than the one thing you know you should be doing. And I’m not talking about the big things – we’ll cover those in the next reason.
What I’m talking about is all those little things you do instead of focusing on the one thing you need to do right now.
I once did an exercise where I took one thing on my to do list as the only thing I had to get done that day. And then I wrote down everything I did before I started actually doing the thing. I think it was writing a blog post, but that’s not the point…
The point is that before I actually started writing the blog post I did 23 different things that had nothing to do with writing a blog post.
Just like any other muscle in your body, you need to practice focusing. Start with short periods of time and see how quickly you can build it up.
Reason #5 – You Have Too Many Distractions
How do you define a distraction? In this case a distraction is anything you do that isn’t what you should be doing.
I could give you a bunch of easy fixes here: shut the door to your office, turn off email and social media (unless that’s what you’re working on), etc. But, I know you’ve heard them all before and the truth is that you really have to define your own distractions and come up with ways of avoiding them or cutting them out altogether.
What is it that distracts you from getting things done?
Reason #6 – Your Life and/or Your Business Are Too Complicated
Maybe you have too much going on in your life, and you simply lack the physical and emotional energy to do your work. Minimize your life and keep the essentials.
I need to practice what I preach here. It’s not my life that’s complicated, but my business pulls me in several different directions every day. And that makes it hard to sit down and do the work I know needs to be done every day.
Reason #7 – You Don’t Get Enough Sleep
Your brain doesn’t function at its best unless you get enough sleep. You won’t feel like doing challenging things if you’re tired. Experiment with your sleep routine until you find one that works for you.
Reason #8 – Your Work Environment Needs Work
The ideal work environment is well lit, a comfortable temperature, private, quiet, and has a pleasant view.
It’s hard to focus if you’re in a hot room with poor lighting and sharing cramped quarters with the washer, dryer, and a pile of dirty clothes. Great work is easier to do in a great location.
Reason #9 – You Don’t Love What You Do
This is the biggie… and maybe the hardest one to admit.
If you’re not in love with what you’re doing, it’s really hard to get the work done.
In a way, this leads right back to the first reason we talked about – if your goals don’t excite you, you probably don’t love what you’re doing enough to sit down and get the work done.
Final Thoughts
Many people think a lack of success is from a lack of information. The truth is, we almost always know what we need to do to make our lives much better, but we just can’t get ourselves to do it.
Create the best possible environment for your work. Do work that you love to do. Give up your fear of failure. And learn how to focus.
A simple life with a clear focus is a great recipe for getting your work done and making real progress.
And don’t be afraid to re-examine and re-evaluate your goals and priorities to see if they’re still working for you. When you find yourself unable to get done what you need to do, it could be a sign that you really do need to make some changes. And there’s nothing wrong with that at all!