I've tested being a workaholic, I've also tested being a lazy-ass. 

The former is unsustainable, the latter gets nothing done.

There is one tactic I've learned that FORCES you to finish projects or get off your bum and into action:

Deadlines

Oh, they can be dreadful things, deadlines.  Reminiscent of credit card bills due, smog tests needed, homework, or so-and-so's birthday coming up (when they expect something impressive from you).
    
And when you finally go out on your own, it can be tempting to abandon them.
    
Big mistake.  As inherently lazy creatures, we need deadlines to be efficient.

Deadlines make your goals become reality.     Deadlines should be an integral part of your business plan.  Build the "success" habit of making deadlines sacred. Meaning  they are never allowed to be pushed back. Otherwise they become meaningless.

An aspiring health counselor recently asked me, how much time do I need to spend on marketing?

On some level this question reeks of FEAR!
She wanted to know how much time each day she should spend reading books about advertising, getting clients etc.

No wonder so many holistic practitioners are literally paralyzed! It sounds like a crippling case of "playing small."

If you truly want to break through barriers and succeed~instead of asking "how long should I prepare," ask "what else can I do, right now, to make this happen?"

Action, not excuses for inaction.
If you work for yourself, it can be tempting to cut yourself slack on your own deadlines.  Big mistake. 

That web site will take forever to get up and running.  That phone call to the new prospect will never get made.  That book won't get written, that workshop won't get booked, that newsletter will never get done.

I am brutal about my own deadlines.
Sick or stressed, crashed computer or stalled car, you gotta meet your deadlines.  It's good for you.  (It's true - nearly all the really successful business owners I know... the ones having fun making lots of money... rarely get sick.)     

It's also another of those little secret traits that set you apart from your competitors, no matter what business you're in.  Setting and meeting deadlines is a major form of taking responsibility for yourself.  You become the "action center point" of any deal, because you're the woman making everything happen.

     And you'll come to love your deadlines, I promise you.  Because, once you stop stalling around and making excuses and start setting deadlines... an amazing amount of things will start happening in your life.  And you'll be the one making them happen.  Projects will get done, and profits will start rolling in.
     It happens fast, and it changes your life almost immediately.  So stop whining.  Embrace your next deadline.  It's your partner.
     That's all for today.

If you are serious about helping more people, find out how. I'm your go-to cheerleader, strategist, and yes, sometimes tough love business coach.


Free Teleclass: 10 Key Steps To A Thriving Practice at http://tinyurl.com/4f96bb
Your blueprint for a successFULL wellness practice.

Stacey Morgenstern
Biz Coaching Expert for Wellness Professionals
Certified Holistic Nutrition Counselor, AADP
www.fivepointwellness.com