Inspired by Justin Welsh, this week, we’re tackling one of the biggest hurdles to getting something off the ground: procrastination.

Whether you want to write a book, launch out as a coach or create an online course, procrastination is a killer!

If you’ve been stuck spinning your wheels, it might be because you’ve fallen into one of these five common pitfalls.

Let’s break them down and, more importantly, look at how we can overcome them to keep moving forward.

1. Endless Research

The Symptom: You’re constantly diving into articles, books, podcasts, and videos, telling yourself you need “just a little more information” before taking the leap. But the truth is, you never stop researching.

I’ve been here so so many times! I love the research phase but it’s so often fear or perfectionism that locks us in and the reality is research tends to have diminishing returns - sooner or later you’re just reading the same stuff recycled.

How to Overcome It:

1/ Order the research. One thing I’ve found is to make the most of the research by making sure you’re filing it away in an ordered fashion. Notion I’ve found is best for this. I rarely watch a YouTube video without taking notes. It slows you down and means that you don’t watch as many but you have much more chance of implementing. Plus you’ve got notes to refer back to.

2/ Set a time limit on research. Gather enough information to understand the basics, then take the first step. Remember, action leads to clarity. You’ll learn more from doing than from another article or video.

2. Decision Paralysis

The Symptom: You’ve got so many options in front of you that you can’t choose the right one. Should you use this platform or that one? Charge this amount or that? Go with this idea or that one? Instead of moving forward, you freeze.

How to Overcome It: Give yourself a deadline for decisions. Limit your options to two or three, make a choice, and move on. No decision is permanent, and you can always pivot. Forward movement is better than no movement.

3. Following Too Many Gurus

The Symptom: You’re subscribed to every expert’s email list, following multiple strategies and tactics, but the more advice you consume, the more confused and overwhelmed you become.

How to Overcome It: Pick one or two mentors whose approach resonates with you and aligns with your goals. Focus on their teachings, implement, and ignore the noise. Too much advice can lead to confusion instead of progress. Once you’ve implemented you can come back and learn from others later.

How to choose? Find the one that most resonates with your values, that focuses more on foundations and slow growth than ‘quick wins’ and that says things concisely!

4. Searching for the ‘Best’ Tool

The Symptom: You believe that once you find the *perfect* software, app, or tool, everything will fall into place. So you spend hours comparing platforms and tools instead of creating content/writing, connecting with clients or prioritising the important stuff.!

Or you trying to drive down costs and save a few dollars per month but end up with a time consuming mess.

How to Overcome It: There’s no “perfect” tool. They all have pros and cons. Pick one that works for your current needs and learn to use it well. Most tools offer similar features, and mastering any one of them is better than wasting time trying to find the ultimate solution.

Time is money. I built one business on multiple pieces of software bolted together (Wordpress, Mailerlite) but haven’t looked back since I switched to Kajabi. Yes it’s more expensive. But is it really when it saves so much time! I don’t think so.

5. Starting and Stopping

The Symptom: You start projects with excitement, but when you hit a snag or don’t see instant results, you stop. Then, you move on to the next shiny object, repeating the cycle.

Granted sometimes it is right to stop. You realise you’ve hit a dead end. It’s time to move on. Fine. But if you find yourself doing this over and over, maybe, just maybe it’s perseverance that’s needed.

How to Overcome It: Commit to finishing what you start. Break your projects into smaller tasks with clear deadlines. Celebrate small wins along the way to keep your motivation up. Consistency and persistence are key to success. Find a coach! (But I would say that!)

Your Action Step This Week: Identify which of these five procrastination traps you’re falling into and pick one action step to break free. The sooner you overcome these hurdles, the faster you’ll see real progress in building your coaching or mentoring business.

Let’s go from planning to doing, one step at a time!

How I Can Help

If you’re ready to learn more about creating a successful online course, coaching or mentoring program, here are some ways we can work together to bring your vision to life:

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