S1-E6: How to Call a Foul on Procrastination and Score Big!

You have ideas, hopes, and passions you want to pursue — but somehow, you keep putting them off.

Believe me; I’ve been there. I know how tempting it can be to put off taking a risk or making a change until tomorrow, next week, or next year. It’s easy to find reasons to keep dribbling the ball rather than taking a shot at achievement. It’s easy to hold yourself back, thinking, I’ll take that risk later.

It’s easy — and damaging.

Procrastination will slow your progress faster than any naysayer or obstacle in your way. YOU have great ideas and the passion to achieve them — but if you keep hesitating in front of the basket, you’ll never score.

Don’t let procrastination and fear stop you from chasing your dreams.

This week, I want to I want to help you find the confidence and motivation you need to approach your dreams with a slam-dunk attitude. Interested? Listen to the episode NOW!

I know, I know — you want more! Don’t worry; I have you covered.

You can join me and my co-host (and husband!) Coach Zaid, once a week on iTunes. Be sure to check out my TV show and website, CoachAminaZ.com, for laughs, lessons, and so much more!

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Thank you!

♥

Coach Amina Z

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Procrastination Checklist – End of Week Review

S1-E6: How to Call a Foul on Procrastination and Score Big!

Speaker 1: Welcome to this week’s episode of the Coach Amina Z Podcast. Brought to you by coaches Amina Z and Zaid.

Speaker 2: We know that you have big dreams, and it’s our job to show you how you can achieve them. We know that you have it in you.

Speaker 1: And we are going to show you how you can harness it to lead a smarter, fuller, and larger life on the way to ultimate success.

Speaker 2: And now please welcome the dynamic coach duo, Amina Z and Zaid.

Coach Zaid: I’m excited in a special kind of way about today’s topic. Four simple strategies to help you keep your head in the game when the initial excitement wears off. Because I feel like you are not only going to find it relatable or you will get it.

Coach Amina Z: The feeling of having a dream is intoxicating. But far too often we love to bask in the potential of our project and enjoy the giddy feelings of being at the start of something new. The sheer excitement of holding onto a dream charges our confidence and leaves us with absolute certainty that we can achieve whatever we set out to do. Whether it is climbing a mountain or crossing a stream in pursuit of a dream, there is always this high feeling which persists a few days, sometimes weeks, and in some cases months.

Coach Zaid: After the initial excitement we start reaching almost apologetically for excuses.

Coach Amina Z: Yeah, we say things like, I’m kind of really busy to take on another project right now.

Coach Zaid: Great idea but timing is a little off key for me.

Coach Amina Z: Or, oh, I haven’t forgotten about it, I’m just putting it aside for now as I have more important things to attend to. Someone once said, excuses are like smoke screens, and only confirm our own willingness to perform a task. So you sit there and your dream in mirror images also sits patiently gathering dust in the back of your imagination. As you hem and haw and wait for the perfect moment to pull it all together back into the light again. Whether we admit it to ourselves or not, we give up on achieving anything as soon as we shoved the dream out of sight and out of mind.

Coach Zaid: I often liken this to watching the NBA playoffs and imagine if all of the players hold onto the ball. Dribble dribble but never shoot. Yeah, it is great to have the ball passed to you, and the pumped up feeling you get when you approach the basket hoop is one of sheer exhilaration, but then you stand ball in hand and do nothing.

Coach Amina Z: Nothing at all. You are right about the adrenaline charged feeling of holding the metaphorical ball. We love that feeling but as soon as it’s time to shoot, we just stop short of shooting and hold onto the ball or worse still, we let it drop despite having played that winning shot over and over again in our minds.

Coach Zaid: It’s easy to enjoy the secret thrill of a new dream when you don’t feel pressure to succeed. In sports as in business you find no real success when you confine yourself to the realm of imagination. You can only dribble the ball for so long before someone calls foul. Eventually you need to stop wasting time and start taking actionable steps towards the real world success.

Coach Amina Z: Yes. You need to stop procrastinating. It’s time to stop dribbling and start strategizing with a sense of purpose.

Coach Zaid: And you know, the danger is when you think because you’re dribbling the metaphorical ball you are making progress, but in real-time you’re simply bouncing it in place. You are neither moving it forward or [inaudible 00:03:47] to someone better suited to make the shots. Instead you simply enjoy the feeling of having the ball and bouncing the ball. If that describes you, then you are forgetting the goal is not how many times you bounce the ball, but how many times you make a winning shot.

Coach Amina Z: Yeah, I really like that analogy and if you have been listening to our podcast you will notice that we like to explain hidden truths using every day examples around us. Life will provide many opportunities for the ball to be placed in your hands. Some passes are going to be easy, and other passes you will work a lot harder to receive or retrieve. The question is now you have the ball, what do you intend to do with it? If you find yourself procrastinating and holding on to it longer than necessary, you will discover the referee will eventually call a foul and take the ball away, leaving you without even the chance to make a shot.

Coach Zaid: How annoying can that be. To be in possession of something, a chance, an idea, or an opportunity, and to have time to take it away from you. I guess Coach Amina Z, the next question everyone listening is asking is, what should I do? Should I shoot? I need to score and the time is ticking.

Coach Amina Z: Hold your horses. Well, you’re correct in that the ultimate aim is to score. But even before the ball bounces into your hands you need to have a plan for how you intend to use it. If you don’t, you’ll waste the opportunity for achievement that the ball offers. The lesson is similar in business. Before you begin patting yourself on the back for having a dream, you should establish a strategy for making that dream a reality. We would like to give you a few pointers on how and what to do so you can strategize effectively and make good use for every opportunity which comes your way.

Speaker 2: This episode is brought to you by Coach Amina Z TV.

Coach Amina Z: Use your team. Too often procrastinators drop their dreams because they don’t have anyone to hold them accountable. If you find yourself in the habit of holding onto dreams until they dissipate, try reaching out to a friend or friends and discuss your plans with them. It is always advisable to have a person or people of like-minds because [inaudible 00:06:17].

Coach Zaid: I also think once you bring other people on to play with you, you automatically give room to them to have an expectation concerning you. Simple questions like, how are you doing? Did you submit the proposal? Have you made the call or paid a visit? Did you sign up or complete the form and email as directed? Your team members are now on the court with you. They will expect you to make the shots. Or at the very least, to pass the ball to another person.

Coach Amina Z: The beautiful thing here is when more people are involved and invested in your search for success, you will naturally feel more inclined to take action and stop procrastinating.

Coach Zaid: Realize only you can make your shots. Your dream is yours alone. No one can see your vision in quite the same way that you do. No one can make the shots in quite the way you hope to. You are the only person who will bother to make your dream a reality. For all that you might hope to pass the idea, and the responsibility associated with it, off to another person, the work will ultimately fall to you.

Coach Amina Z: You have the ball in your hands, you have strategized, and you dribble skillfully down the court. Suddenly the basket hoop is right above you. The ball is in your hand, not someone else’s hand, your hands. Your teammate and everyone is cheering and shouting, shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot shoot. If you fail to make that shot, no one else will be held responsible for making that shot, but you.

Coach Zaid: Now if you do shoot, either one of two things will happen. It is either you score or try again. And that is our third advice. Score or try again. No one makes every basket they attempt.

Coach Amina Z: No one.

Coach Zaid: In business or basketball.

Coach Amina Z: Even the most painstaking strategy sessions and hours of practice don’t guarantee success.

Coach Zaid: You will miss some shots and that’s fine. You won’t lose your chance at success simply because you took some time to fail and learn. The ball is in your court whether you choose to pick it up and score it’s entirely up to you.

Coach Amina Z: Look back on the past year. Do you remember times when you dribbled too long and lost a shot? What can you do to avoid similar mistakes in the future.

Coach Zaid: Take some time out to reflect on all we’ve said today and don’t forget we always love to hear from you.

Coach Amina Z: Thank you so much for listening to the Coach Amina Z Podcast. We appreciate your time.

Coach Zaid: Please subscribe if you haven’t already because we’ve got a lot more great episodes coming your way. Have a great day everybody. Thank you so much.

Coach Amina Z: Hey, and don’t forget to shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot. We’re rooting for you. Bye for now.

Coach Zaid: Bye.

Speaker 2: Thanks for listening to the Coach Amina Z Podcast at www.coachaminaz.com.