Full Transcript

Sari 0:04
I'm Sari Kimbell and I've done just about everything in the food industry. I have helped hundreds of packaged food business entrepreneurs. And now I want to help you make your delicious dream a reality. Whether you want to be successful at farmer's markets, online, or wholesale on the store shelves, Food Business Success is your secret ingredient. I will show you how to avoid an expensive hobby and instead run a profitable food business. Now let's jump in!

Sari 0:37
Hey there, welcome back to the podcast. We are talking about procrastination today, which is all part of this series around productivity this month, actually just got off a call with a client not too long ago, and we were talking about this very topic and was very timely. So I thought, well, I'm not going to procrastinate on this. I'm just going to get on here and we're going to record this podcast about procrastination to help you move through it and get over procrastination but also how we can actually use procrastination as a tool. How it can actually help our business, which might be like, what is she talking about? But stay with me, this is kind of a little bit of a flips it on its head, which I love. Been listening to a book called Who Not How by Dr. Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan. So some of these concepts are coming from them. But there is no question as I was looking on the Google that procrastination has all sorts of negative consequences. Now raise your hand, you can do it quietly and small. But raise your hand if you would consider yourself a procrastinator. Would you consider yourself a chronic procrastinator? Eighty five to ninety five percent of college students are chronic procrastinators. And it's probably is only getting worse with technology. So I'm curious where you would put yourself in there. And the tricky way that procrastination can sort of mask itself in various emotions; it could be overwhelm, it could be fear. It could be like delusion, even.

Sari 2:31
It could be shiny object syndrome, right? We're always like, squirrel! Squirrel, was that, right? I love that. But the reality is, is that procrastination, it leads to a lower quality of life. And this was so fascinating is that it really diminishes our well being, it increases shame and guilt, it increases symptoms of depression. And it can even have really negative consequences on us with our health. If you think about, if you procrastinate, you know, having something looked at or getting a test or something like that, that there can be really negative consequences to your health as well. But it really, in a smaller sense, let's not go to like the big thing, where we don't get testing done on something that's bothering us. But on smaller things, what ends up happening is it really limits your potential, and it really limits your life. That's the really sad part is that procrastination gives you a smaller life. If you think about the full potential of your life and what's possible, procrastination basically takes away your choices. When I procrastinate by scrolling social media, I've now made decisions by doing that, that take away options like working on my business, or going and working out, or spending time with other people. And I know because you're listening to this podcast, that you have a big dream, you have a goal, you have something you want to go after and create this food business. But if you allow procrastination to be a part of your life as a regular basis, you're never gonna get there. I'm sorry, my friend, but it's not going to happen. And I can think of a number of people who have reached out to me over the years and say, I'm gonna work with you, Sari, I'm going to join Food Business Success. And then they're always putting it off and there's always something and they check in and I just think, gosh, it's so heartbreaking to me because how far could we have gotten? If we had just done the hard thing in the moment instead of years later that it's still being put off, and put off, and put off. I think of it like a spiral, right? And that when we consistently give into procrastination and do that procrastination, that we are spiraling downward and getting smaller in our life because we're missing the compound effects of progress, right? When we actually make progress towards our goals then we're increasing our confidence, we're increasing our well being, we're increasing the feel good dopamine, right? That we've accomplished something, versus when we keep putting something off, and then it erodes our trust with ourself. And that it just again, it spirals down versus spiraling up in a bigger way. So instead, we're like shrinking our life. Because confidence is really about our belief and our ability to achieve big goals. And when we become a procrastinator, when we identify ourselves as a procrastinator, that this is a frequent occurrence in our life, our whole identity is built up around them, we no longer can trust ourselves to actually do the thing. And if you are one of those people who reaches out to me and says, I'm going to join, I'm gonna do this, and you tell me all about your amazing product. But you never do. And every few months, you circle back and you know who you are, you know if I'm talking to you, that ultimately, I think it's because you don't have trust with yourself that you are actually going to follow through. That making a commitment financially and putting it down, like yes I'm getting help, that you don't believe that you will actually do the work. And so you're really just self sabotaging. And this is true if you already have a business, you've done that work, however long it took you and hopefully you found some help with that or you're working with me already. But then we have all the other things that come up, right? We have taxes we gotta report, we have social media, we have calls that we need to make to buyers and visits and optimizing our website or doing some paperwork, right? It's like, the list goes on and on. The things never end when you're in a business and you're an entrepreneur. So how are you sabotaging your own business and your own progress through procrastination? Does that sound like something you might be doing?

Sari 7:56
And just think about all of the energy that is wasted. Figuring out creative ways to put off the things that we need to do to make our life bigger and expansive, and more fun and more free. But those things do require work, they require doing the hard thing. Just do the thing instead of figuring all the creative ways and spending all this mental and sometimes physical energy avoiding the things that we need to do, right? There is no time that I want to unload the dishwasher or do the dishes then when I am trying to put something off and all of a sudden those things become very attractive, right? And to take it like to the ultimate extreme is that when we look at regret, when people are on their deathbeds, the main sources of regret are the things that they did not do. The actions that they did not take in their life to just see what was possible. And I don't want that for you. And ultimately, I want you to step into the role of CEO, of boss, of entrepreneur, and create a big thriving business that is successful by whatever your standards of success are. But I will tell you a hundred percent that procrastination needs to be a very tiny, tiny piece of your business. It needs to happen rarely, if never.

Sari 9:39
So how are we going to, you know, transition from chronic, for some of you, or frequent, or often, to rarely or never? Well in Food Business Success on our VIP call, I talked about exact strategies for how to work through procrastination, so I'm not going to go into those here on this podcast, it's something you can get if you want to join Food Business Success. Because there's, it's a full part of a full presentation on just how to get more done. And procrastination has to come off that list of what we're indulging in to get more done in our business. But I wanted to offer this little twist on procrastination. And this again comes from that book Who Not How, so I want to give full credit to this idea. But I was like, yes, this is what my client and I talked about today. Because he said, you know, why was I procrastinating so much on this thing, like now that I finally done it, it was like, pretty easy, and it came into place pretty quickly. So why did I waste all that time and energy and worry and anxiety? All of that. And so the concept is this, that procrastination can be wisdom. If we actually stop and recognize it, and ask the why behind it. Why am I procrastinating? Am I lacking knowledge or capability about what I'm trying to do? Now there are other reasons that we procrastinate. Certainly, fear could be one of them. Just shiny object syndrome can be one, some people really think that they need the pressure of last minute to get it done, which is a total myth. But if you find yourself like, I feel like I should be able to do this. But you're consistently procrastinating, right? Think about one thing that you've been meaning to do. You've been wanting to, you've been meaning to do that reel or you've been meaning to get that kitchen, and that's on your to do list or you need to reformulate your product, or you need to go find a co packer. But you just find yourself consistently like constantly procrastinating on that and putting it off, stop for a minute and just check in. What knowledge or capability am I lacking here? Who can help me? So instead of asking the How- how am I going to get this reel done? How am I going to find a kitchen? Ask yourself, who can help me? Who can help achieve this for me? Maybe I don't even need to do it. The bigger your goal, the more inclined you're going to be to procrastinate because there are so many unknowns. And this is where procrastination can serve as wisdom. There are lots of reasons why people procrastinate, and not all procrastination is wisdom. But sometimes it is. When you're going after a big goal, you're gonna have lots of unknowns, lots of things you don't know how to do. And when we phrase things as way too vague, like work on social media, or find a kitchen, or find a co packer. Something like that, we're often going to find ourselves putting that off. It's going to keep falling to the bottom of the list, right? And if you can stop and check in and say, what is this trying to tell me? This is what my client and I were talking about. What is the why behind the procrastination? And so understanding that there is a why and then saying, what is it that I'm missing? Am I missing knowledge? Am I missing capability? Is there a fear or some emotions that I need to process and deal with? Like let's check my thoughts about this, right? The model- my thoughts, feelings and actions. If the result is procrastination, let's work up the model and see what's going on. But procrastination is a powerful signal that if you can stop and notice, it's telling you that you're getting stuck somewhere and you need help. And again, if the lack of progress leads to lower confidence, which is going to lead to less action, and then we're going to spiral down, that's not what we want. And so, the suggestion here is to ask, who. Who can help me figure this out? Who can achieve this for me? You don't actually have to do everything to start your package food business, did you know that? It doesn't have to be all you. Stop being so limited by yourself. And if we're really clear on what our goal is, then we can go out and find the who. We can stop asking how because you don't know the how. You think if you Google enough that you'll be able to figure out the how, that is the hardest way and the slowest way possible. Because if you've been doing that, you know, you get like a million different directions and a million different opinions. And then you just get confused and overwhelmed, which leads to more procrastination, right? So what if you did ask yourself, who can help me achieve this faster? That is a great tool to say, ah, I'm procrastinating on this. Let me just think about it. Let me see what the real problem is. Am I missing some critical information, and is there somebody who can help me? It's a game changer. It's a way to use procrastination as a signal to help you get unstuck. So I love that. But it only works if you actually stop and ask the why. And then ask the who. And it's really important that you are super clear on what the outcome, the result, that you're looking for.

Sari 16:36
Because when I find myself procrastinating and if I get clear on what the result is, it actually will help me open up my mind and I say, who else can help me with this? Then I'm like, oh, actually, I could assign some of this to my VA, and, oh, maybe this doesn't even need to be done. And oh, what if I asked this person, they know all about this, right? Now I have like cleared away so much of the overwhelm and I have a strategy and direction I can keep taking action, which leads to more self confidence, which leads to more achievement, more good feelings, right? And now I'm actually accomplishing my goals and I'm making progress. Procrastination will kill your dreams, they will slowly die on the vine, right? And I don't want that for you. And ultimately, to step into the role of entrepreneur and successful founder and business owner, procrastination needs to be eliminated almost all the time. And when it does appear, that it is used as a tool to slow you down and make you think and look at other ways to solve the problem or what areas, what pieces of the puzzle are you missing.

Sari 17:59
And that is exactly why I created Food Business Success, I want to invite you to apply and come in. There is no better way to eliminate procrastination than find somebody who knows what they're talking about. And who has helped hundreds of other people start and grow packaged food businesses, and to be surrounded by a community that helps provide accountability and support and getting you out of isolation so you can see the forest from the trees. So important. So if you find yourself procrastinating, join Food Business Success, give yourself a chance to succeed, a high chance to succeed. You do not want to be on your deathbed wishing that you had given this a shot. So if you're finally ready to start, or really grow that packaged food business and make it profitable, and more fun, and have more time freedom then this is the place to be. Don't put it off. Don't procrastinate this decision, just go and do it. I would love to work with you and see you soon. Until next time, have an amazing week!

Sari 19:17
Are you ready to start that delicious idea that you make in your home kitchen or grow your existing package food business and take it to the next level? The most successful food business entrepreneurs have support, guidance, focus and accountability to help them make it happen quickly without wasting time or money. Plus, I think starting your packaged food business should actually be fun. Food Business Success is your secret ingredient to creating your food business dream. Please don't go this alone. Check out the private free Food Business Success Facebook group to connect with other foodpreneurs. Get your questions answered quickly. Share your wins and receive special training and tools I only share inside the private community. Just search for Food Business Success on Facebook, or get the link in the show notes. Curious about how Food Business Success can help you? Head over to foodbizsuccess.com and fill out the application to see if you're a great fit for the program. Together let's make your food business dream a reality.