Procrastinate your way to success...

So many people want to experience success. They take classes, attend seminars and workshops, have meetings, and in many cases, they obtain valuable information that would be useful in helping them attain their goal. There is a chink in their armour though and it's common to all these groups. Though it may sound more like an opinion than fact, it is something that has been observed repeatedly.

Most people procrastinate to their detriment.

No! That's not true. I'm not one of those people. Really, take a serious look at how you use your time. Honestly, are you really using your time well?

For most, the answer would be No.

Procrastination can make you famous, once you are quoted: [See the following examples]

• “Never put off till tomorrow what may be done day after tomorrow just as well.”
  ― Mark Twain
• “You can't just turn on creativity like a faucet. You have to be in the right mood.
  What mood is that?
  Last-minute panic.”
  ― Bill Watterson
• “Your Life Is Happening Right Now: Don't let procrastination take over your life. Be brave and take risks. Your life is happening right now.”
  ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart 

Procrastination seems to go hand in glove with excuses.

There are situations that took place over the years that may prove amusing to the reader.

1. Those who accidentally bump into you. They would never book an appointment with you, however when they see you their conversation invariably turns to their business. They ask if they can pick your brain and launch into the scenarios impacting them. They generally don't want to put the work in that is required but seek a quick fix to whatever challenge they perceive they are facing. That behaviour got curbed when I began walking with an invoice book to set a fee prior to entertaining their problem. They would then decide they will book an appointment for which they never show up. 
2. Those who want you to mentor them. Generally, I didn't charge for mentorship since I have always felt it to be something that is offered pro-bono. Now pro-bono work is only reserved for some charities....and all profit-making entities must clearly understand that fees are involved. In other words, I have qualifications as to who is considered a bonafide client.  
3. Recently, I had a meeting with a group of individuals.  One member of the party decided he wanted me to do the work and be paid afterwards since he had been burned too many times. When it was reiterated that we don't work that way and we too had our share of bad experiences, our meeting came to an end without an agreement on the way forward. His colleagues wanted to work with me. I no longer had the appetite to work with them since I saw the future problems when it came to getting paid from them. The opportunity was declined. 
4.  They are those who attend training workshops. Getting them to participate can be challenging depending on their personality. Nonetheless, they do. They get a lot of practical work which can be immediately applied to their businesses, and they do; at least while within the workshop. Few continue to maintain contact after the workshop to really take their businesses forward. Those who do, see good results in terms of business sustainability and growth. Observation reveals that many would rather complain about lack of opportunities rather than capitalise on available opportunities that present themselves. Opportunities don't necessarily come tailormade. 

Some people would rather wait until the time is right. It's similar until waiting until all the lights are green before leaving home. They wait in vain and then wonder why their success eludes them. 

They are factors that change all the time that people wait for them to evolve in the hopes that then they will achieve ultimate success. These factors are reflected in the following:

• The environment
• The thinking of the people
• The conditions 
• The money
• The right organisations that may influence the rules governing the type of entity

There may be other factors, however, one thing is certain based on repeated observation; you cannot procrastinate your way to success. 

Opportunistic employment - A potential conflict of interest?!?!

There's a pattern developing among entities that are in businesses that require training. It is the behaviour that has the following steps:

• requesting proposals 
• trying to get the training provider to prepare a comprehensive document which outlines the elements of the training
• then trying to do the training themselves using the template that they would have received from the training provider and any additional information that would have been provided in the attempts to seal the deal. 

Often a poor job is done since the end user trainer does not have the benefit of the comprehensive information the bonafide trainer would have had. In many cases they are not suitably qualified on the subject area, but attempt to read and bluff their way through.

Is this value for money to the entity? In these economic times, more companies seem to want to adopt this approach and in so doing compound their already challenging situations. Keep reading as some may feel that I'll outline a procedure here, and you may be right, but it is not the one that you expect.

Trainers modify your sales techniques so that when you provide information within your proposals, you outline what you'll do, not how you'll do it. Too often, we feel that it's necessary to tell of the tasks required to do the job, when the true value's in the results. Once you follow this path it should reduce, if not eliminate this practice of people wanting to be opportunistic trainers when they are trying to supplement their income along with what they're getting from their job. It should reduce the potential for conflicts on interest.

This can be applied to a cross section of professions and is so rampant, it needs urgent address.