The first thing to acknowledge when running your own business is that essentially you’re working against yourself “Procrastination”. You’re in the driver’s seat. A lot of your success depends on how you handle one key warning: procrastination is the business liability.
No one is monitoring your productivity, and ultimately, you are either your biggest motivator or underminer. Here are five simple techniques to employ when you feel that you’re entering the blackhole of procrastination and as a consequence, you aren’t performing at 100%.
1. Write lists
Brain dump everything you currently do, and the projects you need to tackle within the next 30 days. The reason for limiting it to one month is to avoid overwhelming yourself. Now, review each task and categorise it to ‘Daily’ e.g. social media posting, ‘Weekly’ e.g. connecting, and ‘Monthly’ e.g. reviewing your business plan.
2. The reward system
Even the most glamorous positions in the world have mundane or arduous tasks attached to them that cannot be avoided. The trick is to complete them in the most time- effective and pain-free manner. Negotiate with yourself to stop procrastinating, knock out the least desirable tasks first and reward yourself with the creative and fun initiatives later.
3. Commit to switching off procrastination
Sometimes, procrastination is a sign you are burnt out and genuinely need a break. If your brain is switching off and you’re overwhelmed with anxiety, stop everything. If this means sitting in front of your favourite TV show, or napping, do it without guilt. Don’t sit on the couch and lazily scribble out a proposal.
4. Create a thinking environment. remove procrastination
[tweet_quote hashtags=”#procrastination” ]One of the biggest causes of procrastination is environmental[/tweet_quote]. If you’re in a distracting environment, you have very little chance of working at your peak. Technology can get overwhelming, especially with social media at our fingertips. So turn off your laptop, pull out your paper and pens (remember those?) and go to a quiet, clean room without a television — and don’t forget to leave your phone behind.5. Just start.
Often procrastination occurs because you just don’t know where to begin. There is no rule here — start anywhere. Plunge right in to the middle of your project and work your way out. Pioneer David Livingstone once said “I’ll go anywhere as long as it’s forward”; as long as you’re working, you’re progressing. So just keep on moving.
