Your Secret Weapon For Beating Procrastination

What tasks have you put off this week? Procrastination is something that all business owners struggle with. Actually all people struggle with it! When we are faced with a task that we don’t want to do, or don’t feel motivated to do, our natural response is to put it off for another time. As business owners, procrastination can have a significant impact on our ability to deliver to our clients, grow our business and sustain our mental, physical and emotional wellbeing.

Why we procrastinate

There are many reasons people procrastinate, and it depends on the individual person and the specific task they keep putting off. Here are some common reasons why people procrastinate:

• Boredom
• Task is unpleasant
• Task requires skills you don’t have (or think you don’t have)
• Previous unsuccessful attempts
• Self doubt
• Perfectionism
• Fear of failure
• Fear of rejection

A good way to start managing your procrastination is to observe your own behaviour and understand why you are avoiding particular tasks. Once you are more aware of the reason you are procrastinating, you can start implementing strategies to overcome it.

Tips for managing procrastination

Break it down

If you are struggling to get started with something because it feels too big then a good way to break through this barrier is to break the task or project down into smaller chunks. Some people like to start at the beginning and sequentially break it down into the steps that need to happen. But if you aren’t sure where to start, you could think of the end outcome you want to achieve and work backwards. Or even start in the middle! The key is to find those smaller tasks that you feel you can tackle to get the momentum building.

Block out time

If you are finding it hard to carve out time to work on a project, the best strategy is to block out time in your calendar. But more than that, you need to be committed to this time just as you would commit to a client project. It can be all too easy to push that project time back or fill it with ‘urgent’ tasks. The reality is that time to work on our business will never just magically appear. There are always a hundred other priorities. But if we want our business to grow, we need to commit to taking action that will move our business forward.

Give yourself a due date

Most of us are motivated by a time constraint. So if you want to push through the procrastination, set a date for when you want to complete a task or project. Make it realistic in the context of your capacity and the work required. But then make that date visible – stick post it notes around your workspace, mark it on your desk calendar, put reminders in your digital calendars and maybe look at using project management software that can send you automated reminders when due dates are getting close.

Get an accountability partner

I can honestly tell you, based on my own experiences and seeing the results with my clients, that having someone else to keep you on track is the best way to actually get stuff done. That is why we prioritise client work, right? Because there is another person we have made a commitment to and they will be waiting for us to deliver. Same goes for your internal business projects.

Online Business Managers = Accountability Partners

The role of an Online Business Partner (OBM) is twofold. Firstly, they are there to complete the tasks you assign to them. They take on the work you don’t enjoy, don’t have time for or don’t have the skills for and they get it done. You stress less and sleep easier because you know those tasks are off your plate.   Secondly, they are there to keep you accountable. Here is why an OBM is your secret weapon for beating procrastination:

• They can help you plan and manage your work time to carve out space for working ON your business
• They understand your big business goals, and how you plan to achieve them
• They can be a sounding board for when you need to work through a challenge, and they can offer advice on potential solutions
• They can recognise patterns that are a signal you might need to review and improve processes to be more efficient and give you more capacity
• They can check in with you every day or week to track progress and give you a nudge if things start slipping – and help you celebrate achievements 😀

Is procrastination stopping you from making real progress on your business goals? Then you need an accountability partner as your secret weapon. Why not book in a free 30 min consultation and we can explore how I can help you work smarter, not harder, to get things done and grow your business