"Procrastination is the habit of delaying an important task, usually by focusing on less urgent, more enjoyable, and easier activities instead. It is different from laziness, which is the unwillingness to act. Procrastination can restrict your potential and undermine your career."
Well, that says it all in a nutshell. I have experienced procrastination on many levels throughout my career, and I know Valerie has too. It gets us all at some point or another, we meet so many owners that we see this happening to as the enormity of their to-do list blocks their ability to get on and do what's needed.
Most of the time, we end up saying, 'I just haven't got the time,' but what is it we're doing that is stopping us? Something I like to ask my clients to do when I can see this happening is to track their time for seven days. They write down everything they do every day, every hour of the day. It's an eye-opening experience that allows you to analyse what you spend your time on, and from this, you can see where time is wasted or does not need to be spent.
The easiest way to operate is to dedicate particular days or portions of days to the areas of work.
So, speaking personally, I need at least four hours a week to work on my personal life, whether that's organising playdates, paying dance fees, organising birthdays, buying clothes, renewing car insurance, and the list goes on. Then I dedicate two days a week to client meetings, so my focus is only on my clients for this time. One day is for follow-ups and admin. One day is for content creation and marketing and so on.
Try the following and see if this helps:
Set small goals. Often, the thought of completing one large task can seem overwhelming.
Organise your tasks. This point feeds into the one above.
Focus your attention on the one task you are doing and don't do it for too long or focus wains.
Remove distractions, find a place to work from where you are not interrupted and supports the environment you need.
Forgive yourself. When things don't get done or go the way you want, then park it and do something else. It's unlikely that anything huge will happen if you don't do it that day.
Give the seven days of tracking a go and find out what you're really up to!
Amy x