Today I would like to help you tackle procrastination and highlight how you could overcome the urge to procrastinate. Procrastination is something we’ve all been guilty of now and then. (My particular form of procrastination includes ice cream, gardening, and some form of social media.) Whatever the specifics, I think it stems from a perception that their project will be difficult, expensive, or confusing. The keyword is perception. How then, can we get moving when stalled on a new project? KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AND WHAT YOU DON’T There are some projects where it is essential to understand exactly how something is set up. There are others where you only need to know enough to keep things going. For example, setting up an email newsletter. If setting up Mailerlite or AWeber or any of the systems is not intuitive for you and you’re wasting hours doing something you don’t love, let someone else do the initial set-up. You can still handle it monthly from there, even if you were not the one to build it in the first place. ASK THE QUESTION “WHAT OTHER INFORMATION DO I NEED?” Sometimes we need to do research to get started with a project; sometimes we already have all the information. If you need more information, decide specifically what that is and make a plan to get it. If you have everything look at it all together so you can see the big picture of the project to feel more confident. DON’T ASK FOR TOO MANY OPINIONS While it’s nice to have the support of family and friends, ask yourself how much they really know about the decision you’re trying to make. For example, when it comes to logo design, trust your designer, not your friend who’s good with colours (even though she may have a strong opinion). When it comes to choosing software to run your business, it might be a good idea to listen to others who have made this decision before. Asking for too much input is often just another way of procrastinating. BREAK THE PROJECT DOWN INTO CATEGORIES Something like redesigning your website can seem like a huge task. But if you break it down, you’ll see more manageable chunks of work. In this case, start with the homepage and make a list of what you want to include – things like Facebook and LinkedIn social media icons, a headshot of yourself, a testimonial from a client, a link to your calendar. The point is, be as specific as you can. DON’T KEEP THE DETAILS IN YOUR HEAD – WRITE THEM DOWN When you don’t have a written plan, you could spend hours spinning the wheels trying to remember what you’ve done and what to do next. Spend the time upfront to write a detailed plan in order to see the entire project. It will save time and work. LEAVE PERFECTIONISM BEHIND It’s better to get started and improve the work rather than wait until you have every detail just right. You’ll learn as you go and make it better over time. Businesses evolve all the time – so develop the improvement muscle and you’ll be able to stay current with what your business needs. Overall, the hardest part of any new project is getting started.
Apply these simple ideas and put procrastination away forever! |
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AuthorHi, I am Marion of Marion Metz Solutions Archives
October 2024
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