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FAQ : How to Avoid Procrastination
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I 've been meaning to write this post for a while, but I let other things get in the way...which is ironic considering I'm offering tips on how to avoid procrastination. But, hey, at least I can say I'm a work in process, right? One of the hardest things about owning your own business is setting work hours (especially since I imagined the minute I became self-employed I'd work by a pool and have a cabana boy nearby by to hoist frosty beverages into an umbrella'd glass).
The issue wasn't the inability to work, per say, it was the inability to get things done. There's a big difference. Huge. I'd find myself doing a million things, but at the end of the day I couldn't pinpoint, precisely, what I had accomplished for the business. I mean, it was as if filing my nails, surfing Facebook, or scrubbing my bathroom sink became the utmost important thing at the moment when I was supposed to actually work. |
Through the years, I've noticed a few things that've helped me trim the social fat and be productive...
1. Set a Schedule
Not having a set schedule is one of the main reasons why people procrastinate. It may help to use a day planner or an online app to stay organized, but it's easy to forget to do something, or to avoid doing something if you're not holding yourself accountable at the end of the day. Continuously look at your schedule throughout the day to ensure you're on track.
*Tip: Plan for full work days. For example, the Monday following a wedding is always blocked on my calendar. I don't plan meetings, shoots, or social events because it's a day dedicated to cull, back up, and begin the edit. Allocating a full day to work in my yoga pants, blare music, and plow through organization is extraordinarily helpful in my work/life balance.
*Tip: Set attainable goals. If you try to cram too much into one day, you'll immediately find a myriad of reasons to procrastinate. On your busiest days, set big goals, but also schedule time to relax as well.
2. Break Apart Your Tasks
Sometimes procrastination rears her ugly head because the task at hand seems too large. An example would be culling images from a wedding day. You may have thousands of images to comb through and just the mere though of going through them all is too daunting (particularly if it was a difficult wedding to shoot). In this situation, tell yourself you'll sort through the images in sections of 300, then move onto another small task. By breaking a big edit into smaller sections, the job will get done little by little, with a fresh set of eyes and less frustration. However, set a timeframe in which you must complete this task to hold yourself accountable. (I'm a huge fan of To Do Lists, but you can also see HERE how I divide my tasks on a daily basis)
3. Take Breaks
Taking a break has been the hardest lesson for me to learn. I discovered that instead of being a productive locomotive, I turned into a runaway freight train if I didn't take brief pauses in my day. Because I was determined to get things done, I wasn't doing them at my best...and my work suffered as a result. After you accomplish each small task, give some time to yourself. I habitually give myself a few 15-minutes breaks during the day, during which I walk my dog, waste time on social media, or read a book. This helps keep my sanity in tact.
4. Do It Now
When it comes to little things, simply take care of them at the beginning of each work day. All those little things can add up to serious stress if you continue to procrastinate. If this means paying a bill, go online and pay it. If this means addressing an album redesign you're dreading, do it. Set time aside each day to do the small things that add drama and unnecessary stress in your life.
5. Give Yourself Firm Deadlines
When you have a particular task you must accomplish, don't leave anything up in the air. Give yourself a firm deadline that you must adhere to in the end. When I give myself deadlines, I find myself prioritizing my day around each goal and not focusing on other things I can be doing.
On my busiest days, I create an hour-by-hour schedule to ensure I can accomplish everything I need to in a single day. In this schedule, I make time for lunch, dog walks, checking Twitter, and/or learning a new dance routine in my office. Sure, this may sound ridiculous, but my productivity has increased, my clients are happier, and I turn off my computer at a designated hour every night.
I hope this helps and if you have tips for me, I'd love to hear them! |
    
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