In a little less than a month I’ll be driving my new (old) Cadillac in a local parade, and when I was invited my first thought was “great!” and the second one was “except the car isn’t running right now…”
To be fair, the car is in great shape but there was an electrical issue draining the battery, the tires were 8+ years old, and I had little to no confidence in the car starting from park position.
Armed with a deadline I went to work. In under a week and for far less expense that I imagined, the car is looking spiffy with new tires and running smoother than ever.
It’s not uncommon for us to take personal projects like this and break them up into smaller pieces, and we have to learn to do the same in our businesses. Here are a couple of ways to start.
1. Conquer procrastination with a plan.
Procrastination is probably the most common issue for entrepreneurs – even something pretty commonplace such as updating a website or launching a new program lingers on the to do list for months.
When it comes to these projects most of the procrastination stems from uncertainty and fear – about where to start, about what could go wrong, even concerning making mistakes. So start with a plan to chunk out the tasks into more manageable pieces.
Taking the website as an example we can break it down into the following:
Planning – getting really clear on what your site is meant to do and the function of each page
Copy – rewriting or editing existing pages one by one
Visual design – determining the look and brand of the site as a whole
Video – updating or creating video content
Forms – replacing or migrating opt-in and contact forms
Photography – shooting and selecting the best images for your brand and site
Got the plan? Now the challenge becomes taking action because it’s so easy to get caught up in the expense (“I can’t afford a photographer!”) or the time (“this is going to take forever!”)
2. Ask “what’s the next first thing?”
It’s incredibly easy to get frustrated, even with a project broken into smaller pieces. If “rewrite entire website” makes you want to weep then simply ask “what’s the next first thing to do?” That could be as simple as making a list of the pages on your site now.
Maybe some of them are fine and don’t need updating – I’m looking at you, Terms & Conditions page. Others might just need refreshing such as your Testimonials or Contact page. But when you think about the first thing to do, it stops your mind from racing ahead to steps 5, 27 and 100. After that first thing is complete you can go on to the next first thing.
Credit for this tip goes to my good friend Ana who shared how she uses this tip to update her product offers and online store.
3. Make time to JFDI
Okay, you’ve got the list. You’re clear on what needs to be done. Now get it done. Or, as the acronym suggests “Just Freaking Do It.”
Get the work done. Or outsource it. There is no substitute for this step.
The biggest failure I see at this juncture is not making the time. For most people this means getting your calendar and deciding when or where you’re going to do the task and sticking with it. Treat these appointments like a sacred commitment to your business.
If you don’t do the work then no amount of wishin’ and hopin’ and thinkin’ and prayin’ is going to get you closer to your goals. And it’s absolutely fine to outsource those things that are not in your area of expertise.
4. Set a Deadline
It’s easy to ignore a project until there’s a deadline so even if it feels arbitrary, set these completion goals for yourself. My favorite incentive is to book something fun like a day out or small luxury for the day after the task is complete as a reward for finishing on time!
What project is on your mind these days and how can you use the steps to take action today?
Plancrastination is destroying your business
Got too much to do? Try a brain dump
“Yeah But…” {insert excuses}