What is one strategy you use to overcome procrastination or lack of motivation at work? How does this approach help you stay productive and engaged?

There was a point in my work where I became wickedly unmotivated. I felt as though every day blurred into one. I would just go through the motions and even those felt heavy. What helped was tuning into my values and assessing which ones were not a part of my day-to-day work. I realized my values of creativity and playfulness were not being utilized. I started making time and creating the space for a bit of silliness and creativity. Literally, the same day I felt my motivation to work come back. My advice to anyone feeling unmotivated is to assess what your values are and where can you bring more of that into your day-to-day. Even if you have create space for it on your breaks. It's common to think that a lack of motivation means you don't want to "do the thing". But often it's stemming from our deeper needs not being met.

Body doubling is tried and true and one of my favorite strategies. Often, procrastination is not about a lack of expertise or desire, but is a limitation related to executive function. Executive functions are a set of cognitive processes that support goal-directed behavior. There are seven, and one of them is called "task initiation", which simply means getting started on something you need to do. Poor task initiation is very common, and can be a result of many things: from lack of sleep, an environment that makes the work challenging, unclear instructions, poor planning, or low interest, all the way to chemical imbalances, neurodivergence, and perfectionism or anxiety. The good news is body doubling can help with most of these things. They don't have to help you or even talk to you, their presence alone is the magic. Here is how it works: 1. Find a co-worker or friend who also has tasks to work on. Explain what you hope to accomplish with body doubling. 2. Agree on a place and time conducive to focus (zoom works, too). 3. When you arrive, check in first with your goals. Your plan, even a loose one, is important, and, bonus, it will force you to break down the task into smaller pieces, which can also be helpful. 4. Use a structure like the Pomodoro technique or a timer with breaks if it is a longer sprint. 5. Share what you accomplished when time is up. Why does it work? Humans are social creatures, and we tend to mimic others around us, which helps push us into action. Being in the company of another is also regulating, taking us from dread of a task to a calmer state that is more conducive to productivity. And, the accountability and motivation of being with a body double partner helps, too. Isn't that just "going to work"? Actually, no. An office can provide some similar benefits, but intentional body doubling is usually more effective. Pressure, interruptions, and socialization common in the office can get in the way of a focused work session. Body doubling is purposefully structured to support focus without the potential downsides of a typical workplace social environment. Sometimes, one session can be enough to overcome hurdles, and other times, you may need a weekly or even daily routine, but this strategy works very well in my experience.

I used to have days filled with back-to-back meetings, leaving no time for the deep, creative work that truly drives innovation. I realized that motivation is a state you must architect by fiercely protecting your time and focus. My strategy is to split my day and my identity. In the mornings, I wear my "CTO hat." This time is for scheduled meetings, team coordination, and giving guidance. But my afternoons are sacred, meeting-free zones. That's when I put on my "visionary hat." This distraction-free time is when I can get "in the zone" to strategize, innovate, and build something new. When I created this structure, I stopped having to fight for focus or find motivation. I've designed my day around it. It ensures I'm not just managing the present but actively creating the future.

One strategy that's worked well for me is creating "commitment deadlines" that involve other people—basically, engineered accountability. When I'm procrastinating on something (usually because it's either boring or intimidating), I'll set a public deadline or assign a small piece of it to someone on the team. That forces me to get my part done, because now someone's waiting on me. It flips the pressure: I'm no longer doing it "when I feel like it," I'm doing it because someone else needs it to move forward. And I hate being the bottleneck. For example, when I was revamping our franchise onboarding materials, I told our designer I'd have all the copy done by Friday. Boom—no more delay. I had a real deadline that wasn't just in my head. It's a simple hack, but it works. You create momentum, and once you're in motion, motivation tends to follow. So if you're stuck, loop someone else in. Even a quick Slack message like "I'll get this to you by 3PM" can flip the switch.

One strategy I've found helpful when my motivation is low is an exercise I call "reverse recruiting" myself. I imagine I'm a candidate applying for my own role as Chief Recruiter of Spencer James Group. I spend five minutes writing down why I would hire myself today. What strengths do I bring? What value have I created? Then I flip the perspective: what might give me pause about hiring myself? This quick mental reset helps me zoom out, evaluate my performance objectively, and reconnect with the bigger picture. It not only reignites a sense of purpose, but also improves my focus. I come away with a clearer view of what actually matters most that day and what needs my attention versus what can wait. It helps me make sharper decisions and reprioritize my time around the work that drives real results. It also reactivates the entrepreneurial mindset that got me into this business in the first place. Every day is a fresh chance to build the brand and serve our clients and candidates better, but only if I show up with intention. This strange little ritual grounds me when my motivation dips, and helps me re-engage without self-judgment.

After running a business for 15 years, I recently implemented an effective time management strategy that has surprisingly turned out to be quite straightforward: time blocking. Time blocking involves setting aside specific periods of the day for particular tasks or themes. To get started, I created a spreadsheet with each day divided into 30-minute intervals. During the first few weeks, I frequently adjusted and reprioritized tasks until I found a structure that maximized efficiency. Once I finalized the schedule, I transferred it to my calendar system and set up alerts to keep me on track. One of the most significant changes I experienced was limiting myself to three short periods a day for checking emails. In the past, I aimed for Inbox Zero in an attempt to be efficient, but this led to a never-ending cycle of email exchanges and made it difficult to disconnect. With time blocking, I now only respond to the most critical communications, allowing me to focus my time and energy on other important aspects of the business.

A very concrete strategy - at the end of your workday, write down three things you absolutely will get done tomorrow. This provides you with direction and focus to start your next day. When you get into the office tomorrow, your agenda is set - you don't have to choose what your next step will be. A broader, more comprehensive strategy is to revisit your organization's stated mission. Although you may be far removed from these aspirations, some of what you work on contributes to the organization's higher purpose. Identify what that is and use that to envision how you are making an impact.

When I'm dragging my feet on something, I like to make it a little competition with myself. I'll pick a specific outcome, such as finishing a batch of service reports, and give myself a time limit to beat. It turns a boring task into something with a goal, which helps shift my mindset. One week, I had a pile of inspections to wrap up before the weekend. I told myself I'd get them all done before lunch on Friday and treat myself to an extended coffee break if I did. It worked—I stayed focused and got through it faster than usual. The little reward helped, too.

We use a "10-minute reset" when motivation drops. If someone feels stuck, they switch to a different, low-pressure task for ten minutes — replying to emails, organizing notes, or having a quick check-in. It helps restart focus without forcing it. We've seen that motivation doesn't usually come first. Action comes first, and motivation follows. The reset breaks that mental freeze and gets people moving again. We also keep daily goals limited to three clear priorities. Long lists overwhelm people before they start. Smaller, focused lists give a sense of control. And we talk about low-energy days openly. If someone's behind, we check their workload, not their attitude. That honesty helps people recover faster instead of hiding it. This simple mix of resets, short lists, and honest check-ins helps us stay productive even when motivation isn't there.

Procrastination is tackled by starting, not finishing. One of my tactics is the 2-Minute Rule, which states that if a task will take two minutes or less to execute, do it instantly. This helps me in starting bigger projects and generates momentum. For instance, answering a few emails at once or tidying up my not-so-messy desk only takes a couple of minutes and saves me 8 hours playing catch-up the day after. From my experience at Angel City Limo, this works out to team productivity as well. I tell my employees to take care of little things right away before they can build up their list of things to do. Not only does this simple approach work against procrastination, but it also breeds an environment of success, which makes teams want to take on more challenging projects. The result is a more energized and connected workforce. When doing it little by little, over and over again, we are conditioning ourselves to make progress a habit- one that is self-reinforcing. It has proved vital in guiding our operations with Angel City Limo and assures us that we never fall short of consistency, even during heavy or stressful periods. To the fellow business owner, I recommend breaking your tasks down into bite-sized pieces, which at times even converts monumental projects into attainable goals.

I go for a short walk, stretch, or even step outside for a minute. When I started Rowland Pest Management, I had many long days filled with paperwork, calls, and follow-ups. It's easy to get stuck behind a desk and lose momentum. I realized early on that if I moved around—even just a lap around the building—it reset my energy and helped clear my head. It sounds simple, but that short break gives me enough of a mental reset to come back and tackle the task with fresh eyes. I've had times where I was stuck on quoting a tricky job or dealing with an unhappy customer, and after stepping away, I came back with a better attitude and usually a solution. It keeps me from burning out and helps me stay focused throughout the day.

I make a short list of just three tasks I need to finish that day—no more, no less. It sounds simple, but narrowing my focus keeps me from getting overwhelmed or bouncing between projects without finishing anything. One time we had a week full of callbacks and warranty visits, and I was dragging my feet on planning routes. I used the three-task rule and just started with "organize Monday," then moved on from there. By the end of the day, I'd knocked out the whole week without even realizing it. It helps me stay on track when I'm tempted to stall.

My top strategy I have found that works for me is taking frequent, short breaks. Something like the pomodoro method is the best way to keep myself motivated and productive at work, although I've adapted it a bit to suit my needs. I've had to accept throughout my professional career that I'm just not the type to be able to sit down and focus for long stretches at a time, so I actually get more work done throughout the day when I'm allowing myself to bounce between things with lots of short breaks in between.

Procrastination is intentionally putting off or delaying something because it's hard, boring, or you don't feel like doing it right now. You know what you "should" be doing, but you deliberately choose to do something else instead. I've learned the longer I procrastinate, the bigger the activity I'm avoiding becomes in my mind, creating stress, anxiety, fear, guilt, or self-doubt. Procrastination can quickly make a mountain out of a molehill. 7 Strategies I Use to Overcome Procrastination: 1) Start small, breaking up projects into smaller tasks and schedule them into your calendar. Don't overcomplicate it. If your tasks still feel overwhelming, break them down further. 2) Limit easy distractions such as email, Slack, social media, TV, or overly stimulating environments by working in "do not disturb" mode, turning off notifications, or closing your email or unnecessary open browser tabs. 3) Shift your mindset from "I have to" or "need to" to "I'm choosing to ____," which helps you to feel more empowered and in control. 4) Practice the 2-minute rule. Procrastination can often be curbed by taking action because we can act our way into feeling. Action is the antidote to procrastination. 5) "Eat the frog first," which means knocking out your most important or hardest task of the day first. You'll not only feel accomplished for crossing it off, but everything else is downhill from there. 6) Think like a Navy Seal and just start somewhere. SEALs are trained to make their bed first thing a form of discipline because it's also about beginning your day with a completed task. Small wins motivate you to accomplish larger wins. And crossing off tasks triggers the release of dopamine in your brain, the "feel good chemical" linked to pleasure and motivation. 7) Reward yourself with something fun when you've completed the task or project. This can be as simple as going for a walk, catching up on your favorite show, or enjoying a latte from your favorite coffee shop. Feel free to edit as needed. Warmly, April Likins