Every morning, I send my co-founder (and wife) a note with 3 to 5 commitments for the day. I also schedule them in my calendar. Then, before I wrap up the day, I reply to the note and mark each one complete or incomplete. There's no grey area - they're either done or not. For those I don't complete, I offer a one-line diagnosis of why I came up short. Writing down my commitments forces me to clarify what matters. Knowing I'll be accountable for anything I don't get done gets me moving.
Each day, I start with a clear list of priorities that are scheduled into my calendar. This doesn't just keep me focused, it also provides clear boundaries to help avoid the temptation of putting off important tasks. Break tasks into actionable steps. When you complete the steps mark them as complete. This way, every project feels less daunting and more manageable.
I use a couple of ways to overcome procrastination. I break down larger or more involved tasks into smaller pieces so they don’t overwhelm. I also try to mix and match tasks on my to-do list to add variety. Breaking down tasks into bite size pieces is a well-established trick and it works for me and my entire team. It’s something we do throughout the business to keep workloads manageable and it works to avoid procrastination too. If you see a small tasks that should take an hour at most, I think you’re less likely to procrastinate and more likely to complete it. Reward yourself with a short break or a different task afterwards to keep the day interesting. I also tend to schedule the most difficult tasks or those I look forward to least first thing. I have more energy in the mornings, so I’m more ready to tackle harder challenges. I reward myself with a cup of tea afterwards and will try to schedule a lighter or more enjoyable task next as a mental reward.
If you want to fight back against procrastination, break your large goals into smaller, more manageable ones. What happens too often is people (me included) experience paralysis because we are overwhelmed by how much needs to be done. What helps me is breaking things down and zoning in on small steps at a time. For example, if I need to respond to emails, the first thing I do is delete junk mail. This small but crucial step guides me to the next phase, sorting the messages that matter. I manage projects and tasks by getting them to their simplest form, and that's how I'm able to keep things moving.
To overcome procrastination, I lead by example and stay actively involved in all aspects of our business. I focus on making daily progress rather than striving for perfection in one go, which keeps the momentum going and prevents tasks from stagnating. Even spending just 15 minutes advancing a project is more productive than merely contemplating it. This approach helps me and my team stay focused and efficient.
I work with a business coach that holds me accountable to things that need to get done. These are high level tasks or quarterly rocks that can be broken down into several tasks. We meet once every 2 weeks for 30 minutes. The first 5 minutes is a check in, then 15 minutes discussing updates with the company, and then final 10 minutes discussing my action steps before our next meeting. This cadence holds me accountable and often times, I'm waiting until the last minute to get the task done before I meet with her. A best practice for me is to block time on my calendar right after each meeting to get the things done. Sometimes I will even reschedule that "library time" and find myself working in the evenings or weekends because I procrastinate so much. I've learned that for me to give these tasks the attention it deserves, I need to get a good night's sleep, have a slow morning that includes a peaceful cup of coffee, at least 10 minutes of meditation, and 20 minutes of moving my body. Once I've done that, I can sit at my desk refreshed, turn off all my notifications and tell my team that I'm offline for x amount of hours to get the job done. I will find myself sometimes procrastinating even more by telling myself I'm hungry and should make a snack and then veering off to do dishes, and then reminding myself that I'm avoiding the hard work. It takes discipline and practice to give myself grace, balance, and eventually get the work done.
Eating my frogs first thing in the morning. If you haven’t heard this saying, it simply means attacking your biggest or most dreaded projects first, as opposed to saving them (procrastinating) for later. Dwelling on a project can make the rest of your work less productive, and allows for anxiousness to creep into your day. As a founder, prioritizing my “frogs” in the morning makes the rest of my day more productive and enjoyable because I got my least favorite and dreaded task out of the way! Cheers to eating our frogs and procrastinating less!
Overcoming procrastination starts with understanding why it happens. Often, it's due to feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about where to begin. As a founder, I tackle this by breaking down larger projects into smaller, manageable tasks. This method makes starting less daunting and allows for immediate progress. I also set strict deadlines—not just final deadlines, but also interim ones for different stages of a project. These help maintain a sense of urgency and keep the team and me accountable. Scheduling these tasks on my calendar, as I would at any important meeting, ensures that dedicated time is set aside for each task. Another effective strategy is the "two-minute rule." If something can be done in two minutes or less, I do it immediately. This approach prevents small tasks from piling up, which can collectively become a source of major procrastination. As a leader, I also emphasize the importance of a clear vision and goals. When everyone understands the bigger picture and how their work fits into it, it reduces hesitation and boosts productivity across the board. Lastly, I lead by example. Avoiding procrastination myself sets a tone for the team. Staying proactive and engaged shows my commitment not only to our goals but also to setting a standard of efficiency and dedication.
In my journey founding Rockerbox and helping small business owners optimize tax credits, I've encountered the beast that is procrastination head-on, especially in the early stages of creating a venture from scratch. One effective method I've implemented to combat this challenge is the principle of meticulous planning coupled with the implementation of strict deadlines. For instance, when setting up the infrastructure to enable small businesses to easily access tax credits, breaking down the project into smaller, incremental milestones with clear deadlines ensured continuous progress and minimized the feeling of being overwhelmed - a common trigger for procrasrination. I've also discovered the power of building a supportive ecosystem. This involves surrounding yourself with a team that not only shares your vision but is also invested in the project's success. Within Rockerbox, fostering an environment where each team member is accountable for their part has proven invaluable. Regular check-ins and progress updates create a sense of responsibility and a shared purpose, making it less likely for procrastination to creep in. Leveraging technology to streamline these processes and maintain transparency across tasks has been a game-changer, akin to the technologies we develop to simplify tax credit processes for small businesses. Lastly, embracing flexibility and being open to reassess and adjust plans has been crucial. The dynamic nature of the tech and business world means that challenges and delays are inevitable. Instead of allowing these hurdles to foster procrastination, viewing them as opportunities to innovate and problem-solve keeps the momentum going. This approach mirrors Rockerbox's ethos of constantly seeking innovative solutions to improve small businesses' cash flow through tax credits, ensuring that our strategies remain effective and proactive rather than reactive and delayed.
Deleting apps from my phone and accessing them only through a browser has been a great technique whenever I need to focus and avoid procrastination. Here is why this technique is helpful, and why I, as a founder, am finding it useful: Reduced Temptations: Removing the social media apps from my phone significantly reduces the amount of notifications that distract me on a daily basis. Cutting down on the distractions can help with continuously long periods of focus because there is less of a temptation to quickly check your updates if apps aren’t easily accessible. For me, this has proved to be an incredibly successful way of keeping myself productive and on point with my work. Greater Productivity: Because I can access social media only through a browser (not via mobile apps), it is just a little less convenient to get online. This has helpfully encouraged me to be more deliberate and mindful about when and why I check in. I tend to schedule times to log on, which works better for my workflow than being interrupted by the affirmation and distraction of a mobile device – something that can easily burn more time than allotted.
As a founder I have responsibilities and also need to lead from the front. In our company we set clear goals and track them transparently in our CRM system for everyone to see. We break those goals down to tasks and talk about them regularly. In the same way, we use the system in the CRM to assign each other tasks. With clear defined SLAs and timelines, everyone is accountable for their tasks and outcomes. Overall, this "public" accountability helped me personally with procrastination.
Virtue-vice pairing is one highly effective strategy for beating procrastination. The idea is to couple an unpleasant or unwanted task with a desirable one. For example, if you have trouble maintaining a daily workout schedule, watch a bingeable TV show while doing cardio -- and make your gym visit the only time you allow yourself to enjoy the series. This simple technique can create positive associations that counteract negative associations, and help action become habit. I use the technique in my worklife as a founder. For example, I have a special artisan brand of coffee I only allow myself to drink while doing deep work in my mornings or late at night. I've actually found myself looking forward to activities I used to avoid, and my productivity has increased dramatically. After a while, I even began to automatically remember how I'd feel once the task was completed, and that relief became another "virtue" and intrinsic motivation.
I believe that the reason one procrastinates is because there is still a reservation in the head about this particular action. Or at least the importance of it. Sometimes one does not enjoy or like the task. I try to avoid it by having a mindset that it is better to complete a task early and have some free time after than delay it and then have to cram in the end. Some people perform better that way but it is not for me.
To overcome procrastination, I utilize the "Two-Minute Rule" which suggests that if a task can be done in two minutes or less, do it immediately. This helps me clear smaller tasks quickly and prevents them from piling up and becoming overwhelming. As a co-founder, I teach this rule to my team and emphasize its importance during our daily stand-ups. It encourages us all to handle small tasks promptly, keeping our workflow smooth and efficient. This practice significantly cuts down on procrastination by preventing small tasks from becoming mental or physical clutter.
Decomposing substantial duties into more manageable objectives is an effective strategy for surmounting procrastination. I give precedence to the utilization of time management tools, such as the Eisenhower Matrix, in order to classify tasks according to their level of urgency and significance. This enables me to prevent procrastination on critical duties and maintain concentration on high-priority activities. Furthermore, I adhere to the "two-minute rule," which mandates that I promptly begin any task that can be finished within two minutes or less. I prevent the accumulation and eventual becomenzonzoking of minor tasks by promptly undertaking them. In addition, I maintain accountability and motivation by evaluating my progress frequently and modifying my strategies as necessary. I ensure efficiency and effectiveness in both my pool company and home care endeavors through the implementation of strategic planning, the establishment of attainable deadlines, and unwavering dedication to my objectives.
In 2023 I made the decision to focus on business development, as well as running the business. In this new role, I struggled to focus on priorities and actionable steps, and often found myself chasing the easy tasks, and procrastinating. My first months were entirely defined by this struggle. At first, I over-extended myself while focusing on easy tasks, and many other responsibilities were sidelined. In the middle of the year, I then over-corrected and focused solely on one aspect of business development and everything else took a backseat. It was only in August, I managed to find a solution that was annoyingly simple; I just adopted the time-blocking method of task management. I am now a huge advocate of time-blocking, the simple process of blocking out periods of the day and assigning specific (or thematic) tasks to that block. In this way, I assigned time to every task. I created a simple Excel spreadsheet, with each day of the week broken down in to 30 minute slots. Over the first few weeks, I continually adapted the slots as I reorganised and re-prioritised tasks, until I reached a stage where the structure was most efficient and effective; I then transferred this to my work calendar with the relevant alert notifications set up to keep me on track. Through this process, I no longer have time to procrastinate as tasks only have 30 minutes in which to be completed. It has given a structure and order to my day, and has given me a heightened positive mindset, as I can look back on a week where I successfully contributed to every task.
I’m going to share what is perhaps a controversial opinion, but something that I have come to embrace: procrastination isn’t always a bad thing. As a business leader, I often have more tasks on my plate than I have time in my day. Not all of them are of the same priority, though. Some have a quicker deadline for completion than others, or are more important or necessary from a business standpoint. Sometimes, procrastinating one task in order to tackle something that’s more critical is actually the smartest move you can make as a leader. Instead of avoiding procrastination entirely, I practice and advocate an approach of selective procrastination. When I have a longer to-do list than I think I can tackle in a day, I’ll focus on the ones that are the highest priority first and give myself permission to procrastinate the rest until I have a more open work schedule, or until those items become a higher priority because of looming deadlines or other factors that shift their importance. Now, I will also say here that there are different flavors of procrastination, in my mind. There is a difference between putting a task off because you’re focusing on other things, and avoiding a task because it’s difficult or distasteful, or you simply don’t want to do it. For me, though, having a perspective that all procrastination is bad can be a source of unnecessary stress, and can add more pressure to the tasks on my list that oddly makes me more likely to avoid doing them. By allowing myself to selectively procrastinate when I need to, I find I’m able to be more productive and a better leader overall.
Founder at PRHive
Answered 2 years ago
As a founder, an effective method I use to overcome procrastination is incorporating visualization techniques into my workflow. Before starting tasks, I spend a few minutes visualizing the successful completion of each one. This mental imagery helps me clarify the benefits and positive outcomes of finishing the task, which boosts my motivation and focus. By visualizing success upfront, I set a clear intention and purpose for each task, making it easier to stay proactive and avoid procrastination. Using this strategy, I've been able to tackle procrastination and maintain momentum toward achieving our company's goals and objectives.
A practical method I've adopted to prevent procrastination is the use of technology, specifically task management apps that send reminders and track progress. These tools help me organize my tasks, set deadlines, and receive alerts to keep on schedule. As a CEO, I integrate these technological solutions into our team's workflow, allowing everyone to stay updated on their tasks and deadlines. We regularly review these tools in our meetings to ensure everyone is leveraging them effectively. This approach has significantly reduced procrastination among my team members by keeping everyone aligned and focused on their responsibilities.
Procrastination is a common issue that many people, including founders, struggle with. The first step to overcoming procrastination is to understand why we engage in this unproductive behavior. Some of the most common root causes of procrastination include fear of failure, lack of motivation or interest in the task, and feeling overwhelmed by the workload. By identifying the root cause of your procrastination, you can better address it and find effective solutions. As a founder, it's essential to have clear goals and deadlines for your projects. This will not only help you stay organized but also create a sense of urgency to get things done. When setting deadlines, make sure they are realistic and achievable. It's also important to break down bigger tasks into smaller, more manageable ones and assign specific deadlines for each. This will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed and help you stay on track.