Clients and prospective clients come to me with a big idea or project they want to tackle. Some are brimming with excitement, others with concern. Either way, some jump right in while others just seem to stall. And linger in stall mode.
Procrastination is something we’ve all been guilty of now and then. My particular form of procrastination includes mini-cleaning, excessive organizing, and going for unnecessary walks. Whatever the specifics, I think it stems from a perception that their project will be difficult, expensive, or confusing. The key word is perception.
How then, can we get moving when stalled on a new project? Here are some tactics that have worked for me:
- 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. Take setting up an email newsletter, for example. If setting up Mailchimp or Constant Contact is not intuitive for you, and you’re wasting hours doing something you don’t love, let someone else do the initial setup. 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. When it comes to logo design, for example, as the designer, you would trust me, not your friend who’s good with colors (even though they may have a strong opinion). When it comes to choosing software to run my business, I listen to others who have made this decision before me. Asking for too much input is often just another way of procrastinating.
- Break the project down into categories. Something like redesigning a website can seem like a huge task. 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 it needs to include – for example: social media icons, a headshot, a testimonial from a client, or a link to your calendar (if you have one). The point is, be as specific as you can.
- Don’t keep the details in your head – write them down. When I don’t have a written plan, I can spend hours spinning my wheels trying to remember what I’ve done and what to do next. Spend some 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 to help with eliminating procrastination forever!
Things I Enjoy Doing: Cooking
I enjoy cooking. I’m no chef but believe me, I try to be one sometimes. The only part of cooking I’m not a fan of is the cleaning process of poultry, it takes the longest time (but that’s just me). Other than that I really like all the other aspects of cooking, the gathering of ingredients opens up my imagination of what flavor I would like to go for at that moment. 👏🏽
The smell swirling thru the air and looking forward to chowing down once it’s done is a feeling I get every time I make something new or a little different. Yes, I do take my time and savor every bite. I think I will enjoy cooking for as long as I live and can perform that task. 😊
Cooking runs in the family, my mom, dad, brothers, and sisters all cook or cooked. My daughter is a great cook and a bad-ass baker, I haven’t eaten anything she’s baked that I didn’t like!!
What will you be cooking in your kitchen, or mastering on your grill!?! Cheers 🥂 to all the chefs out there and those who aspire to be chefs. 👍🏽
