Speaker 1: 0:01

Hey there and welcome to Productivity Hacks, your go-to podcast for quick hacks to help you to get things done and to do them well. I’m Jasmine, your host, productivity coach and consultant, and my mission is to help people increase their productivity so that they have time for what really matters. Each week, I’ll bring you a short episode packed with tips that you can implement right away to boost your output. So let’s dive in. Hey everyone, today we’re diving into something that I know a lot of us struggle with, and that is procrastination. This topic was suggested by the lovely Cheryl, and if you have any suggestions for topics that you need in your life, please get in touch. Connect with me on Facebook or Instagram. Just search for Jasmine Clark Coach.

Speaker 1: 0:50

Let me ask you this have you ever sat down with the intention of getting some serious work done, only to find yourself scrolling through Instagram, organising the cupboard or just ticking off other things on the to-do list? I have been there too regularly. As a mum running a business, procrastination can be one of the most frustrating things. I have this endless to-do list, clients waiting on me, kids who need my attention, and yet sometimes I just can’t bring myself to take that next step, even when I know it is the best next step for achieving my goals. But here is the good news we can beat procrastination, and today we’re going to talk about why we procrastinate and, more importantly, how to overcome it. So firstly, we’re going to dive into the psychology behind procrastination, because it is really normal. You may feel like you’re the only one who struggles with it, but you’re not. Even I do, and I am a self-confessed, focused machine. So before we get into tips, let’s talk about the why behind procrastination, because, let’s be honest, we’re not just putting things off because we’re lazy or we don’t care. There’s actually a lot more going on under the surface, although sometimes I am definitely just being lazy and can’t be bothered. Anyone else want to admit that with me.

Speaker 1: 2:15

Psychologically, procrastination isn’t just a time management problem. It’s an emotion management problem At its core. We procrastinate because we’re avoiding something uncomfortable, and that discomfort can come in many forms. It could be fear of failure. You might be putting off a task because you’re worried you won’t do it perfectly. Or you’re afraid it won’t turn out the way you want it to. It might be overwhelm. Sometimes we procrastinate because the task at hand feels too big and we don’t even know where to start. The mountain feels too big and we haven’t taken the time to work out those milestones along the way. We haven’t worked out our what, the tasks that we need to do to achieve what we want to achieve. See episode two about scaling your business mountain for more about this. See episode 2 about scaling your business mountain for more about this.

Speaker 1: 3:11

The next is perfectionism, and this one’s a biggie. If you’re waiting for that perfect moment or for everything to line up just right, chances are that you’ll never get started. We often put off tasks because we’re aiming for an unattainable standard of perfection. I’ve been having some musings about perfectionism recently and I spent some time this week with one of my coaching clients talking about this area. I’m going to share more in a future podcast. But I just don’t think perfect is actually achievable. It is too fleeting. Something that is perfect for you now won’t be perfect in a week, when you’re a week older, with a week’s more experiences, feelings and thoughts. But I’ve also personally struggled with the concept of good enough. It’s not how I want to live my life. I don’t want anything I produce to be good enough, so I personally have settled for excellence where I can. I don’t like good enough. I can’t reach perfection because it doesn’t exist, but I can strive for excellence and keep moving forwards in my business and not be paralysed by aiming for perfection.

Speaker 1: 4:09

Another thing that makes us procrastinate is lack of motivation. When a task doesn’t feel urgent or rewarding, it’s really easy to push it aside. Let’s face it if you’ve got a choice between tackling that big project that you’ve wanted to start and playing on Instagram making some reels, the latter will probably win, even if the project will have a significantly longer term benefit for your business. The truth is, procrastination is a way to protect ourselves from stress or negative emotions. In the short term, it’s a form of self-soothing. As humans, we struggle to prioritise long-term benefit over short-term gain. It’s in our nature. From when we were wandering the savannah and see a tree laden with food, we prioritise eating as much food as we can, as this will benefit our survival. Not only eat a little bit now, because we know longer term it’ll go off or someone else will come along and eat the fruit off the tree. We are still those same humans now and we procrastinate to feel better in the moment and prioritise this short-term gain. But that relief is temporary and ultimately leads to more stress down the line and that horrible feeling of not achieving our goals and climbing our business mountains.

Speaker 1: 5:20

Procrastination can feel like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you know what needs to be done to move your business forward, whether it’s finishing that proposal, getting back to those clients or creating that content but on the other hand, you’re balancing life and there’s always something more immediate that demands your attention. So the cycle continues. The business, the work tasks get pushed down the list, but in the back of your mind you can feel the weight of them. That feeling of I should be working on my business right now can hang over you like a cloud, making it hard to enjoy the time you spend with your family or doing the things you love. You want to feel in control, making progress and achieving your goals, but the mental load often leads to feelings stuck. So how do we break that cycle? Let’s get into some actionable strategies to overcome procrastination, because you know I’m all about the action Number one break tasks into small, actionable steps.

Speaker 1: 6:18

Remember my tips for scaling your business mountain in episode two. Often procrastination happens because the task feels too big and we haven’t broken down our where, our mountain, to our what. What are we doing and when? For example, if your to-do list says write business plan, that is overwhelming, it is no wonder you’re putting it off. Instead, break it down into bite-sized chunks, like find a template for a business plan, or write my why, my mission statement. The smaller the task, the easier it is to get started, and once you start, the momentum will build, I promise you.

Speaker 1: 6:58

Number two set time limits. When you’re juggling multiple responsibilities, it’s easy to fall into the trap of I don’t have enough time to do that right now, but you don’t need an entire afternoon to make progress. Try the Pomodoro technique, where you work for 25 minutes and then take a five minute break. Knowing that you only have to work for a short burst can make the task feel less daunting, and you’ll be amazed how much you can get done in those focused windows. Haunting, and you’ll be amazed how much you can get done in those focused windows.

Speaker 1: 7:30

Number three is to recognise and tame perfectionism. This is a big one for those of us who want to be the best in everything we do, but waiting for things to be perfect before starting means that you’ll never start. Keeping moving forward is better than being perfect. Remember, perfection doesn’t actually exist. Well, I don’t think so. Give yourself a target of good, really good or excellent. Give yourself permission to make progress, even if it’s not flawless. I’m definitely talking to myself here.

Speaker 1: 7:57

Number four is to identify your peak productivity times, because everyone has times of the day when they feel more energised and focused, and if you pay attention to when you’re most productive and schedule your hardest tasks during those times, then that will work for you. For many people, that could be early in the morning or before the kids wake up. Not for me. I am not a morning person, not at all. The idea of waking up early fills me with dread and I have tried, because I’ve believed that to be successful you need to get up at 5am, but actually it’s an absolute nightmare. For me, my best time is late morning or, actually very unhelpfully, between 6 and 8pm, and I’m actually recording this at just before 7pm. It’s unhelpful because that is the time when the kids need me the most, usually, or I’m playing the role of taxi driver, storyteller, chief tuckeriner or snack deliverer. But spend a week looking at your work patterns, observe when you feel you flow better and are more productive, and use those golden moments to tackle the tasks you’ve been putting off.

Speaker 1: 9:10

Number five is to reward yourself. Procrastination is often a way to avoid unpleasant emotions, so why not use positive emotions as a motivator? Set up a reward system for yourself. When you finish that difficult task, treat yourself to something you enjoy. Might be as simple as a cup of tea, a walk outside or even a quick episode of your favourite TV programme. There is this concept of eating your frog, where you identify your most important task for the day and focus on getting that done ASAP. That is your frog. If it is a particularly juicy frog that I’ve been staring at for a while, I reward myself with eating a Freddo chocolate bar. For those of you who don’t know what this is, it’s a small chocolate bar with Freddo the frog on the front and the best ones have caramel in the middle. I keep a stash of them in my desk for such a time as this, but don’t tell the kids.

Speaker 1: 10:02

Number six is use the five minute rule. This is a really simple but powerful trick. If you are dreading a task, commit to doing it for just five minutes, with full permission to stop after those five minutes if you are hating it. Often the hardest part is getting started, and once you’ve done those five minutes, you’ll find it easier to keep going and you’ll want to continue, trust me. And the last one, number seven, is accountability.

Speaker 1: 10:28

It’s really easy to procrastinate when no one else knows what’s on your plate. You can get away with not doing it. So share your goals with someone a colleague, your partner or even a coach. When someone else is checking in on your progress, you’re more likely to follow through. This is one of the main things my clients love about our sessions. They know I’m going to ask them if they’ve done what they say they’re going to do, and this gives them the push to do it. I even offer really short action and accountability programs where we just focus on getting stuff done and it really works. So procrastination does not have to control your day.

Speaker 1: 11:11

By understanding why we procrastinate and using these strategies to overcome it, you can reclaim your time and make progress. Remember, you can achieve your goals without sacrificing the rest of your life. It’s about finding a system that works for you and taking action, even if that action is small. You’ve got this so over to you. You know the drill by now.

Speaker 1: 11:33

What are you procrastinating over this week? Write it down. Be honest, tell someone and use the tip shared in here to just get it done. Eat that frog, even if it’s a nice, big, juicy one. If you’d like to tell me what it is and when you do it, use me for that accountability. Just send me a message on facebook or instagram. Look for jasmine clark. Coach jasmine and clark, both with an e.

Speaker 1: 12:00

Thank you so much for tuning in today. If you found these tips helpful, do make sure to subscribe to Productivity Hacks for more insights on how to get stuff done, and do share with your friends. Take care and I’ll see you in the next episode, which is all about spotting the signs you are burning out and putting out the fire before you do. That’s it for today. Thank you for tuning into the Productivity Hacks podcast with me. Jasmine, what is your action point today? Write it down and make time to do it. If you like what you’ve heard, follow this podcast to get notifications of the weekly episodes and please, please, share it with your friends.