How to avoid procrastination as a founder?
Hi fellow founders,
I went indie last month. Things have been great. I have landed 2 clients and even went on to hire an intern. Looking to close some more projects by July's end so things have been good overall.
However, I notice - When I was working under a boss, I could easily push more hours of daily work on a regular basis if they pressured me, without much complaint at all.
I was under the impression, I might be able to better that as an entrepreneur and motivated person, citing nobody would give me stress. But to my shock, I am seeing - I am not even able to put normal 8 hours regularly now.
Having no one to account for my work and pressure me - I am finding myself procrastinating more often than not.
Eg: Sleeping more than usual, Taking too many breaks, sometimes not working for days even.
Is there any other fellow indie people who suffer from the same or is it just me?
Also, Is there any feedback you can give me to avoid this? I would appreciate any input.
Thank you
I'd say procrastination usually comes because you don't exactly know what you should be doing right now. Clear goals and actionable steps are keys to avoid procrastination IMHO.
One thing that helped me for instance is splitting tasks on Trello so they are as small as possible. I set a feature that I need to create as a card then split the necessary steps as singular todos. As I'm working and checking each todo it makes me even more motivated to continue moving on 😄
One strategy that has been particularly beneficial for me is breaking down tasks on Trello into the smallest possible components. I create a card for each feature I need to develop and then further divide the essential steps how to stops into individual to-dos. This approach not only helps me stay organized but also boosts my motivation as I progress through and check off each task. www.howtostops
WOW, This is so insightful. Maybe, this is exactly what might be happening. I know the broad goal of what needs to be done but I don't know what I need to do now.
Thank you very much @markolo. I really appreciate you taking time out to reply.
There was a recent study (that I have struggled to find again) that essentially figured out why we procrastinate. In most cases, it is our fear of doing the wrong thing or fear of failure acting up. It's a subconscious way of trying to give us a hug.
That's true, but I don't think it was about giving us a hug as to not wanting to ruin our dreams and hopes. If you don't work on something you still have hopes that it will be successful when you work on it, but if you start working on it and it proves out to be a failure, then you ruined your dreams. The brain prefers to be dreamy and pretend that things will be better at some point, when you get to that point, instead of trying to actually get there and see if things are good or bad. It's like Schrödinger's cat, both alive and dead until you open the box. You are scared to open the box as it might turn out to be dead.
Exactly, it's a cushion for our feelings.
Thank for reply Melomal,
I do agree - fear does play a part. Esp when you see a mountain of work in front of you, it seems easier to just ignore them completely.
That's it and the thought process of - am I doing the right thing, what if it is the wrong thing, how do I know etc
Whenever I'm having trouble starting my work, I break down a task into the smallest possible first step. Once I finish that, the ball is rolling and I'm good to go.
Preach. I think this is exactly what I was missing.
I am already implementing what I learned here and it is really working like a charm.
Feeling motivated and in good spirits again. Thanks for the reply, Really appreciate it.
This is what I do:
Ultimately productivity is a muscle you have to train. Keep at it and soon it becomes a habit.
Hope that helps.
Thanks, @shash7. Really appreciate the reply.
I don't have access to the gym because of COVID situation but I do exercise every day. Helps me wind down and manage anxiety better.
A thing that I will be adding moving forward is dividing my tasks better. I was setting too large goals and that was demotivating me at the end of the day.
Love the community, Amazing feedback every time.
Thank you again.
Are these projects you work on, software development projects? You cant churn out productive code for 12-13 hrs / day. Most of those hours would be spent faffing around. So its better you take regular breaks
Thanks for your reply Psy.
These are all digital marketing projects.
I usually divide my day as starting 6 hours - creative work or that require more focus, rest of the time - manual tasks that require less brainpower.
I usually space all of them out through the morning till late at night so I am fairly productive.
I am finding myself procrastinating more often than not when it is coming to get the job done. Had this been a weekend issue, I would not complain but slowly as the excitement is dying of owning a firm, I am noticing this is becoming more of a habit now.
Is this something you suffer as a founder as well or Is this something personal?
Any insight on this would be appreciated.
Thank you
One strategy that has been particularly beneficial for me is breaking down tasks on Trello into the smallest possible components. I create a card for each feature I need to develop and then further divide the essential steps how to stops into individual to-dos. This approach not only helps me stay organized but also boosts my motivation as I progress through and check off each task. 😄
I believe it is impossible to work 8 hours per day.
Sure, it's possible to"be at work" for 8h/day, but not actually WORK. Once you are on your own, distractions disappear, and you are left alone with your work. You get things done faster, and you brain gets tired, so there is no way you can sustainably work for 8h/day.
Let them lay you off without having any financial pillow. Trust me, you will stop procrastinating immediately!
I procrastinate often, but I know why I do it. It's because I am either scared of the next step for my business or I am still not sure what the next step should be. Procrastinating or taking some time out for a few hours, or even days, usually helps me take better decisions and be more productive when I actually work. Several times I might have rushed into implementing something that was not that high-prio if I didn't procrastinate instead, which allowed better ideas to surface and go towards a better goal.
Thanks for the input.
Well - After I got all the feedbacks here, I know for sure - that I was not breaking down the tasks and this was really impacting my work. Seeing a mountain of work, use to make me demotivated at times.
While - I am always of advise of taking time before committing to anything. So, That's more so smart thinking than procrastination IMO.
Are you working on things that interest you?
It's a lot easier to stay motivated if you enjoy the projects you're working on. Also, I don't recommend trying to force yourself to put in 12-13 hours a day as you'll just end up burning out. Maybe just aim for 8 hours of solid work. You can accomplish a lot in 40 hours per week.
Thank you for your reply Dominic. Appreciate that.
Absolutely, I am very much interested in my work and this has led to me asking this question.
I may have not conveyed my point well, Let me try again.
I am seeing myself procrastinate work in general. Taking more breaks, Sleeping more as I see I am not accountable to anyone. Initially, I did it giving excuses as I am my own boss now and I deserve it but this has more so developed into a pattern.
Is procrastination something you as a founder suffer from as well or is it just my personal issue?
Also, Is there anything you can recommend to break free from this habit?
Thanks again.
I think everyone struggles with procrastination to some extent. It becomes much more of a problem when you work for yourself and no one is holding you accountable.
I would recommend setting a regular schedule every day. Decide on which hours are "work hours" and stick to that schedule regardless of whether you feel motivated in the moment. Once you build up a habit of following the same schedule it will feel natural and hopefully easier to sit down and get work done.
If this seems like too drastic of a change I would start by setting two hours in the morning, say 9AM - 11AM and making sure you always get work done during this time. Once this becomes a habit it will be easier to scale up from there.
I agree - You need discipline more as a founder and it starts with setting a fixed schedule.
Thanks for the feedback @dominicabela. I really appreciate it.
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Yes, I think this is the most valuable feedback I got from the post.
I need to divide my tasks into as small quantifiable goals. As a founder, seeing a mountain of work might have been discouraging me to work harder.
Thank you for your reply @lucarenga. Really appreciate the feedback.