Most of us don’t like procrastinating. If only there were some magic formula for productivity and time management. From personal life to work and our business, it’s hard to stay on track.  The hard truth is procrastination can be lethal, especially if you’re running a small business. You can’t afford to waste time. By doing so, you are sabotaging your success. 

Procrastination isn’t just about poor time management…

Contrary to popular belief, productivity is more than time management. Procrastination is instead a form of avoidance. As humans, avoiding a task when it’s unpleasant, too much, or when we don’t like the people we’re working with, is innate. Then there’s the irrelevance or confusion. The lack of confidence, fear of failure, or lack of clear goals and deadlines can also lead us to procrastinate.

When we’re procrastinating, we feel guilty, but we can’t stop repeating the same patterns. So, how do we minimise procrastination for better business productivity and growth?

First thing first, hold yourself accountable

Just like anything else in your business, you are accountable for your time. Regarding productivity, accountability means holding yourself responsible for your behaviours and not making excuses or blaming others. Here are some ways to keep yourself accountable despite distractions.

• Have an accountability buddy. Share your goals and deadlines with a colleague, business owner friend, or an accountability coach. This can help you stay motivated and on track, as you will have someone to answer to and provide support when needed. This approach can encourage the exchange of ideas and points of view, which is potentially helpful for business growth. 
• Commit to your objectives. You’re running a business and may have dreams for it to expand and succeed. Commit to those objectives. Whenever you find yourself wasting time, return to your bigger vision.
• Set micro-goals. The small things that don’t get done in time usually pile up and are put on the back burner. The thing is, they’re still there, waiting to get done. Finish these small tasks. Give them deadlines. 

For business productivity, define your goals and deadlines

Remember that your business won’t thrive if you’re stagnant. You’ll have better clarity by clearly defining what needs to be accomplished and when it should be completed.  Create a realistic timeline for a specific task. If the task can be delegated, assign a team member to take care of it. Create an incentive if the goal is achieved earlier than the deadline. 

Break down more extensive workloads into smaller tasks

More often than so, larger tasks are put behind because they are too much to handle. This is why you should turn them into smaller, more manageable pieces. This approach can prevent you from being overwhelmed, which eventually leads to procrastination. You can avoid burnout and maintain momentum by dividing complex projects into smaller, achievable milestones.

Effective task prioritisation is essential in the business world. 

Identify and prioritise the most important tasks. By focusing on critical tasks first, you can avoid getting bogged down in less essential activities. You should be working first towards the most significant objectives. You can use time-blocking to prioritise tasks and create a hierarchy based on your energy levels, timeline and importance. For example, you can put high-priority tasks in the morning when you have all the energy and clarity to complete them. 

By breaking down your workday into dedicated blocks of time, tasks can be completed in the allotted time frames. This increases efficiency and leads to better time management. 

Then there’s the obvious: remove distractions.

There are so many things that can get you distracted. When this happens, you lose momentum. A study found that it takes an average of 23 minutes to recover from distraction and get back to the task. The best way to avoid distractions is by removing them. For example, if you’re constantly distracted by your phone, keep it away during work hours and have a dedicated business phone instead. 

Be forceful when it comes to removing distractions. This can include setting boundaries with families and friends, disabling notifications during work hours, or utilising tools that limit access to non-work-related tasks. By creating a distraction-free work environment, you can optimise productivity. 

When you’re running a business, productivity is profitability. 

Productivity is equal to profitability. Conversely, a lack of productivity can lead to wasted time, missed opportunities, and decreased profitability.

Overcoming procrastination requires persistence and dedication to develop a focused habit. It’s important to consistently be proactive to stop yourself from procrastinating. Committing to your processes can optimise your time management skills, achieve your goals, and enhance your overall success.

Let Debbie help optimise your business

Which part of your business are you struggling with? Let’s review what you can do to optimise for better business productivity and growth.  You can contact me at debbie@debbieroberts.com.au or call 0477 999 796.