Everybody does it. There are just some tasks we don’t want to do. For some people, procrastination is chronic and their to-do list overflows with items that keep getting pushed to the back burner. The problem with procrastination is, the longer you wait to do a task, the more urgent it becomes. For small business owners, procrastination can cost you clients, time and money, all three of which are vitally important to the success of your business. It’s time to reclaim your time and get that to-do list down to size! Here are four ways to stop procrastinating and get your work done.
Make a checklist and keep it in a prominent spot
This is not just a list. This is a checklist and it’s fluent. Write or print out your tasks and put a checkbox beside each one. As you finish a task, check it off. If you are busy working and think of something you need to get done, simply add it to your checklist. Get creative! Organize your list by most urgent first, use it to break your weekly to-dos down by day and pledge to give yourself a little reward (bubble bath, extra half-hour of Netflix, a walk in the park) every time you check off five or so items.
Talk about it
Saying things out loud to other people creates accountability. If you tell your staff you are going to spend the day getting the filing caught up, you’ll be more likely to follow through. Expressing things out loud sets an intention and creates motivation.
Take care of yourself
If you can’t function without coffee, you are chronically sleep deprived, or your idea of activity is shuffling from your bed to your car, you are not going to have the get-up-and-go needed to handle work’s day-to-day grind. You need energy and the best way to get it is to eat well, stay hydrated and be active.
Work with your strengths, then plan on tackling your weaknesses
As an entrepreneur, you get to do what you love, but even self-made careers have elements that are less than enjoyable. Maybe you like consulting, but invoicing your clients bores you. Perhaps your cake shop lets you get out that creative passion, but shopping for and maintaining supplies is a hassle. Identify a set time each day or week to devote to your least favourite task. When you know that task has a time and place, it’s not as intimidating and you can enjoy the rest of your day with ease. If the item on your list is truly daunting or one you lack the skills for, seek out and hire someone that can help you.
You know what a lot of small businesses struggle with? Accounting – and that’s a shame because good bookkeeping reflects on everything from your cash flow, to your profit to your taxes. Too many people procrastinate with their accounting, but they don’t have to. AF Accounting is here to help. Our variety of services means you get to focus on the things you want to do while knowing your books are in good hands. Giving you great service is always the first item on our checklist, and we never procrastinate in exceeding our customer’s needs.
