7 Hacks for Shaking Off the Blahs and Getting Out of ProcrastiNation

We’ve all been residents of ProcrastiNation at one point or another.

You know that place--the comfortable land that assures us it’s better to enjoy a Scandal marathon on Netflix than to prepare for that big presentation we’re giving on Friday or begin working toward that impending deadline.

So how do you snap out of it? Here are a few techniques that I’ve employed to help me get stuff done as a solopreneur.

1. Break big projects up into multiple small projects and assign mini deadlines. A large project becomes much more doable when it’s broken up into chunks.

2. Use the Pomodoro Technique. Set a timer for 25 minutes and work. Don’t check email. Don’t answer a text. Just work for 25 minutes. Then take a 5 minute break. Repeat. I use this technique to make myself focus when it is near impossible. This helps me pump out work for at least 25 minutes. Because I know there is a break in sight I can focus and be productive.

3. Batch similar tasks. I first heard of this technique in The 4-Hour Work Week. Multitasking is a myth. It is difficult for your brain to switch between different tasks so get more done by doing similar tasks at the same time regularly. For example: I do 90% of my social media work for a certain client on Fridays. Every Friday I just knock it out.

4. Color code that calendar. Make deadlines pop. You don’t want to be surprised by a deadline because you overlooked it. I keep my calendar on a 3-week view which is really helpful for knowing what’s coming up beyond the immediate.

5. Get up and move at least once every two hours. Since I work from home I check the mail around noon. Even just this small task lets me change my focus briefly and stretch my legs. When I come back to my desk I have a renewed focus. Plus they say sitting kills you.

6. Meditate and/or pray. One prayer that I review every day is “Lord, help me to wisely use my resources of money, time and hard work.”

7. Exercise regularly (5 days a week is a great goal). I had pretty much fallen off the exercise bandwagon late last year and I came back to it in January with gusto. It has been amazing how many great ideas have come to me when I’m on the treadmill or elliptical machine. I don’t exactly know the science behind it but it really works for me.

What do you do to snap out of procrastination? And how GREAT does it feel when you’ve accomplished something significant?

5 Commitments to Finish Strong for the 4th Quarter

There are only 3 months left of the year! Where did the time go? Today marks the first day of the final thirteen weeks of this calendar year. While some people may lose a bit of motivation this time of year, fall and winter are a fantastic time to make sure you’re finishing up on some solid efforts for your annual goals. You have 13 weeks left in the year. What are you going to do with them?

Here are five commitments I’m making for the fourth quarter.

1. Make decisions based on priority. Franklin Covey’s concept for regular goal setting starts with values. What do you value most? Your values should dictate your priorities which should dictate how you make decisions with your time, money and hard work. I’m going to take stock of my values and apply those values to my calendar, my bank account, and my brain power.

2. Pay more attention to importance than urgency. For the last quarter of the year I want to focus more on what is important and less on what is seemingly “urgent.” For example, instantly answering text messages, checking emails, and replying on social media feels urgent but is not as important as my work agenda or time with my husband.

3. Zoom out. I recently read Sheryl Sandberg’s best seller Lean In. Sheryl recommends setting goals on an 18-month schedule. I like that idea. Goals make me 100 times more productive than I would be if I didn’t articulate what I want to achieve. By keeping the big picture in mind I make better choices now that will get me where I want to be in 18 months or 5 years (which if you’re curious includes writing books, a consistent acting career, a thriving business, and becoming a homeowner.)

Question to ask:

What am I doing in these last 3 months of the year that contribute to those long-term goals? 

4. Hustle. It’s easy to go slow-mo with intentional living as the days get shorter and the mornings get colder. But in order to accomplish my goals I know I can’t let up during these months. In fact, it’s a great time to really focus and make some solid ground. I can do this through determining what I want to accomplish on a weekly basis and breaking that down to a list of five things or less.

5. Be consistent. Whether it's my investment of time in the lives of the people who are most important to me, consistency in giving something useful to people like you who happen across this blog, or consistency with clients to give them a wow experience, one of my five commitments for the fourth quarter of the year is to be consistent.

What about you? What are you focusing on this 4th quarter?

6 Ways Grad School Launched Me into the Career of My Dreams

Three and a half years after I finished my bachelor’s degree in journalism I was stuck. My degree could’ve gotten me a job at a fledgling newspaper or perhaps an internship at a magazine. So far it had helped me make about 10% of my income annually. I knew none of that was where I wanted to be. I wanted to have a magical career where I had autonomy and got to help people communicate their stories better. Oh, and I still did not want to give up performing in theatre. I needed more options so I decided to go to grad school. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Here are six surprising ways grad school got me to my dream job.

1. I actually saved money. You read that right. No, graduate school did not leave me $100 Grand in the hole. Quite the contrary--I had a graduate teaching assistantship and got paid (not buckets and buckets but something) to dip my toe into the deep end of teaching while I got an education. By spending 20 hours a week teaching and grading freshmen work, I was able to get a free M.A. and get a stipend that helped me pay my bills and function like a 20-something who was not dependent on her parents. Score. This was an integral next step in the process of getting on my feet and starting my business. No debt!

2. I suddenly got credibility in my field.  Over night, the fact that I had decided to go to graduate school to study communication and media gave me major street cred in my field. Suddenly I was called a social media expert because people saw that I was serious about studying the inner workings of digital media. By studying a subject in graduate school, people saw that I was serious about it. I was no more passionate about learning about how people connect online than I was 6 months before, but now people saw that I meant business, so they listened to me and opted to hire me.

3. I was surrounded by people who got excited about the nerdy things I did. I, perhaps like you, perform better with fierce competition. I didn't know to be grateful for my classmates' commitment to the books at the time (sorry guys) but the fact that I was in small classes with people who were at the top of their classes in undergrad lit a fire under me. We had conversations (for fun!) about marketing, social media, and the digital landscape. We debated advertising techniques and product placement. This not only happened in the classroom, but it happened when we left class and went back to our cubicles, when we went to grab mexican food, and it continues to happen through mediums like Twitter. If I hadn't been surrounded by people who were passionate about this field, I would not be as knowledgeable in my field as I am now.

4. It bought me some time to figure out how my dream and reality could jive. I think this is really the reason a lot of people go to grad school. Not knowing what your next step should be is neither a bad reason or a good reason to go to grad school. For me, going to grad school gave me a little time to better formulate my vision for my future. I knew I couldn't and wouldn't be giving up performing any time soon (or well, ever permanently) but I also knew that during time between performance contracts I could not indefinitely go back to folding sweaters (as much as I LOVED that Anthro discount). I knew I needed a second marketable skill to support my arts habit. Grad school gave me time to figure out exactly what that could be and how I could make it all work.

5. I became a better writer. In elementary school I learned to write imaginatively. In high school I learned how to write a snazzy college essay. At university I learned how to write articles. In grad school I learned how to write a well-researched thesis. All of these different kinds of writing have helped me become a well-rounded writer. The academic writing is no replacement for professional writing but it certainly did not hinder my writing skills. It only helped me improve them. The more ways I know how to connect with an audience, the better.

6. I honed the skill of balancing. By taking classes, teaching classes, and working part-time freelance gigs, I learned the art of managing multiple tasks for multiple "clients" (whether it was 19 year-old students, my graduate school professors, or a client who wanted a press release). This delicate skill of balancing has transferred beautifully into my sole proprietor work. On any given week I knock out work for 8 or more clients. I need to balance deadlines, client personalities and their business goals. Grad school prepared me perfectly for that.

So often today experts are saying not to go to grad school. I know for me it was the absolute right decision. What about you? Did you regret going? Do you have plans to go? What are your concerns? Sound off in the comments.