As perfectionists we’re large lovers of to-do lists. However your to-do listing is making you much less productive in your small business than you might in any other case be.
Take heed to at present’s episode to be taught why to-do lists don’t work for perfectionists and a easy method that works together with your perfectionist mind, as an alternative of towards.
To be taught the easy steps to plan correctly as a perfectionist, join my free coaching right here: samlaurabrown.com/planningseries.Â
Should you’re able to cease procrastinating and constantly comply with via on your small business plans, be part of Perfectionists Getting Shit Carried out (PGSD) at present. Enroll now at samlaurabrown.com/pgsd.
Pay attention To The Episode
Take heed to the episode on the participant above, click on right here to obtain the episode, and take it with you or hear anyplace you usually hearken to podcasts – simply discover Episode 629 of The Perfectionism Undertaking Podcast!
Subscribe To The Perfectionism Undertaking Podcast
FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Introduction
That is the Perfectionism Undertaking, the one podcast created particularly for perfectionists who’re constructing companies. I’m your host, Sam Laura Brown, perfectionism knowledgeable and entrepreneur. I train perfectionists how one can plan correctly, constantly comply with via and relaxation with out guilt to allow them to construct worthwhile and fulfilling companies with out burning out.
I’ve helped over a thousand perfectionist entrepreneurs do precisely that inside my program, Perfectionist Getting Shit Carried out. Should you’re bored with procrastinating, overthinking and half ending your concepts, you’re in the proper place. Now, let’s dive in.
Better of the Podcast Introduction
As we speak I’ve a better of the podcast episode for you. So at this level, there are plenty of episodes on this podcast, and I need to be sure that the most effective episodes don’t get misplaced within the archives. So at present I’m sharing with you an episode that’s properly cherished and likewise one which I’m always referring to and linking folks to.
And I need to ensure you can hearken to it as properly in the event you haven’t already. So with out additional ado, let’s get into the episode.
Sam Laura Brown (Begin of the episode)
On this episode, I need to discuss to you in regards to the hidden ways in which your to do listing is making you unproductive. As perfectionists, we’re large lovers of to do lists. The longer the higher. We love that feeling that you simply get once you tick off the objects in your to do listing. However do you know that your to do listing is making you much less productive than you might in any other case be? So if we take into consideration your perfectionism handbrake, plenty of occasions an enormous contributing issue to that handbrake being on and to not having the ability to launch that handbrake simply is that you’re following recommendation that doesn’t really work for a perfectionist and is unknowingly making your perfectionist mindset work towards you.
So do not forget that the issue isn’t that you simply’re a perfectionist, it’s that your mindset is working towards you. And recommendation like writing a to do listing is the form of recommendation that unknowingly turns that handbrake on. So that is one thing we actually need to be taking a look at in terms of serving to you launch your handbrake, get out of your individual means, get shit completed with out burning out. Obtain your small business targets. As a result of so many individuals write to do lists that we frequently don’t even query whether or not or not they’re efficient. And we particularly don’t query whether or not or not they’re efficient for us. As a result of the identical recommendation that different folks can comply with, it will be turning your perfectionism handbrake on. And we don’t need that.
So I need to discuss to you on this episode about among the hidden ways in which your to do listing is making you unproductive. In PGSD, we train the facility planning technique, which takes into consideration all of those ways in which a to do listing could make you unproductive and cures these in that energy planning technique. So I’ve six causes or six ways in which I’m going to share with you on this episode. The primary of which is that when now we have a to do listing, we don’t have to take a look at how a lot time and vitality we even have. That to do listing will be so long as we wish it to be.
And oftentimes once we’re on this mentality that we should be productive on a regular basis, and that the extra we do, the higher will likely be as an individual. Our self-worth is so snarled in that we are inclined to have these actually, actually lengthy to do lists. And it’s very simple initially of the day or the start of the week to be like, I’m going to have the most efficient week ever and write that lengthy to do listing. However the downfall of doing that’s that it doesn’t have you ever take into accounts how a lot vitality and time you even have.
So what finally ends up taking place is that we put means an excessive amount of on our plates, and that makes it very simple to suppose overwhelming ideas like, I don’t have sufficient time to do that. There’s not sufficient time to get all the things completed. I simply don’t know the place to begin. That’s that each one or nothing mindset coming in, and it simply creates a lot overwhelm, which results in procrastination, which then results in this final minute rush and burnout. So once we are doing a to do listing, on this means of simply writing, as a lot as we need to write on that to do listing, including as many objects as we will, we’re, as I mentioned, not considering how a lot time and vitality we even have. And that implies that additionally we will add plenty of busy work to that to do listing.
We are able to add issues that don’t actually matter as a result of there’s no filter to assist us prioritize. So one filter that lets you prioritize what to placed on a to do listing or what to place in your calendar is having a purpose. So in PGSD, we train you how one can set an inconceivable purpose for your small business. That’s a vital filter. I haven’t obtained it in my notes right here, however I extremely advocate ensuring that you’ve got a purpose. It’s step one of the planning part of the PGSD course of as a result of in the event you don’t have a purpose, it’s extremely difficult to inform what’s necessary and what isn’t. It’s additionally actually difficult to inform once you’re self-sabotaging and once you aren’t self-sabotaging, since you don’t even know what you’re attempting to get to, so that you don’t even know once you’re on monitor to that otherwise you’re off monitor.
So we need to be sure that together with your to do listing, you’ll be able to not less than have a filter by way of time that will help you not put an excessive amount of in your plate. This is the reason the facility planning technique has you placing your to do listing in your calendar, since you are compelled, when that occurs, to acknowledge that you’re a human and that it is advisable eat, it is advisable sleep. And regardless of what we predict, we additionally want relaxation moreover sleeping. And there are different issues now we have occurring as properly. However when now we have this to do listing, it simply doesn’t take any of that into consideration, and we’re setting ourselves up for failure and disappointment from the get go. And that’s why plenty of occasions now we have these lengthy to do lists, and I’ll discuss quickly about writing and rewriting these to do lists as properly.
However now we have these lengthy to do lists, after which we find yourself feeling so unhealthy that there are such a lot of unchecked objects on that to do listing, and we find yourself simply winging it and going into underneath planning, which is the place we’re simply attempting to not even make any commitments to ourselves in any way in order that we will’t disappoint ourselves. However that’s not productive both. So to do lists actually lend to over planning and underneath planning. The ability planning technique we actually have you ever discovering that candy spot. And one of many methods we do that’s having you will have the time constraint that comes with a calendar, so that you’re actually compelled to once more, prioritize what it is advisable do and likewise know when sufficient is sufficient.
As a result of if you’ll be able to put all of the issues in your to do listing, you then by no means really even know when you find yourself completed. So the second means that your to do listing is making you unproductive is that it doesn’t provide you with a way of accomplishment. And I do know I mentioned initially of this episode that one of many causes we like to do lists is due to that sense of accomplishment that you simply get once you tick off an merchandise in your to do listing. However when your perfectionism handbrake is on and also you’re working with to do lists, what occurs is most of these objects in your to do listing don’t get that magical examine mark. And we find yourself with these large lists of issues that aren’t completed.
And that is typically what results in rewriting a to do listing, as a result of we’re attempting to overlook that we didn’t do the issues that we had deliberate to do. So we rewrite it. We most likely make it prettier than earlier than, hoping that can preserve us motivated. However we aren’t really getting that sense of accomplishment that we predict we’re from a to do listing. So what it is advisable do is just remember to really know when your day is completed and the way a lot it is advisable do. So I discussed that within the first level, however I have to reiterate it as a result of in the event you don’t know when your day is definitely going to finish, it’s so exhausting, it’s virtually inconceivable to complete the day feeling like sufficient is sufficient.
And infrequently once we do have a productive day and we’re working from a to do listing, we simply find yourself doing additional issues and punishing ourselves for being productive. So your mind on this scenario is like, okay, properly, I used to be so centered at present. I hoped that if I used to be going to be so centered that I’d be rewarded for that with a break. However as an alternative, we’re in once we don’t have this self belief as a result of our handbrake is on, We don’t belief ourselves to be productive tomorrow and productive the day after that and the day after that. So what we do is we go, okay, I have to capitalize on how productive and centered I’m at present. So I’m going to get all of this different shit completed at present as properly. However once more, that’s punishing your mind for being centered.
So the subsequent time you go to take a seat down and do work, it implies that your mind’s like, properly, yesterday once we did this, we had been punished for being productive and centered and getting so much completed. So as an alternative, I’m simply going to take my time at present. I’m going to go look on Instagram and do all of this, as a result of she’s simply going so as to add an increasing number of to my plate anyway. So I’ll as properly take it a bit bit simpler so I’m not as fatigued. You have to do not forget that our brains are wired to hunt pleasure, keep away from ache, and preserve vitality. It’s that survival motivational triad that helps to maintain us alive. So your mind must preserve vitality in order that if hazard turns into current, it may well get you out of that scenario. Our brains eat plenty of energy.
I feel it’s about twenty 5 % of the energy that we burn on daily basis are burned by our mind and us pondering, so your mind doesn’t need to suppose. It desires to only have all these autopilot default ideas that it usually has. It doesn’t need to deplete plenty of psychological vitality. However once we are asking our mind to do issues, and particularly if these issues are brave needle movers, it’s going to be very fatiguing and there’s going to be resistance from the mind. So now we have to maintain that in thoughts once we are attempting to be productive in getting shit completed, that our mind, despite the fact that we intellectually and consciously need to be productive and need to do issues subconsciously, we don’t as a result of our mind is attempting to preserve vitality for a life threatening scenario.
So in terms of your to do listing, If you’re simply including an increasing number of and extra to your plate once you’re having a productive day, which could be very simple to do when you will have a to do listing and also you haven’t really drawn a line within the sand as to when that day will finish. Then even in the event you try this day, really feel completed since you’ve obtained so much completed. Your mind isn’t going to assist preserve you feeling completed on a steady foundation. So when you find yourself working from a calendar, you’re in a position to really, as I mentioned, draw that line within the sand and say, that is sufficient. That is all the things that I plan to do at present. After which you are able to do that and really feel completed. It’s a lot simpler than when now we have this lengthy to do listing, and we’re simply obscure about what we need to get completed that day.
We’d take the method of, I’ll see how a lot I can get completed, or perhaps you will have like a grasp to do listing and smaller to do listing for the day, however you haven’t thought-about with that to do listing how a lot time and vitality you even have. Going again to that first level. So that you most likely have put extra in your to do listing than you then even have time to do. You’ve most likely additionally written these objects in a obscure, exercise centered means, like work on this venture slightly than it being consequence based mostly. So it’s additionally very difficult. And so that you can determine what you really have to do and how one can know when that process has been completed.
As a result of in the event you get to your to do listing, it’s like, work on this at present, work on that at present, work on that at present, you then don’t really know what accomplishment appears like. I imply, I suppose you might say if I labored on that factor, then I really feel completed. However we have a tendency not to do this when our handbrake is on. We’re not very beneficiant with giving credit score to ourselves. So once you’re working from a to do listing, it’s very difficult to truly get that sense of accomplishment that you simply suppose the to do listing provides you. And almost certainly on the finish of the day, you’ll fall asleep feeling such as you didn’t get sufficient completed and that you simply by no means get sufficient completed. And likewise this relates again to Self-trust.
Should you don’t even have a time of day the place, you understand, like, that is the tip of the day and that is after I’m calling it, then it’s actually difficult to earn your self belief as a result of having an finish to the day, drawing that line within the sand after which honoring that’s such a strong device in terms of self-trust. And the extra you belief your self, the extra empowered you’ll be in terms of your small business. And one other profit as properly of working from a calendar and having that line within the sand is which you could really expertise a consequence once you aren’t centered.
And I do know that doesn’t sound like an excellent factor, however this relates to some extent I’ll speak about later with self-sabotage. However when we aren’t really having any consequence for being unproductive, there’s no motivation for us to be extra productive. So I’ve already talked about that motivational triad and the way including extra to our plate, as a result of we don’t belief ourselves to be productive is dangerous. But additionally if we aren’t experiencing a consequence for being unproductive.
So say for instance, with the to do listing, you haven’t really mentioned what you wished to get completed at present. You would possibly simply have this lengthy to do listing. Otherwise you most likely already know that despite the fact that you need to get all the things on that to do listing completed at present, that you simply, you’re most likely not going to do it anyway. You don’t actually have the time. So in the event you don’t get all the things completed on that to do listing, then there’s no actual consequence for that. And also you’re simply going to pull that over to the subsequent day and the subsequent day and the subsequent day, you’re most likely going to rewrite that to do listing. And that’s all properly and good, however it implies that there was no consequence there.
There was no name to consideration that you simply weren’t centered. So there’s no actual motivation to be centered on another day both as a result of, you understand, you’re simply going to let your self off the hook. However in case you are working from a calendar and you’ve got that line within the sand as to when the day will finish and also you honor that which goes that will help you construct self-trust no matter what you bought completed that day. Should you didn’t get all the things completed that you simply’d deliberate to do, as an alternative of including extra time to that day to get all of it completed, which is what the temptation is once we say, I simply love feeling productive, I’d slightly get all of it completed and work a bit additional, then end on time and have issues undone.
As a result of now we have all of those concepts about productiveness and self-worth and all of that. In order that sounds very logical to say I simply love being productive. I’d slightly work a bit additional, however once we try this, we aren’t being penalized for being unproductive. And so, as I mentioned, we’re wired to hunt pleasure, keep away from ache, and preserve vitality. There’s no ache that we then have to keep away from. But when now we have duties undone, that’s painful. And so the subsequent day, once we know that that is the tip to our day, and if issues don’t get completed, I’m not going to have additional time to do them. We’re a lot extra motivated to be centered, so it is advisable be thoughtful of that as properly, and just remember to are drawing that line within the sand as to when your day will finish, which is difficult to do with a to do listing, to do listing as a result of it’s not time based mostly.
This is the reason calendar actually helps, however it is advisable draw a line within the sand as to when that day goes to finish. And in the event you get all the things completed in your calendar early, give your self a while off, some additional day without work. I do know it’s going to be uncomfortable and also you need to capitalize in your productiveness, however once you add extra to your plate, as I mentioned, you might be actually dwelling into that self-image that you simply’re not somebody who’s usually productive. So it is advisable capitalize on it. And that’s not going that will help you be extra productive sooner or later. And in the event you don’t get all the things completed by that point, you continue to have to put pens down and really expertise the consequence of not having been centered and productive that day in order that the subsequent day you’re like, okay, I really can’t afford to scroll via Instagram for 3 hours at present as a result of if I don’t get this completed by a sure time, then I’m not going to have the ability to keep again late and do it then.
In order that’s the second hidden means that your to do listing is making you unproductive, that it’s not providing you with a way of accomplishment. And likewise inside that, I discussed, clearly self belief and the affect that that additionally has in your self picture, which is your identification, your story, you inform your self about your self. And our identification is a self-fulfilling prophecy. So in the event you imagine that you simply’re not somebody who’s productive on daily basis, you then’re going to create that actuality for your self.
Should you imagine that you simply’re somebody who’s not centered and who struggles to not get distracted, you’re going to create that actuality for your self. It’s so necessary. So quantity three is that it creates resolution fatigue to work from a to do listing. As a result of once you’re working from A to do listing, almost certainly that to do listing isn’t prioritized. It doesn’t inform you how lengthy you possibly can afford to spend on every process. And so what it is advisable do always all through the day is to make choices. A few of these choices could be huge, a few of them could be small, however you might be always making choices and that’s depleting the vitality you will have for resolution making.
You solely have a certain quantity every day, and the extra you deplete that call making vitality, the more durable it’s to make choices which might be in your individual finest curiosity. So what we need to have you ever do is to actually arrange your to do listing or working from a calendar, like with energy planning to set issues up in order that as many choices as doable are made forward of time, in order that when you find yourself really attending to the time to do the work, you don’t have to determine, okay, what am I going to do? How am I going to spend on it? How am I even know if that’s completed? It’s simply all laid out for you there. So with energy planning, we do a one hour energy planning session every week.
Usually PGSDers will do that on a Sunday or on a Monday, and in that hour you’re making choices about the remainder of the week. I do know that makes it sound prefer it’s going to be inflexible and strict, however a vital precept of energy planning is maintaining your plans workable. So you might be updating your plans as you go to just remember to can proceed to comply with via with them to account for something surprising that comes up, together with the way you could be feeling. And likewise, I forgot to say this with the sooner level. That is one thing I personally like to do with my energy planning is that I nonetheless get that feeling of ticking off a to do listing with my calendar, as a result of I’m including.
After I end every little process, every block in my calendar, I’m going in and I add a tick, a examine mark like I a bit emoji in order that I can see tick. I did that and if I didn’t, I’ll regulate it so it displays what I really did. So after I’m doing my energy planning session initially of the week, I’m making choices in regards to the the rest of the week. I’m placing that bus hat on and I’m deciding what’s in my very own finest curiosity as the worker goes to be fulfilling that work, and likewise what must get completed for the corporate.
After which all through the week, I’m maintaining that workable by the tip of the week. Should you take a look at my calendar, it’s going to look completely different to the way it did at first of the week. There are going to be changes based mostly on what got here up throughout the week. Possibly I underestimated how lengthy a process wanted as a result of I haven’t completed it earlier than. A variety of duties that you should have as an entrepreneur you’ve by no means completed earlier than, otherwise you’re not tremendous aware of since you’re at all times doing new issues. So when it will get to the tip of the week, my calendar will look completely different, however it’ll mirror what I really did, which is such a strong device to then have the ability to see, okay, that is how I really labored this week.
So now subsequent week, what do I have to do to take that into consideration in order that I have to make much less modifications to have my calendar stay workable. however I add that little examine mark in order that I get that sense of accomplishment. However I’m not having resolution fatigue as a result of as soon as I do my hourly energy planning session and I get all the things into my calendar and I’m going via the entire course of that we train inside PGSD, to do this, I’ve a lot readability. Overwhelm vanishes as a result of when now we have this lengthy to do listing, as I discussed, it’s really easy to have these overwhelming ideas of there’s not sufficient time to get all the things completed. I don’t know the place to begin. When you will have it in your calendar and you might be placing needle movers in there which might be consequence centered, you possibly can really take a look at your calendar and be like, okay, I do know there’s sufficient time to get all the things completed.
Once more, we’re not being strict or inflexible with energy planning. Big a part of this isn’t being a bitch to your self together with your to do listing or your calendar, and making your plans workable so you might really comply with via on them, not simply your excellent self might comply with via on them, However you, as a human who once more must sleep and relaxation and eat and has different issues occurring of their life, can really comply with via with that plan. However in case you are utilizing this to do listing, you might be almost certainly going to finish up with plenty of resolution fatigue, which is impacting your productiveness with out you even realizing the extent to which that’s taking place. So working from a calendar actually helps with that, particularly doing a one hour planning session since you are compelled to make these choices abruptly.
Sure, it’s tedious to do this. Our brains once more, don’t need to make choices. They simply need to wing it. And we predict that, oh my God, I’ve obtained a lot to do. I simply want to begin. Like there’s no time to even make a plan. Is mindless when you consider it, as a result of you then’re simply haphazardly leaping from process to process to process, and also you don’t really full issues. Or in the event you do full issues, they’re most likely not the belongings you really wanted to do. It’s at all times definitely worth the time to make a plan. And once we do energy planning, we restrict that to a one hour energy planning session every week as a result of it is vitally simple to spend so much of time planning what we’re going to do.
In order that leads me to my subsequent level, which is writing to do lists can grow to be a type of procrastination in and of itself when you find yourself writing and rewriting to do lists. That’s one thing that we do as a result of it feels productive to be in that planning part, however it’s not weak as a result of when you find yourself writing a to do listing, for instance, you’re not having to comply with via on that to do listing but. You aren’t having to place your self on the market. You might be simply eager about doing the work. And it’s, particularly in the event you’re rewriting to do lists very often. Or perhaps you will have all these completely different to do lists for each space of your life. And you then discover that the majority of these issues don’t get checked off. Or in the event that they do, it takes months for that to occur.
Then that is one thing it is advisable be listening to. And energy planning is designed so that you simply don’t fall into this entice of procrastinate planning. However with to do lists, particularly once we love them being fairly and we need to have like a recent one on daily basis or no matter it’s you’re doing, it will grow to be procrastinate planning, which is planning to the extent that it lets you keep away from one thing else, which is doing the work, placing your self on the market, doing the scary issues that you simply really have to do to construct your small business. So pay attention to that. I do know it’s, it’s actually difficult to name ourselves out on it as a result of it feels so essential, however we need to restrict the period of time that we take per week for planning. We wish to spend so much of our time within the doing.
And that doesn’t imply simply doing all of the duties and solely being in worker mode. We are able to additionally have you ever doing boss issues, which is having the larger image imaginative and prescient and doing pondering and that form of stuff. However in terms of really simply planning in your to do listing, we don’t need to have you ever spending two days per week simply determining what you’re going to do this week. After which by the point it comes to truly comply with via, you’re so exhausted from writing these to do lists otherwise you’re underneath the misunderstanding you’re being extra productive than you might be since you’re writing these to do lists and so that you don’t really get shit completed. So once more, with these to do lists and once we’re writing them, it may well really feel productive and it turns into productive procrastination as a result of it provides us the misunderstanding that we’re shifting the enterprise ahead.
After we spend all this time writing and rewriting to do lists once we’re not. And that’s when in case you are feeling behind in your small business, in case you are feeling caught, And in the event you’re feeling like I must be additional alongside by now, it’s almost certainly that there’s numerous productive procrastination. So you’re feeling like you will have been doing greater than you will have really been doing. I’m not saying you haven’t been doing issues, however you will have been doing the issues that don’t contribute to a change in outcomes. And due to that, which means that you’re now underneath the misunderstanding that you have to be. We don’t need to actually communicate like that, however must be additional alongside than you really are. And that may grow to be very disheartening and discouraging and might result in quitting.
So it’s form of the equal of in the event you joined a gymnasium and also you’re like, oh, properly, I’ve been I joined the gymnasium three years in the past. I must be match by now. You probably have, for instance, you be part of the gymnasium, which is the equal of beginning the enterprise, and you then spent the entire time since then watching YouTube movies on how one can work out or how everybody else is figuring out and also you’re like, I don’t know what I need to do at present. I’m simply going to take a look at all these different folks and see what their exercises appear like. You write and rewrite your exercise plan. It’s simple to suppose like, no, I’m actually investing plenty of vitality into the gymnasium and into having a profitable gymnasium expertise. However until you’re lifting the weights and until you’re doing the cardio, no matter it’s you intend to do, you’re not going to get the outcomes.
So it could be that writing and rewriting to do lists is mainly having it’s the equal of you be part of the gymnasium once you began your small business, and you’re feeling such as you’ve been within the gymnasium for a very long time, so you have to be trying fairly match by now, however you’re not, and also you’re disenchanted since you’ve put a lot vitality into it. However actually, you haven’t been doing the needle movers, the issues that really matter. And I do know it could be uncomfortable to listen to all of that. I imply, on this podcast, I do my finest to name you out. That is what it’s about. It’s serving to you see, um, the place your handbrake is on and what you are able to do about it. And I attempt my finest to do this in a loving means.
But additionally, simply bear in mind, I’m talking from expertise right here from plenty of private expertise. And I do know it’s actually confronting when you will have been struggling actually exhausting to construct your small business, to appreciate that you simply haven’t actually been constructing the enterprise since you’ve been in your individual means with that perfectionism, handbrake on. However I hope that you simply, by understanding that it may well grow to be a type of procrastination, that it may well enable you to cease doing that. And that’s going to imply that you’re going to have to spend extra time doing brave issues. It doesn’t imply you now have to spend extra time working. Most certainly, you probably have only a one hour planning session per week and together with your plans, you set these brave needle movers on there. You’ll have to work lower than earlier than. And that is actually the key to getting extra completed in much less time. You’re going to be working much less. It can require extra braveness.
It can require extra discomfort, however it is possible for you to to work much less time since you are doing the issues which might be actually making a distinction. So for instance, with that gymnasium instance or analogy that you simply don’t have to work out ten hours a day, however you might simply spend ten hours a day researching exercises, taking a look at YouTube movies of what everybody else is doing, evaluating exercise plans, and doing all these ancillary issues that don’t actually matter an excessive amount of. Or you might simply do a one hour exercise, a thirty minute exercise, and there’s going to be extra uncomfortable than watching the YouTube movies of different folks figuring out, however that’s going that will help you get outcomes. However then this brings up, after all, all of the stuff now we have occurring once we aren’t feeling like we’re working exhausting, then we don’t really feel like we’re deserving of issues. So it may be uncomfortable to be in ease.
And that’s one other factor that Clear Relaxation will enable you with, to observe these emotions to observe really doing the brave issues after which having relaxation and your mind telling you you have to be extra productive and that it is advisable be working more durable and ignoring your mind. Um, however yeah, all of that to say it may well grow to be a type of procrastination. And in the event you’re discovering that you simply’re writing and rewriting to do lists rather a lot, it most undoubtedly has grow to be that for you, which is okay, however we simply need to concentrate on that. Quantity 5 is which you could’t spot self-sabotage when you find yourself utilizing a to do listing.
It is vitally difficult. And that’s as a result of we frequently with a to do listing, write in such a obscure means which you could’t actually even inform whether or not or not you bought that process accomplished. Additionally it is more durable to inform once you’re placing issues off or constantly avoiding duties, as a result of you probably have a combination in your to do listing of needle movers and busy work, which could be very simple to do when you will have a to do listing. You could have plenty of busy work objects on there. Once more, as a result of there’s no time constraint, you’re not compelled to prioritize. Possibly you don’t actually have a purpose, so that you’re not even certain what you’re attempting to realize, however you will have this to do listing. And it’s very simple to prioritize the busy work and to really feel productive since you’re ticking off these busy work objects, however that you’re not actually even in a position to discover that the needle movers that have to get completed, which is the equal of truly doing the exercise, are getting postpone repeatedly and once more.
If you find yourself following energy planning, for instance, in your to do listing is in your calendar when you find yourself maintaining your plans workable, which once more is a large a part of energy planning and you might be having to replace your plans, your calendar to mirror what you really did, you’ll be compelled to note the way you assorted out of your plans. And that may be confronting, however it’s so extremely necessary that you simply try this as a result of then you possibly can say, okay, I had deliberate to get up on daily basis this week at seven a m and to begin my work at eight, for instance. I’m simply making this up.
However on daily basis I needed to transfer my plans as a result of I began. I wakened at eight am and I didn’t begin until eleven am. And so this isn’t then a chance so that you can beat your self up, however it’s perhaps a chance to say, okay, perhaps subsequent time I plan. And for this reason we do a weekly assessment with energy planning. Subsequent time I plan my week, perhaps I simply really make a plan I’m going to comply with via on, which implies waking up at eight a m and beginning at eleven a m so I can earn that self-trust and really comply with via with these plans as an alternative of maintaining making this plan for my excellent self. After which I don’t comply with via with it, after which I really feel unhealthy about it.
I’m really going to make a plan I can comply with via with, or you possibly can actually take a look at that and go, okay, that’s so fascinating. What about it? Like, why do I begin at eleven am? Is it as a result of I simply work higher within the afternoons and I simply can’t suppose within the morning? And I have to construction my day in order that I can do my work within the afternoon and simply put apart all these notions that entrepreneurs have to get up early and get shit completed within the morning, or is there one thing else that’s occurring? Is it as a result of I’ve plenty of uncomfortable duties at present and I don’t need to do it, so I put it off. And is there one thing I can do to assist me have extra braveness to do these duties or to make these duties simpler?
So, for instance, it might be that you’re placing means an excessive amount of nonetheless in your plate, and it simply appears so overwhelming that within the morning you’re like, oh, I simply don’t even need to get began. So you set it off till the final minute which you could, which could imply beginning at eleven a m and it might be that really deciding, properly, I’m solely going to place half of that on my calendar and simply get these one, two or three necessary needle movers completed. After which that’s it for the day which you could really focus when that’s the case, as a result of your mind can see the sunshine on the finish of the tunnel. And that instance that I shared is actually one thing that occurred for me, not in that actual means, however I noticed I used to be placing too many duties at a time of day that my mind doesn’t operate. So I work finest within the morning. And so I used to be like, I had heard from folks like they love a gradual morning and simply form of easing into work. And I’d been attempting that out.
And that’s not my favourite method after having experimented with it for fairly some time. However I assumed I’d give it a go. After which what I really discovered is that it’s a lot more difficult for me to do these brave duties within the afternoon than within the morning. And so from doing energy planning and noticing the methods I stored altering my calendar and the way lengthy issues took, if I did them at sure occasions of day in contrast with others, I used to be in a position to change the construction of my day in order that I used to be in a position to get extra completed in much less time. And so my mind really noticed this mild on the finish of the tunnel in order that I’d begin early. So not too early, however say at eight thirty and my day would end at two thirty as a result of I’d found out from energy planning and having this perception into self-sabotage, and likewise how I work finest that working six hours a day, like that’s as a lot as my mind can deal with earlier than. I imply, I can sit at a pc for a very long time. Don’t get me mistaken, I can sit at a pc for sixteen hours.
However by way of productive, centered work with out procrastination, as soon as I get to about six hours, my mind’s like, okay, sufficient. We’d like a break. So as an alternative of planning eight hours of labor a day after which dilly dallying or doing six hours of labor throughout eight hours, what I did was I began adjusting my energy planning due to the insights I had from working from my calendar that you simply don’t have out there once you’re working from a to do listing, and I used to be in a position to regulate my day, so I used to be getting extra completed in much less time with out burning out, was having clear relaxation and simply having a significantly better expertise than after I was again within the day years in the past, working from a to do listing. Um, and it’s to not say that energy planning means you’re immediately going to be having these good productive days.
To start with, it truly is only a device to present you perception into how your handbrake is at present on and productiveness errors that you simply’re making, which is why we advocate that you simply do energy planning for not less than three months, which is why, uh, earlier than you choose whether or not or not it’s working for you. And it’s why we additionally solely train energy planning inside PGSD, as a result of it’s going to carry some stuff up for you, and also you want construction and assist that will help you try this and get via that so to have it’s the extremely empowering, efficient device that it’s. However all of this to say that when you find yourself working from a to do listing, it’s actually difficult to identify self-sabotage.
It’s actually difficult to determine what time of day you’re employed finest, as a result of you aren’t having to concentrate to these issues. Whenever you simply sit down with a to do listing and take a look at your finest on daily basis to get all of it ticked off. And so we need to have you ever really planning and following via in a means the place you possibly can see the self-sabotage, which goes to be uncomfortable, or you possibly can see the place you’re being unproductive, which goes to be uncomfortable, however that’s going to empower you to alter that. As an alternative of with a to do listing, it’s extra obscure whether or not or not you might be self-sabotaging, which implies it’s a bit extra comfy since you don’t discover once you’re getting in your individual means, however you’re nonetheless getting in your individual means. And that’s going to result in discomfort in the long run as a result of you will have a lot potential and your small business shouldn’t be a mirrored image of that.
The ultimate factor I wished to say on this episode is that once you’re working from a to do listing. One of many methods it’s making you unproductive is that you’re solely going to relaxation in leftover time that you’ve got. So once you’re following energy planning, for instance, a part of that’s clear relaxation, including time the place you might be resting with out guilt. That is so necessary for serving to you launch your perfectionism handbrake so you will get out of your individual means in so some ways. I’m not going to enter it an excessive amount of extra on this episode. However all of this simply to say that in the event you’re working from a to do listing, once more, you haven’t drawn that line within the sand about when the day will finish. So it’s form of like, um, once you could be wanting to economize, for instance, and also you inform your self you’ll save what’s left over after which, hey, hey, you get to the tip of the week and there’s nothing left to save lots of. Or it’s like twenty {dollars}. And that retains taking place repeatedly, repeatedly.
So the identical factor can occur once you’re working from a to do listing. You inform your self, properly, I’ll take a break as soon as my to do listing is completed. After which hey, hey, you get to the tip of the week and also you didn’t have any day without work or any clear relaxation, which is so necessary for being productive since you solely had been going to do this in leftover time and there was none. So when you find yourself utilizing energy planning, when you find yourself working from a to do listing that has time constraints round it, you’ll be able to really prioritize relaxation. And I do know you don’t need to hear that. You’re like, I don’t want relaxation. I don’t have time to relaxation, particularly in the event you’re not full time in your small business but. You’re like, I actually don’t have time. Should you don’t have time to relaxation, you want it essentially the most. Let me simply inform you, in the event you really feel such as you shouldn’t have time to take a break, you want it greater than anybody else.
And there’s so many causes we resist the clear relaxation and now we have time related to productiveness. The extra time we spend doing productive issues, the extra productive will likely be. That’s not the case. Usually, the extra time we spend, the extra time we give ourselves, the much less productive we’re as a result of it’s simple to self-sabotage. It’s simpler to do unimportant issues. So even in the event you do really feel productive, you’re not really shifting issues ahead once more. You might be mainly doing the equal of watching different folks work out on YouTube slightly than doing the work out your self. So time constraint is such a strong technique to get your self to be extra productive. However typically we find yourself on this mentality of, properly, to do extra, I would like extra time. And I need to simply lastly, on the finish of this, simply point out as properly that in the event you inform your self you don’t have sufficient time to get issues completed, and once you do have time to get issues completed, you’re not productive. So perhaps you’re procrastinating otherwise you’re overthinking or doing all these different issues. Possibly you’re simply so overwhelmed you don’t even know the place to begin. This episode was for you.
This episode was so for you as a result of it may be so irritating once we’re like, I simply, I would like extra time to get shit completed. I simply don’t have sufficient time within the day. After which we get time. We discover ourselves losing it. Meaning your handbrake is on and it is advisable make a change. That lack of time shouldn’t be the difficulty. It has been demonstrated to you that lack of time on this scenario shouldn’t be the difficulty, since once you get extra time you simply waste it. So if lack of time isn’t the difficulty, what’s? It’s that you’re following a productiveness technique, a to do listing that really turns your perfectionism handbrake on and is stopping you from having the ability to get out of your individual means. To get you completed, to place your self on the market and do all of these issues.
So there’s nothing mistaken with you. It’s simply that you simply’ve been following recommendation that doesn’t really work for a perfectionist. In order I discussed in PGSD, we train the facility planning technique, and it’s such an necessary device for serving to you launch your handbrake and likewise for getting out of your individual means and being productive. However no matter whether or not you’re in PGSD or not. I actually hope that you’ll take what I’ve shared on this episode on board. And when you find yourself planning your week, that you simply cease making a few of these errors at to do lists make it very simple to make. So with that mentioned, I hope you’re having a fantastic day and I’ll discuss to you within the subsequent episode.
Outro
Should you battle to construct your small business as a result of procrastination or overthinking, or perhaps you retain burning your self out, I need to invite you to affix my program, Perfectionist Getting Shit Carried out. Inside, I’ll train you my confirmed course of for getting shit completed as a perfectionist entrepreneur. In case you didn’t know, perfectionists can’t comply with the identical productiveness recommendation as everybody else.
After we do, we get in our personal means. So let me train you what works inside this system. It’s easy and anybody can be taught.
To enroll at present, go to samlaurabrown.com/pgsd. I’ll see you inside.
Discussion about this post