The 2 reasons why you’re (still) procrastinating

Ever found yourself aimlessly staring at the computer screen, flicking between tabs, or, let’s be honest, losing the umpteenth hour to social media spirals when you should be working on your next big project? If that hits close to home, you’re not alone.

Procrastination isn’t a sign of laziness; it’s a complex beast with roots in our psychology. In my journey of helping founders systemize and scale operations, I’ve found that there are typically two main culprits behind this productivity-sapping behavior.

Address them both, and you’ll be well on your way to squashing procrastination.

The first possible reason you’re procrastinating is that you haven’t clarified the Next Action. This isn’t just any task on your to-do list; it’s the specific next step that propels your project forward. It’s your immediate focus, the kind that cuts through the fog of ambiguity.

Let’s break it down. To clarify the Next Action, you must first outline what success looks like for your project or goal.

What is the end goal? It’s not enough to say, “I want to grow my business.” Be specific. Does success mean Launching a cold email campaign, automating your onboarding process, or launching TikTok ads? Once you’ve defined this, the Next Action becomes much clearer.

For instance, if your goal is to launch a cold email campaign, your Next Action could be to spend 30 minutes researching software and tools that assist with the process. That’s a concrete step you can act on, which directly contributes to your larger goal.

To check out my simple project template, Click Here.

The second possible reason for procrastination is that you’re not the right Who. This was a game-changer realization for me. Often, the task at hand requires a skill set or knowledge base that you either don’t possess or can’t easily master.

As entrepreneurs, we tend to wear all the hats, but that can lead to a serious bottleneck, not to mention burnout.

If you find yourself dreading a task, ask yourself if it’s something you can—or should—be doing. Is it in your zone of genius? If not, delegate it to someone whose zone it is. By doing so, not only will the task likely be completed more efficiently, but you’ll also free up time to focus on what you excel at.

For example, if the Next Action for launching your cold email campaign is to write a sequence of high-converting emails, and copywriting isn’t your forte, it might be time to call in an expert. You could spend countless hours trying to craft the perfect emails, or you could outsource it to a professional and have it done in a fraction of the time, with a much greater chance for success.

By embracing clarity and delegation, you're setting yourself up for a more focused and effective approach to your work.

See you all next Thursday 👋

PS. Whenever you're ready... Here are three ways I can help you systemize & automate operations: