3 tips for getting back on track when you’re feeling unproductive & unmotivated in your biz
As a freelancer, small business owner or entrepreneur, one of the realisations that you will quickly come to acknowledge is that your mind’s capabilities can be your biggest strength, and your biggest downfall.
We have all had moments where we sit down at our desk to work, and 4 hours later we find ourselves answering questions about what type of pasta dish we’d be if we were a pasta (FYI - I’m totally a pesto penne, just in case you were wondering…😂) or binging on Greys Anatomy (my most recent way to avoid doing work).
We get sidetracked, we lose momentum, and we struggle to get any work done.
There’s no better feeling than when you get to the end of the day feeling like “man, I got a LOT done today!”. But sometimes we don’t see a few of those days for a while, and we start to wonder WHY and HOW to get back to being productive.
What do you do when you are faced with the doom and gloom of a creative block or productivity slump?
Tip 1: The most important thing to do is to identify WHAT is stumping our productivity.
Once we have recognised the factors that are hindering our productivity, it is much easier to solve the problem.
Here are some of the blocks that I commonly deal with, and how I deal with them:
We are facing a task that we just really, really don’t want to do and are putting it off
This happens a lot! While it’s amazing to have your own business, there are ALWAYS going to be tasks that we have to do that we don’t particularly want to do.
I find that these tasks are better tackled outside my regular home office. I like to put all of these tasks off until I know I can head to a co-working space or a coffee shop and just smash them out in a day. The co-working space or coffee shop works well because you have less distractions (like netflix).
Plan a day to get them done, get out of the house, write a to-do list and aim to tick them all off before you head home.
My biggest insight into tasks like these is that: the thought of doing these tasks is actually always worse than just doing them. So just start, because once you get on a roll with these, it’s going to feel amazing to tick them off.
Once you’ve been in business a bit longer, you should definitely start to consider outsourcing the tasks that make you feel like this. There’s probably someone out there who specializes in it!
We do not feel confident in the task that we are faced with
It’s easy to put off tasks that you’re not confident in. You might get overcome with imposter syndrome and think you’re not up to it. But instead of putting it off, let’s deal with it head on. You have two options:
Option one: Figure it out. You thought you could do the task in the first place, which means you’re probably pretty confident that you can figure it out. Prepare and research as much as possible to make you feel more confident, then, just do it!
Option two: Don’t do it. If you agreed to something in the moment and now you think it’s something you really can’t, or don’t want to do, then just don’t do it. Apologize to your client or anyone who was relying on you, and think of other ways you could produce this task by outsourcing it to someone else.
These two options pretty much apply to any situation that you’re in that you don’t feel confident in. Realise you really only have two choices, to do it or to not do it. By putting it off, you are just making your choice harder. Weigh up the pros and cons of doing each, and make a decision.
We are overworked and have reached our creative limit
Work backwards from here, why are you overworked? Figure out where you are pushing yourself the most and where you feel like you need a break. Then figure out how to fix it, like:
Decrease your client work / charge more for your services
Outsource simple, time consuming tasks to a VA
Create a digital product (like a course or ebook) that can provide passive revenue on the side
Get a part-time job to decrease financial stress in your business
If you know you are overworked and burnt-out, it is very important that you make a decision to deal with it, you can’t continue to just push through this, you will only become more blocked.
We have lost sight of, or lost connection with, the bigger picture
Getting stuck in the day to day tasks and forgetting about the bigger picture of your business is the fastest way to lose inspiration, productivity and momentum.
This actually happens to me ALL of the time, so I actually schedule time in my calendar every week to journal about my big goals, and plan out my weeks + months.
If I don’t put this goals/planning/inspiration time it into my calendar, I totally forget to do it, and lose momentum with everything.
I recommend always having some goals, even if they are just monthly goals. These keep you focussed and working towards something.
Then, schedule time to regularly check in with yourself about these goals and the direction your business is going and how you are feeling about it.
Whatever your inspiration is to build your own business, whether it’s freedom to travel, more time with your family, financial freedom — whatever resonates with you most — make sure to focus on that regularly, and plan your business around that.
If you keep the bigger picture in mind, the little tasks don’t feel quite as hard, and you’ll reenergize yourself to be more productive!
Tip 2: Know your best working habits and environment
For me, one of the most noticeable things about my working habits is that I tend to be super productive in the mornings, and again after lunch. I also find that I start to lose momentum and need to take a break from my desk after working for 2-3 hours straight.
Even something as simple as getting up and making a tea, or walking around the block is enough to reboot my energy and re-ignite that productivity (afternoon walks are my fav)! I’m also way more productive if I exercise first thing in the morning.
By waking slightly earlier and starting work a little earlier, I have been able to take full advantage of my higher energy and concentration levels - cue ultimate productivity mode!
Realising how you work best is a huge advantage, as it gives you the freedom to structure your work days around your productivity.
So, figure out what works for you. Don’t force yourself to work early mornings if you don’t get anything done. Don’t stay up late working if you’re half asleep and being half productive.
Try to become aware of when you work best, and you’ll get much more done in less amount of time!
Figuring out how you work, and when you are most productive during will be a huge time saver when it comes to nailing your productivity.
Tip 3: Eliminate your distractions!
This one is a big point of importance for me! I am the queen of distractions, and will find any way possible to procrastinate when I’m simply just… not feeling it.
Given my day typically involves a ton of customer service, and posting + checking in on my Instagram account Facebook account, I can easily get distracted on my phone. So when I’m in work mode, I make a conscious effort to leave my phone upside down and on silent. This means that I don’t hear or see any notifications. Then I give myself a set time to go in and check and answer my DMs on Insta and FB.
Also, if I’m on my computer, I often hop on Facebook to answer client DMS. Then, once I’m on there, it’s easy to get distracted and stay on there! I found this awesome “Facebook Feed Eradicator” Plugin for Google Chrome which essentially hides my Facebook feed, so when I hop onto Facebook to quickly answer client DMs, I don’t get distracted by my newsfeed. This has been a lifesaver!
I also find that if I get out of the house, I’m way less distracted and more productive. I love going to the local cafe or co-working space, aka my “distraction-free” zones!
So, start to become super aware of what your distractions are. What do you go to first when you’re avoiding work? Netflix? Instagram? TikTok? (that’s a SERIOUS worm-hole!). Whatever it is, eliminate it.
Leave the house if you’re always watching Netflix. Delete the app if you’re always on it (Yes, I had to delete the TikTok app 😂). Whatever it is, just get rid of it. Because, from experience, as soon as you do, you’ll find it SO much easier to get some work done.
That’s it! My top tips for getting your groove back when you’re feeling unproductive. Hopefully it helps — now go get some work done!
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