How to manage Procrastinatio....oh look a new book to read!

Let me begin by defining that word...

pro·cras·ti·na·tion

noun

1. the action of delaying or postponing something.

I might appear all organised and focused on the outside but blimey I am so good at postponing things. Right now I should be writing my content for a Womens' Health Webniar I am hosting next week.. link for the event right here (don't worry it will be awesome... and finished :)

But the thing is when something isn't quite singing to me I will often find a whole host of other jobs to do rather than finish that project. Don't get me wrong its not because I don't like my subject... its just something isn't quite right with it and I need to put my finger on just what that is. Many might say the only way to do that is to just get bloomin well stuck in, right?

Yes... but sometimes a whole load of overwhelm sets in... and then the ego starts in my ear... ''but you aren't good enough to host a webinar''... ''no one will tune in anyhow''... and a zillion other creative zapping thoughts filter through.

SO, how on earth do I get over this period and start plugging in to the work to get the results?

Well one of the best things I do is listen to my inner voice - not the ego... that one gets scilenced pretty quickly. No, I listen to my instinct, my inner core that guides me to doing the right thing at the right time. Often I take solice in quiet time and order my thoughts - put things on my internal to do list and work through them gently.

The other thing I do is listen to my coach and take heart from her infinate wisdom and do the things she recomends. The best thing recently has been to shorten my To Do List. I pick one project that I want to complete and set about breaking it down into little tasks. This way I don't get overwhelemd with ''too much stuff to do'' and can feel good about completing each task properly.

Taking on too many things at once generally means I achive nothing of great importance and only serves to allow feelings of un worthiness to creep in.

The other great thing I have been using is a Timer App. There are loads of them to chose from online and they really allow you to focus on one task at a time for a specific period. The Pomodoro technique is where I started but you can always use the kitchen timer o the stopwatch on your phone. Its a brilliant way to focus and achieve smaller tasks... like writing this article now!

Sometimes its great to change the space you are working in if you can. I find that dropping into a local cafe allows me to achieve lots of scheduling work and allows me to observe local life. Working with clients feels right and natural from my office space, but often my creative work flows when I am relaxed on the sofa with a good cup of tea at my side.

Try to avoid the things that distract you. One of the things I love is colouring but seeing the book and pens tempts me to sit in peace and get lost in my thoughts too often. So, I put them away and when I have finished my task I get to take them out and spend a few minutes in bliss.

Find people who inspire you to get moving on your ''thing''. I have several friends who work for themselves so we get to share tips and hints on how to stay motivated. I'm also part of some awesome groups online where we get to hold each other accountable in a safe and kind space.

When I am really in the deep grip of distraction though sometimes I have to just have a word with myself. A little tough love and a stern word can bring about a dramtic shift and suddenly I find I am finishing up my project and have plenty of time to do what I want!!

Do you have any great tips on how to manage procrastination and distraction from achieving the things you need to do?

Let me know, and don't forget the Women's Health Webinar Monday 8th August at 8.30pm GMT - video link just here... its going to be great :)

Hey and if you want to hook up with me to find out what is going on in your world right now just drop me a line and I'll give you a call totally free and we can have a chat.