Friend,

Unlike your traditional 9-5 there's a lot you have to do in business that you won't be paid for.

Creating contracts, general admin, accounting, outreach. Etc.

Combine that with client work & you haven't got many free hours in the day.

To get things done you need to be focused.

Start procrastinating & you're going to have a tough time.

You'll feel anxious about deadlines. You'll be stressed about workload. And worst of all, your business isn't going to grow.

Here are 4 easy ways you can avoid procrastination and keep yourself focused.

1) Create To-Do Lists

Creating to-do lists are a great way to keep your days on track.

The night before create a list of tasks for the next day.

Rank them from most important to least important, with most important being the tasks that will move you closer to your goals.

Use your morning to complete the important tasks. Everything else can come later.

During these hours remain extremely focused. Nothing else matters but what's in front of you. Turn your notifications off, remove distractions and get the work done.

Oh, and when you're creating the list just use some sticky notes.

Don't bother creating some complex, colour coded schedule. That's just a way to procrastinate and call it productive.

Just because you're working, it doesn't mean you're being productive.

2) Keep Your Work Environment Clean

Albert Einstein famously said "A cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind".

When you're writing copy (or working in general), you want your mind to be as clear & focused as possible.

You don't want to have to rummage through 5 notepads just to find your notes on a project.

Keep your desk clear and remove unnecessary notepads/ folders/ pens/ sticky notes. You can do this as part of your evening routine.

The same applies to your browser.

I always get stressed when I see people working with 10+ tabs. Why would you need so many open?

In general I stick to 3-5 depending on the project I'm writing for.

These will include a brief, the document I'm writing on and a few research tabs. Once I have something I need from a tab I'll close it.

It makes life much easier & helps you avoid distractions.

I'd also recommend turning off social media/ email notifications when you're completing deep morning work.

Nothing's more tempting than looking at a notification when you're meant to be working.

3) Use Timers

Eugenie Schwartz famously said he would set a 33.33 minute timer before he started writing.

For the next 33 minutes he would then focus solely on the work at hand. Once the timer went off, he'd get a coffee for 5 minutes, come back & set another timer.

He'd repeat this process 5-6 times a day and would be finished by lunch.

This is a process I love doing as I'll aim to get my work done before the timer goes off.

This helps me focus and stop caring about distractions.

I'd recommend starting with a 33.33 minute timer to see how you find it. You can then alter the time based on what works best for you.

If the timer goes off & you're in a flow state don't stop working. Just keep working till you find your state comes to a natural end.

Then take a 5-minute break, set another timer and repeat.

It's such a simple routine, but one that's had a huge impact on my productivity.

4) Set Deadlines

If you're like me, you struggle to work without a deadline.

When I studied for my degree I always left assignments to the last week. Sometimes I'd write them the day before they were due.

At first I thought this was a fault in my personality. Then I realised it's just the way I work.

If I don't have a deadline to work to, then I struggle to motivate myself to get anything done.

I overcome this by setting myself deadlines (often days before the work is due).

I then hold myself accountable and treat myself for hitting them.

This not only improves my focus, but also means I avoid leaving tasks to the last minute.

That means fewer headaches, unnecessary stress, and sleepless nights.

Now remember, not everyone is perfect.

We all get distracted. We all have off days.

When this happens, don't punish yourself. It's part of being human.

Acknowledge you didn't have your best day & plan for tomorrow. When tomorrow comes, remember that negative feeling you had and use it to motivate yourself to do better.

As you begin to build your routine, you'll naturally begin to break away from procrastination.

Eventually, a focused day will become your new norm.

Slowly start to implement these tips into your routine and you'll 10x your productivity.

- Copy Mav