Procrastination and Productivity

Procrastination is not necessarily a bad thing.  It could mean we don't have enough information.  It could also mean we don't want to do the thing, by we I mean our creative muse.  We could also be tired, angry, sad, hungry, or any other state that needs our attention.  Procrastination in itself is not a bad thing. 

The key is figuring out why you are avoiding the thing that you want or need to get done. 

Sometimes it's simple overwhelm.  Too many details running around in your head that you can't make sense of.  For me, I use a system of organizing my work and predicting the time each one of my pieces will take to complete.  This really helps me because even though I may not meet all the timing perfectly, I do meet it most of the time.  Over time I've been able to adjust my expectation and my scheduling to better fit my actual speed and desire.  This is super helpful when commissions come in because I can better predict a completion date for a client. 

When you are making those completion date prediction make sure to tell you client a date that is further out than you actually need, so that you can surprise them with an earlier completion date. Underpromise and overdeliver when you can. 

Now I'm not a numbers person.  This may be you too.  What I've figured out how is how to use numbers to my advantage.  

I use a very simply, free program (https://clockify.me/) to track the actual time I spend on a painting.  I can then calculate the square inches of that painting and I arrive at my per square inch painting speed.  (This will be a ballpark number as more complicated paintings will be slower)

9x12" painting = 108 square inches.  13.5 hours to paint = 810 minutes. 
810/108= 7.5 minutes per square inch. 

How many days a week are you painting and how many hours per day? 

2 hours of painting 4 days a week = 480 minutes @ 7.5 minutes per square inch you can paint 64 square inches in a week.  

See how this works.  You next painting is 240 square inches
240 x 7.5 = 1800 / 60 minutes = 30 hours @ 2 hours/day = 15 days. 

Now go to your calendar and mark down those 15 days.  This will give you a really good idea of the commitment that is needed each day, each week, each month to actually achieve your goal. 

Do you see how empowering this becomes?  This will help your goal setting so much. 

As I said in the video I used to over predict what I could get done in a month and then be sadly disappointed when I didn't reach my goal. My goal was unreachable with the number of hours I was able to paint.  I wasn't doing anything wrong - which my inner critic was happy to tell me, I was simply setting a goal too large for what I could actually complete. 

With these numbers in place, I was able to set more realistic goals, meet my goals and reduce the procrastination that the overwhelm was causing.  

I could look at my calendar and know exactly what I had to accomplish that day. 

Keep in mind some days things go sideways, unexpecteds things crop up.  It's okay, simply adjust as necessary. If you are having to adjust too often then maybe your daily goals are out of line, or your commitment to your work needs to be adjusted.  

Either way you get to decide and make adjustment however you feel necessary.  This is your business and your career after all. 

Leave me a comment below.  Let me know how this resonates with you.  What are your challenges in setting goals?  

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