If you’ve been rocking with me for a while, you’ll know that I struggle with productivity anxiety
I’m happy to report that I’m getting over it, and while it’s an everyday thing, I can look back on my progress and see how far I’ve come
In case you’re unfamiliar, productivity anxiety makes you feel like you’re not doing enough which meant that I used to hate planning and saw it as a waste of time
Can you relate, sis?
For me, it was better to get stuck in and do the damn thing than “waste time” actually planning. But then, I audited my life and realised the havoc this was wreaking. For example:
#1 In my health and finances
Because I was all about work, I didn’t always factor in time to plan my meals and cook. And so, what would happen is I’d invariably get hungry, look in the fridge, and realise that there was either nothing in there or nothing that would be enough to make a meal with. So, what would I end up doing? Having food delivered. Not only was this wreaking havoc on my health, it was wreaking havoc on my finances too. When I finally decided to make a change by:
Planning my meals
Working in systems
Creating a schedule to cook, get things done and so on
Lo and behold I wasn’t feeling nauseous anymore, my skin wasn’t so much of a spotty mess, and my pockets were a lot fuller
#2 With my mental well-being
Before I started prioritising planning my days, I used to wake up with anxiety all the time, thinking about the stuff I had to do that day that I felt ill-prepared for. I would be thinking about all the tasks I had to complete as well as the fact that I hadn’t planned an outfit for the day or the routes I needed to take to get where I needed to, for example. Then I started asking myself, “What can I do today to prepare for tomorrow?” Lo and behold again (lol), as I started preparing for my days earlier, I wasn’t such a ball of stress in the morning anymore.
#3 In business
It was the same with Media Magic (my retreat for business women who want to go from stumped to savvy about how to get PR for themselves). I think that part of the reason why the first time I tried to launch Media Magic it “failed” is because I was trying to rush it. I knew what I wanted and my Type A personality said, “Why waste time?” “Let’s just get it done”, but I didn’t have the systems in place (it was my first time doing it; so how could I?). But instead of just sitting down, trying to map things out properly and develop (or at least learn) what systems I needed before trying to forge ahead, I didn’t. And so, it just didn’t work.
I give you all these examples to say that the adage, “haste makes waste” is completely and utterly true
You might think that planning is a complete waste of time, but this thinking will wreak havoc- not just on your goals- but other areas (like your health, finances, relationships, and business) as it did with me
And just like what happened with Media Magic, you may have to go back to the drawing board because you need a plan
When it’s better to start with one in the first place
So (rather than doing it the hard way and before you hit a wall), plan and figure out a system to make getting to your goals easier
By doing this, you’ll avoid having to start again, failing, or having to eat humble pie and go back to the drawing board because plans are much better than just rushing forward
As truly (and ultimately) haste does make waste
PS) Want to make sure that you don’t waste your most precious commodity- your time- trying to DIY and hack a PR system that hasn’t been tried and tested with a proven rate of success? I'd like to personally invite you to join me at Media Magic, my retreat where I will be taking you through my system for PR success (The PR Powerhouse Playbook). Will you RSVP by joining here?