Creative Perfectionist Procrastination
I've always thought I was a rockstar at time management.... Until I realized this...
In the beginning of my medical sales career I would have various sales managers trying to pick my brain on my process and how I allocated my time each day. They wanted to teach the others my workflow and my strategy for bringing in new patients and new doctors. They wanted to know how I was using my time in order to produce results
So, I should excel in time management now that I own a small business, right? Well, not exactly. After hearing Natalie Franke speak at the Creative At Heart Birthday Bash last week I self diagnosed myself with something called "Creative Perfectionist Procrastination". I guarantee that I am not the only one who feels this way either!
As a creative, and especially as a creative business owner, each task and each client is handled with care. Most new projects require so much thinking, designing, strategizing - - that if I do not feel like I will be able to accomplish this task "perfectly" it stays on my to do list! It is almost an overwhelming feeling to think about how to execute some of these projects in fear of it not being perfect or creative enough. Friends, let me introduce to you my life! When you really think about it, it's not really the end of the world to want to be perfect for your clients. However, if you want to grow + service more clients, this needs to get in check ASAP!
Here's my tips + game plan to "fix" or "reverse" this diagnosis of Creative Perfectionist Procrastination:
1 - Schedule these tasks on your calendar and allocate a specific length of time to complete them.
2 - Don't make the task more complicated than it really is. As a creative i do this all the time. I want each proposal better than the last. Let me just tell you, trying to re-design the layout of your contract while working on submitting a client's proposal is NOT productive. It is okay that your contract design is not "perfect" in your eyes! The client is most likely going to sign even if your "new" font is not reflecting on the design layout. (Revert to the above number 1 when you catch yourself doing this!
3 - Realize this: What you think is a "really good" creative idea but want to make "perfect" - - well, your client may think it's the best thing since sliced bread, AS IS! And that is what this is all about!
4 - Just get it done! (Trust me, you are going to feel like you accomplished SO MUCH once you check this off of your list!)