💭 The Big Idea  

We all want to do meaningful work that brings us one step closer to our goals: business, exams or anything else. However, in 2023, that’s actually quite hard. So how do we focus on getting things done that matter?

My three favourite ways of beating procrastination:

Method 1: Deep Work

I do not believe in the Pomodoro Technique. It seems to work for plenty of people, but 25 minutes have never been enough for me to fully get into my workflow. And the 5-minute breaks seem to be a chance for people to return to their phones and be distracted again. I picked up the deep work method when reading Cal Newport’s book. I now do a 4-hour deep work block. It’s proven to be great at letting me get into the flow of work and carry on that momentum without breaks every so often.

This strategy takes time to build as it requires you to focus intensely on the tasks at hand. I would recommend starting with 60-minute deep work blocks and increasing the time as and when you feel comfortable.

Method 2: Time Block

The entire purpose of this is to be more intentional with your time. I learnt this from Ali and Cal around 8 months ago, and it has been a significant game-changer. It allowed me to identify where I was ‘leaking’ time during the week and simply procrastinating. It also significantly reduces stress on the brain about ‘thinking what to do next’ as it’s pre-planned - we only need to execute. It will help ensure that tasks you want doing a particular day are completed; I have been doing much better with my to-do lists as a result. This doesn’t mean you can’t be flexible with time either, I usually keep 4/7 evenings unplanned so that I can have the ability to do as I please and be spontaneous with my time.

I recommend checking out this recent video from Ali too!

Method 3: Lower The Bar

I have been using this technique to reduce expectations from my work when I have low energy. We are all culprits of stressing out about maintaining the highest work standards every time, but realistically that’s not feasible. Lowering the bar means I still show up and work, even if I am not at 100%. Due to multiple university deadlines, I have often ‘lowered the bar’ over the last week. Paradoxically, I could say I have produced better content due to decreased stress and demands overall.

P.S. I listen to Hans Zimmer while working. Do any of you listen to music whilst working?
That’s a wrap! Let me know how these methods work for you! If you have any questions, just hit reply 🙂 

🚙 My Solopreneur Journey: 

It’s been an extremely busy week with university deadlines and more. I have also been toying with the idea of doing my solopreneur rebrand, but I don’t think I have the time to do it justice until the summer due to commitments and university. I have instead decided to focus my efforts on getting my website done and published and prospecting for potential clients. On that note, if any of you get rejected by one client, do not give up! I have been rejected a few times in the last week or aired. It’s part of the game. The main thing is to keep at it.

I am excited to wrap up university deadlines this week and redirect my energy back into this. I am still learning how to balance the two effectively, and I guess that’s just something that will come with time.

It’s also been over 2 months since we launched the newsletter (this is the 11th edition), and I wanted to thank everyone who reads this every week. It means a lot, and I hope you enjoy reading as much as I do writing.