Sometimes, even when we know we have stuff we need to get done, even really important things that you should “eat the frog*” on, you still want to procrastinate it. As a business owner, it’s easy to put things off because there no one to tell you to just sit down and do it. (I’ve tried telling myself in a very stern voice to get it done, and usually it’s not very successful unless it’s something I’ve put off and feel guilty about.)
As I’ve mentioned in other posts, sometimes we think things will take longer than they actually will, so here’s a fun solution: eating the frog with owls. Owls eat frogs, (and they’re really cute) so we’ve got 4 owls in different colours. Place owls in a bag, grab your timer, and shake the bag! Let one owl fall out of the bag, or reach in and grab one if you don’t think you’ll try to cheat. Set the timer for 15 minutes, and see which frog-task awaits!
Finances/Admin: light brown owl
Marketing: light grey owl
Learning: dark grey owl
Creative: dark brown owl
Bonus: coffee cardinal
Each of the owls represents common areas where I might put something off, and having the task in a manageable 15 minute increments resolves the thought that it’s going to take “forever”. Plus, there’s a bonus! The coffee cardinal is your 15 minute break to gather your thoughts, and get ready to buckle down and get stuff done! (ie. a bit of hope that you can still procrastinate)
I’d love to go to FITC Toronto 2015 so I can meet with other business owners, share tips, stories, and learn how others deal with the day in and day out of running a business. I’d love to be able to attend a variety of presentations, to help balance out business vs. creative vs. learning vs. new trends, etc. I’ve met very cool people in the past at different sessions and networking events, and I’d love to reconnect with them this year, and meet new people!
The best advice I have for someone entering the industry, is to prepare for it to constantly change! It’s not easy keeping up with the speed that technology changes, so sometimes we need to make up silly games with needle felted owls to lighten the mood, and help us to figure out where to start when things seem overwhelming. It’ll all get done – 15 minutes at a time 🙂
*”eating the frog” is a term used to refer to getting the task you dread most out of the way first