Hey, how’s it going?

We’re now 1000 people strong at Creator’s Compass!

I’d like to start with some very exciting news… 🥁

We have a sponsor 🥳

I’m a huge fan of tools and tech that save us time and allow us to level up.

The main tools I use in my business are:

• Notion (All-in-one workspace tool)
• Slack (Communication tool)
• Google Workspace (Workspace and collaboration tools)
• Canva (Content creation and design tool)
• Pipedrive (Sales tool and CRM)

As a freelancer, I did everything on a shoestring budget and eventually hit a plateau in terms of the business’ growth.

Without customers you don’t have a business. My first investment in Amplify was a CRM, as if you’re looking to scale a service business, it has the most obvious return on investment.

I tried most of the CRMs on the market and fell in love with Pipedrive. I reached out to them over a possible collaboration and I’m stoked that they said yes.

Now, onto this week’s email where we’ll tackle procrastination for good 💪

💭 Thought of the week

Remove friction from your processes.

Whether you’re writing a newsletter, or you’ve just started posting on LinkedIn, most of the time the hardest part of the process isn’t the content creation itself.

It’s simply getting started.

I’ve been guilty of this time and time again, constantly moving back the deadlines I set for my content.

Thankfully, there are a few habits I’ve developed to finally beat the procrastination monkey in my head.

1. Let’s start with the reasons why you’re not being productive.

In almost all cases, there are a few root causes. One is a lack of clarity.

Have you actually defined what you’re trying to achieve? A great question to ask yourself is: “What does done look like here?”

To use writing online as an example, when I first started out I quickly realised my core blocker: I’d never really written anything online before.

It sounds so simple, but it showed up as a lack of understanding with:

• The platforms I was writing on
• What “good” content looked like
• The topics I wanted to be known for

This quickly translated to three tasks to unblock myself:

• Do some research on LinkedIn, Twitter, or other platforms I wanted to write on
• Follow interesting creators, and start to read their content
• Set aside time to match my own experiences/interests with topics I can write about

Be honest with yourself: what’s currently making it difficult for you to build creative habits? Work backwards from there.

2. Break down your process into smaller tasks

Whether you’re writing content, or learning how to do a pull-up, it’s nearly impossible to go from 0-100 in achieving your goals.

It’s also extremely daunting.

Breaking down what you’re trying to achieve into smaller, more achievable steps really helps to overcome procrastination.

Now, take this mentality into your content creation. Instead of diving straight into writing a newsletter, your mini-tasks can look something like:

• Research your core topic
• Create a bullet-point list of topics you want to cover
• Write your first draft, and send it to a friend for review (add accountability)
• Complete and upload your first newsletter

3. Set achievable deadlines

The next step is simple: set achievable deadlines for your mini-tasks.

I use tools like Google Calendar to schedule my deep work sessions. Find a method of accountability that works for you and don’t stop experimenting until you get there.

4. Remove distractions

Depending on how easily you get distracted, this can look like a few different things:

• Turning on ‘Do Not Disturb’
• Leaving your phone in another room
• Installing an app that blocks notifications

When none of these worked for me, I realised I needed an intervention and so I bought a phone lock box.

I was recommended this lock box from Amazon 👆

This might sound extreme, but if you’ve watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix, you’ll know that we’re facing a battle every day to protect our focus.

✍️ Quote of the week

“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.”

Pablo Picasso

That’s a wrap. I hope you found this newsletter valuable.

I’ll see you next week!

Joe

P.S. Thanks again to Pipedrive for being our first sponsor! If you've been eyeing up a CRM tool to grow your business try a free 14-day trial and get a 20% annual discount with code “JOEGANNON”.

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