Doing Is Always Better Than Planning

Tell me if this sounds familiar -

You love getting all your ducks in a row, doing the mind maps, putting together the vision boards and to-do lists. You could spend all day happily planning and getting yourself organised, but when it actually comes to doing the work it takes for everything you've laid out to come true...you fall short. Perhaps it's because you're super overwhelmed with how long the to-do list actually is, maybe it's because you're afraid of failure, but it all comes down to being held back by something that makes planning much more comfortable than actually doing.

As a creative freelancer, you will only get acknowledged (and paid) for the ideas you execute - not the ones that you leave floating around in your head. That’s why today’s lesson is so important.

If the above does sound like you, then I'm hoping that I will be able to get you in the swing of things, because trust me, I've been there and honestly sometimes I still take a few trips there from time to time…

But we’re all going to do better this time around, so here’s how:

Own up to the distracting tasks and get down to the root of the issue

Sometimes, we can get so wrapped up in the little organisational tasks that seem important, but are in fact just distracting us from getting any work done at all. Maybe you just have to have that planner, or you need to redesign your workspace...again...for the fourth time this week. Or maybe you plan but then find a way to justify not doing the actual work. I've certainly been guilty of this! Here's the thing though, the avoidance of doing the actual work is costing you money and wasting your time. The longer you spend not doing, the more you'll grow to resent yourself for it.

Show up and do the work

Showing up for yourself can make a huge difference. Whilst you definitely need to have ideas in order to creatively sustain your brand, you actually need to implement them in order to financially sustain your brand. You have to be doing the work and you have to be moving forwards, otherwise you're just going to get left behind. You cannot be hiding behind your excuses any longer- just focus on one thing at a time. Stepping up to the plate is not really something that we're ever taught to do, which especially sucks because there's often no security net for when we make mistakes. However, if you want to excel at what you do, it's up to you to at least try.

Dealing with those tidal-wave tasks

It's so much easier to plan, rather than do, when the tasks on your plate are seemingly bigger than you have the capacity to bear. Often, these tasks are at the very centre of your entire operation. As with anything though, even these tasks can be handled. How? By breaking it down into smaller milestones that you can aim for each day. The added benefit of doing this is that as you complete each minor task, your confidence is being built up, so that feeling of being overwhelmed completely disappears.

Yes, it's sometimes easier said than done, but seriously, planning is only half of the battle. People only remember (and pay you for) what you do, not what you said you were going to do.

If that doesn't spur you into action, I really don't know what will.