How to Remain Productive Despite Procrastinating

Procrastination can be a strength. Your greatest enemy can be your greatest friend. Read on to know how I use procrastination to be more productive.

I’m a procrastinator. I’m not proud of it but I’m not ashamed either. I’ve learned to accept this ugly side of me. I used to fight it but that ended in disaster. Now, I’ve learned to turn it into a strength.

Procrastination is universal. Even the most successful people do it. But despite procrastinating, they go on to achieve their goals 99% of the time.

So what’s the catch?

The key is to understand why we procrastinate. I learned that procrastination is not a default mode. It’s a response to something happening below the surface. Something we’re not conscious of.

I discovered there are 3 reasons we procrastinate:

Productivity Tools & Improving my Laptop’s Processing Speed

Nothing kills productivity more than a slow laptop. So, in my quest to continually improve my productivity, I keep trying various tools and hacks to make work more efficient and faster.

My most recent discovery is Notion HQ. It’s an all-in-one productivity app. It’s Trello, Asana, Write and Basecamp combined.

I’ve been through so many productivity and project management apps that I forgot my login credentials for all of them. (I’ve since managed passwords with Lastpass and Google Passwords Manager just to keep track).

Enter Notion. It promises to be everything you could ever dream of in a productivity tool.

Not to mention it’s totally FREE! There’s a premium version of course but the free version is so good, you may not need to upgrade except in very rare cases.

Sadly, there’s a catch.

Too much freedom leads to inaction.

You get easily overwhelmed. Well, I did.

Since I could basically customize everything to my own workflow – I realized, my productivity flow was flawed. Too flawed!

Given the freedom to design my workflow, and with the time freedom I get working from home, I realized I was lazier than I give myself credit for.

I find lots of excuses to procrastinate.

And if not procrastinating, I’m endlessly creating systems and plans that don’t translate much into action.

In the end, I’m worse off than when I first started.

But there’s a ray of hope.

On Building a Writing Habit and Improving Productivity

Building a writing habit is hard. Between joining writing cohorts and using coffee as a trigger, what else can I do? Should I write perfectly or imperfectly? How do I win this?

I shared last week that I am on a personal commitment to just write – and write – and write – until the habit sticks.

Along the way, I’ve come across various resources and several people who have been an inspiration for this journey.

And, as is no doubt evident in this blog, I haven’t stayed true to my word. I’ve skipped one day which turned into day 2 then day 3 until I stopped counting the days I’ve skipped.

So now, I’ve rebooted myself and am back to writing.

And this time, I’m committed (yes I am!) to make it stick.

No Such Thing as Perfect Writing

If you want to build a writing habit, you can’t aim for perfection. There are days when your output will really suck.

That’s ok. Just keep going.

Writing is a muscle that we develop over time.

Building the Habit of Writing

How do you build the habit of writing? Write every day. It doesn’t have to be perfect or search engine optimized. It just have to be daily.

Building new habits can be tough. Especially if they do not align with your past habits. Building the habit of writing – when you’re not naturally inclined to write – is hard.

But it’s not impossible.

As I’ve mentioned in my last post, I commit myself to write daily.

It doesn’t have to be a perfect post every time. And, with the spirit of this blog, it can be about anything under the sun.

It doesn’t have to be a long-form content every day. And neither does it have to be search engine optimized. But if I can do that, then why not?

The goal is: to build a habit of writing.

Compounding Effects

As I’ve learned in Atomic Habits by James Clear, to successfully build a habit takes a long time of repeating the desired behavior again and again.

We need to focus on 1% incremental activities daily, instead of doing overnight transformations.

This means that even if I don’t write perfectly today, as long as I keep doing this, I will eventually get better.

It will come to a point when writing will become very natural to me.

And as a writer, that’s what I aspire to be.

How to Become a Writer

How do you become a writer? Write. Every day. Build the habit of writing. Soon, you’ll make millions. These are my thoughts on how I can earn more than a living writing.

How do you become a writer? Simple. Keep writing. Write every day.

Whatever topic; whatever style; just keep writing.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t even have to be optimized. The purpose is to get in the habit of writing. Writers write. First and foremost.

Of course, in our modern day, writers do more than write. They research. They learn. They optimize. They analyze data.

A writer’s role has expanded. That is if you want to own and run your own business – and earn millions along the way.

How to Become a Profitable Writer

So I guess the question really is, how do I become a profitable writer?

Writing for Money

I’ve always loved reading and writing – even as a kid. Yet I never pursued writing as a career because I thought, writers don’t make a lot of money. But the pandemic has forced people to work from home, and many have turned to online resources to make a living. Writing for money seems a gig I can pursue.

I’ve written various blog articles in the past – mostly for content mills. They pay you per word or per article. Rates are measly (often starting at 2c to 3c per word). I did this route before I joined the corporate world and while I enjoyed writing, my body protested.

The hours were long. The pay small. And there were no security or benefits connected to the job.

Fast forward to today. I recently explored freelancing once again. This time armed with experience and wisdom. I’ve learned what it takes – and how to become – a premium freelancer. More so, I’ve discovered writers can earn 6-7 figures (USD) for their work without sacrificing too much of their time.

I decided to investigate further by joining the The Freelance Movement Tribe.

PREMIUM FREELANCING

It’s a different brand of freelancing. You don’t waste time searching and applying for jobs in freelancing boards where they pay measly rates at $5/hr. Instead, you treat freelancing as a business and approach it like any wise businessman would – networking.

Yep, forming real-world connections via networking. It can be through warm connections or cold pitches. The point is to go out there, hustle and forge those human connections with potential clients.

Since it’s a business, you need to know your (1) MARKET and (2) OFFER. Just like any traditional market.

So I went in. Armed with my knowledge of marketing and business, I started building my dream freelancing business.

It’s not easy. It’s a path not for the faint hearted. Most freelancers view themselves as remote workers. They deliver a job and get paid for it. It’s a job – a contract – at the end of the day.

As a freelance business owner, I need to think wider. What does my market needs? What skill sets do I have – or can develop – to address those needs? How do I make my business sustainable and scalable?

It’s tempting to fall back into the employee mindset. Just go out there, apply for a job and deliver the output. The end.

But this is not what I want to do. So forge ahead I must.

WRITING for MONEY

As I said in my intro, I didn’t think writing would be lucrative. And when I say writing I mean blog writing. I know businesses pay a lot for copywriters – including email copywriters. The founder of the Freelance Movement Tribe is a famous email copywriter earning 7-figures USD.

There’s money in writing. But the kind of writing I like (blog content) I’m not so sure of.

That’s why I ventured to SEO as a service. I know content writing and SEO goes hand in hand. Websites need to rank in search engines. To do that they need optimized blog content. Viola! I enter the picture.

But to offer SEO content, I need to learn SEO. And as someone who LOVES learning, I adored and absorbed the new knowledge I gained. I loved all aspects of SEO.

Pretty soon, I could explain it like a pro. Without experience, I knew the ins and outs. But it’s nicer said than done.

After gaining 2 clients to test out my SEO skills and immersing in the niche market I’ve chosen, I’ve decided I needed to go for more clarity and define WHERE I really want to head with my freelancing business.

Offering SEO was great but I learn too quickly that it’s something I can’t sustainably do on my own. SEO Service Providers evolve to build agencies. They hire people to do various aspects like keyword research, content gap analysis, backlinking, content strategy and content creation. Not to mention there’s the technical aspect of SEO to consider.

I promise my clients that I can make their websites rank. I can. In theory. In reality, I need to put in long hours on my own to make it happen since I’d need to handle all SEO aspects just to get their sites ranking.

And for someone starting out, I’ve placed such a high bar and charged too little. I overextended myself. It’s a position you don’t want to be in. Believe me.

GAINING CLARITY

So you must be saying, I should have pursued clarity when I started, right? Well, if you spend too much time gaining clarity for your business, you lose precious time to fail and learn fast. I believe FAILURE is the best teacher.

We need to fail more so that we learn faster. When I began (or reignited) my freelancing journey, I simply did what the coach said and picked a market and choose a skill.

It didn’t matter that I had close to zero knowledge on the skill. Or that I had no affinity for the market. The point was I needed to learn. I can’t spend too much time figuring out what I wanted to do or who I wanted to serve.

After two months, I believe I’ve gained clarity. I was not successful with the 1st market. Neither did I like the 1st skill I chose. BUT I learned a lot.

I learned that my primary passion is WRITING. And I don’t need to compromise offering too many complimentary skills just to say that my WRITING is valuable. On its own, my written articles are worth every dollar a client pays. I’m glad I’ve stumbled upon the Freelance to Fortune blog which provides proof that writers can earn 6-figures USD too.

I learned about SEO – a lot. And how it actually shapes my writing. Even defining my tone, the words I use and how I come up with a content strategy. My SEO knowledge is solid. I’m proud of that. I’ve learned the basics and the foundation as well as some great techniques. I can use all of these with my writing.

I learned about the SaaS market – and how wide and in need of content writers they are. I like learning about how tech fits our day-to-day lives. And I love telling people about it. I love to share the knowledge I’ve gained in ways that readers would actually understand and be compelled to act on.

Combining my PASSION FOR WRITING and my LOVE FOR EDUCATING, I believe I am cut out to be a B2B SaaS Writer. For what exact niche, I am not yet sure. There’s a lot to choose from.

But as I dive deeper into this market, I love what I’m seeing. And I’m excited. I’m excited to start exploring the new opportunities in store for me.

SO, WHERE DOES THIS BLOG FIT IN?

I’ve written about a lot of different topics in this blog. I’ve strived to be consistent but in reality haven’t been. I’ve divulged personal rants, political views, romantic hang ups, spiritual beliefs along with reviews, scientific explanations and what nots in this blog.

This blog is a hodgepodge of content.

And I love it for that. After all, the title accurately captures what it’s all about.

BUT I am about to end there. From the time I’ve started blogging in 2009, I’ve matured a lot as a person. The desire to keep sharing my personal life to the world has waned. I’ve become a more private person (or simply have too much in my plate to keep ranting).

So I am keeping the name but archiving the content. They’d be available just as they were but be buried deeper in the site to favor the new content I would like to write about.

What new content? I’ve decided I would write about my freelancing journey, the boom in the online / digital business industry, SEO best practices the way I understand them and anything about business, personal finances & productivity.

I’m excited to go in this journey, and I hope, dear reader, you stay with me through the ride.

Happy Mother’s Day

This is a Mother’s Day post. A post that I made to honor my mom for all she has done for me.

As I am nearing motherhood – I hope – I am all the more struck at how awesome my own mother is. We have a long history – mom and I – and we have our highs and lows. Sometimes our lows are so low that I cannot begin to imagine why she is my mom. But yet, despite how low we could get, I know, deep in my heart I will never ever want another mom like her.

I’m not sure if I have blogged about how much I appreciate her sacrifices for us – her kids – but if I haven’t let me reminisce them once more. My mom had us when she could have been in the prime of her youth – young, beautiful and definitely skilled and going places. Yet she chose to instead, bear kids and start a family, foregoing a chance at a career and instead raising a family.

In the past, as I was growing up and being filled with so much ambition, I didn’t understand the sacrifices she made. I wanted to be a career woman. I wanted to rise to the top of the corporate ladder. I emulated strong women in business and leadership roles looking at them as the epitome of success. My mom – while I appreciate her hard work – I only saw what she gave up, and not what she gained.

Growing older – and wiser – I now crave for the life she had. The chance to be with your kids every growing up moment, looking and guiding them as they discover the world around them.

My mom has been like our best friend – the always ready companion who will laugh with us, cry with us, scold us, discipline us, quarrel with us, argue with us but in the end still remain true to us. Mommy has guided us the best she can even when the world was always changing – often times too fast for any of us to keep up. I bet how her mother raised her was very different from how she raised us. The same values were there but the circumstances are far, far different.

And with the rapidly changing world we live in, I can only assume that when I have kids of my own, I will be faced with radically different circumstances and different challenges of raising kids. But since my mom raised me on solid core values – I am assured I can depend on those core values to raise my kids.

Most mothers when you argue with them the way I do with my Mom will most probably scar your relationship – maybe beyond repair. My mom and I have our fights. Sometimes I cringe to even remember how much I hurt her and cause her pain. I can only regret the words left spoken and unable to get back. But the wonderful thing about my mom and I is that, despite all the hurts we had to find and navigate ourselves in, we always reconcile and go back to loving each other. We find time to heal and forgive – that love we have always stronger than any hurtful words we may hurl at each other. We may disagree on a lot of things but in the end we both knew that when the going gets tough we have each other.

I cannot ask for a better mother than that. A mother that allows me to have my own mind and allows me to express it – sometimes to her pain – yet still accepts me open arms and with no condemnation when I run to her arms – sometimes crying but hopefully not. I cannot remember feeling this secure love that I can push on and find my own voice, my own self and still be secure enough that there is someone back at home, loving me for who I am – who I become. And I can always go back to that no matter what.

I have read of many kids who stray from their homes because their parents can’t simply understand them. Kids who’d rather stay away because they feel they will never be welcome back. But I am thankful that such is the opposite for me.

I’ve always said that I am blessed that I was raised in such a way that I can have my wings and fly — and crash and burn. But still manage to find my way back home.

My life has been a constant flight into the unknown. I simply love adventure. I like going to places and pursuing things I feel strongly for regardless if they are seemingly wise or not. And most of the times, I feel like I crashed and burned it. But the security of the home that my parents – especially my mom – has created, is something that allows this free spirit in me to roam free to explore.

With the COVID-19 lockdown situation, I am away from my family. I have always been away spending less than 3 months total a year at home. I have already began considering other places as my home and will soon begin placing roots elsewhere.

But the lockdown situation has brought my heart closer to home than ever before. I keep seeing how, the person I am now, is largely influenced by my mother. I find joy in solitude because I like to read – something I took from her. I feel giddy whenever I sing to musical numbers and amazed at how much I remember the lyrics all because growing up, she has exposed us to theatrical musicals. My soul soars whenever I am able to bake a pleasant pastry that melts in my mouth all thanks to her influence in baking. I am mentally fit due to the faith in God she has instilled in me since I was a young girl.

I realize, as I prepare to become a mother, that my mom has been the single most influential person to my life. My love and passion for everything I have now is largely in part due to her. And for that I am grateful.

And for that, she is the best woman out there who can be my mother. I love you Mommy!

Revisiting Musicals

Last night I was very fortunate to watch the 25th celebration of “Phantom of the Opera” at the Royal Albert Hall. It’s available for free in YouTube until April 19 Sunday 11PM PT. Here’s the link below but that will expire very soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nINQjT7Zr9w&feature=youtu.be

I have been privy to theater musicals since I entered college and the whole UP Theater opened my eyes to this wonderful form of entertainment. In college, my very first dorm roommate was a Theater major and she influenced me to watch college plays. I had my share of plays in elementary and high school but they were very sparse and not as grand as college plays.

It was in 2004 when I first became acquainted with “The Phantom of the Opera”. It was a motion picture at that time and the musical score enthralled me. I longed to watch the theater version but it rarely got produced in the Philippines. Some years ago, there was a production and I eagerly looked for the tickets. To my dismay, it costs a fortune. Even if I were to sit at the very back (which wouldn’t be very ideal for my tastes), I would have to cough up a significant amount. It was simply a luxury for me.

And so I contented myself with just knowing the songs to the play and hoping that someday I will have enough excess cash for luxuries such as theater.

To my surprise and delight, because of the COVID lockdown, the producers decided that for a limited time they will stream in You Tube for free the 25th Anniversary production done in 2011. I couldn’t wait to watch it! Of course they were raising funds for COVID so any donation would be much appreciated.

As I watched, my eyes and ears were tingling. I can finally watch – even if in a screen – how the play would unfold on-stage. It’s very different from a motion picture.

As I expected, I knew all the songs and as soon as the first notes were hit, my spine was tingling. I was literally kinikilig just listening to the songs. I sang along in silence – no sound coming from my mouth – for I fear my voice will mix in with the beauty of the actors. I absorbed every movement, every stage effects, ever musical score. I beamed with pride when certain acts finished and I clapped along with the live audience.

How I wish I could really watch it for real in a theater.

I could imagine myself – dressed in a formal gown apt for a theater production as this – sitting in a respectable sit and being fully immersed in the beauty of theater.

Because I was such an avid fan of theater back in college, I even took an elective in Theater intended for non-Theater majors. Alas! Acting simply wasn’t for me. A renowned director/ professor handled our class and I was surprised at the brutality of theater life. I cried many nights and trembled many days because when I failed dismally at acting – he would curse me and shout at me in front of the class. I could never forget it how he sent me out of the room so I can practice “laughing”.

But it was a nice experience – one that I was glad for. We actually staged a play at the end of the semester and I proudly invited my friends over. It was a small play but we proudly carried it on as a class and our professor couldn’t be prouder for us. But that was the last time I tried acting. I realized I can be a good voice actor (I read lines pretty well) but I can never really act in front of an audience or a camera. I feel unnatural. Just put me behind the scene in production and I am sure I would flourish.

The Phantom of the Opera You Tube stream lasted for close to 3 hours. There was a short intermission in the middle – true to theater fashion. And at the end, Andrew Lloyd Webber went out and gave a speech. He honored everyone including the original casts of whom were invited on-stage. I was glad to meet the original Phantom (Michael Crawford) and the original Christine (Sarah Brightman). Sarah Brightman even indulged the audience with a rendition of the song Phantom of the Opera sang with some of the actors who played Phantom over the years. And then the Phantoms also sang for the audience the famous song Angel of Music.

It was a great show and I was near tears as it ended. And to relive it I downloaded the playlist from Spotify.

And I didn’t end there. I found my mind wandering to other great musicals I learned over the years.

Musicals like Miss Saigon and Evita. I hastily downloaded their Spotify Playlists and found, to my delight, I can actually sing along with the songs. It’s as if there were no years since I last sang them.

I guess, when you really like musicals, they never leave your memory. With each song I sang, I can remember how the scenes played out in my mind.

Such is the wonder and the power of musicals.

Life Priorities

When I was young, I was full of ambition. I have dreamed of climbing the top of the ladder of success which I defined as a prime office space in a high rise building – the head of a multinational company; a powerful top level executive. I worked my life in pursuit of such an ambition and regardless of the curve balls life threw at me, I relentlessly pushed on.

Now, I am about to enter a new chapter of my life. Supposedly on April 22 but another curve ball happened of which I had absolutely no control and so I am staring at a setback. It’s just a setback of dates, thankfully, and not a setback of bigger things (such as a groom!). And yet, this time of setback has allowed me to muse on what is really important in life and how I have changed in my desires.

Growing older – and more mature I hope – I have been privy to the way others led their lives. And I have come to see glimpses of the kind of life I want to lead in the future. Further, I have come to see my life’s trajectory and the possibility (or not) of me turning into the person I want to be.

Before I had even considered raising my own family (and what that would entail), I have always regarded a professional life as lucrative. I live for the thrill of the board room. I live for the excitement of strategic plans coming into fruition. And as the past decade went by, where I pursued this path, I found myself asking – is this really what life has to offer me?

Yes it was thrilling. But the stress levels were also real. Too often I had to take sabbaticals for my peace of mind. Too often I had to re-align my pursuits and paths searching for the paths of least resistance. As I trudged on this path, I looked around and saw how others were leading theirs. I saw those who pursued the same paths and the sacrifices they made along the way. I saw those who opted out and the outcome of those choices.

And as the years passed, I began to long for a different kind of path. One that put more focus in something maybe not as grand as what I wanted but nonetheless equally (if not more) fulfilling.

I began to long for a family I can call my own.

I used to think raising a family was something easy and natural. Something that is easily accomplished as I pursue my executive ambitions. Some are able to do it – or so it seems. I learned that those who were able to pursue both were able to do so but not with a great expense. Further, I learned that the kind of “family raising” I wanted was one not easily accomplished in tune with my ambitions.

I longed to be the proverbial housewife. I longed to spend days planning meals and excursions for my family. I longed to guide my kids as they navigate the tricky waters of growing up in a fast changing world. I longed to be hands-on in everything I do for them. I began to see the nobleness of the profession.

As I spend the past days in lock down, I had time to introspect about where my life is leading me. I am on the path to my ambitions. But will it lead me to achieving what my heart is longing for now? Will I be able to really juggle them all? Or am I better off following the path of others who have placed greater weight in one over the other?

Life is full of choices. After all, God gave us free will to make these myriad of choices on how we will lead our lives. It is with faith in Him and with the guidance of the Bible, His Word, that we make the right ones. As I ask Him what path I must chose, I am led to meditate on this verse:

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.

Psalm 143:10

Whatever decision I come to, I know for certain that the Holy Spirit will be there to guide me. Whatever path I choose, I know that God’s strength will be there to support me. Whatever choices I need to make, I know God’s wisdom will be there to help me make the right ones.

And with this assurance, I move forward. For in life, however we choose to lead it, we always move forward – filled with confidence.

back to blogging?

We have been in lockdown for 28 days now. Our business operations have halted and suddenly I found myself with too much time in my hands. Whereas before, I have longed for more time to spend with myself, now, spending the lockdown isolated from my family, I suddenly have all the time in the world.

And with the lockdown extended for 2 more weeks, the end is far from over.

Which is why I went back to documenting my thoughts. A hobby I have acquired way back before blogs were even popular. A hobby that has spanned close to a decade before I halted it as life’s more important concerns swallowed me. But now, time has been given – generously to be exact – from which I can once again explore my thoughts and document it. And perhaps, after a decade, go back and see how I have matured in the process.