Hey ,

Have I ever told you the story that I was THIS close to losing a P280,000 project dahil sa pagpa-procrastinate ko?

Well, today’s the day lol. 

One and a half weeks before a major deadline, I was only barely starting on the editing part of a video project for one of my dream clients. (done na sa production)

Hindi naman ako kinabahan kasi "veteran" na daw ako, diba? *insert eye roll here*

Tapos biglang dumating yung message nya:

Hindi pala natuloy yung international trip nila. So free na sya to meet with me at the end of the week, 8 days earlier than planned. 

And just like that, parang binuhusan ng ice water yung likod ko. haha

You see, instead of working on this, I spent the last two weeks:

- "Researching" (aka watching YouTube)

- "Getting inspiration" (aka scrolling through social media)

- "Preparing my creative space" (aka reorganizing my desk for the nth time)

Basically, everything EXCEPT actually doing the work.

Here's the funny thing about us freelancers - we often mistake being busy for being productive. Para tayong hamster na todo takbo sa wheel pero hindi naman gumagalaw forward.

But that message was my wake-up call. I had to pull three straight all-nighters to deliver. Nagawa ko naman in the end, but grabe yung toll sa katawan ko. Never again.

Daniel was one of my clients course administrators at Yale. They were making a big case study out of the wind farm construction project we filmed, and they booked me again for additional shoots and interviews that were part of the requirements for my client’s pHd. 

Here are some of the things that worked for me over time: 

1. Create Micro-Deadlines

This has been the most useful for me so far over the years. It also lessens the anxiety and meron kang base minimum output na guaranteed. This is where you break down big projects into smaller chunks with their own mini-deadlines. For example:

- Day 1-2: Research and outline

- Day 3-4: First draft

- Day 5: Client review

- Day 6-7: Revisions

2. Use the "Next Episode Na Lang" Technique

Alam mo yung feeling kapag nanonood ka ng Anime (or maybe KDrama for you if you’re into that) tapos biglang may cliffhanger? You can't wait for the next episode, right? Apply that same energy to your tasks by always ending your workday in the middle of something exciting. This creates a natural urge to return to it the next day.

3. Set Up Accountability Partners

Actually mejo dependent ako dito. I have 3 going on lol. But the most notable and longest-running is with a friend of mine from Pat Flynn’s mastermind group. We’ve been doing it since May 2018. These calls really help me to focus, and we call each other out on our bullshit. 

The key is to make the consequence of not acting MORE painful than the discomfort of taking action.

Kasi let's be honest, - we already know what we need to do. The challenge is in actually doing it.

Remember: Your future self is counting on your present self to get things done. Wag mo naman lokohin sarili mo by always saying "later."

How about you? What's your biggest struggle when it comes to creating urgency for your tasks? Reply and let me know - I'd love to brainstorm solutions with you.

Hocus-focusedly yours,

Shoden "The PROcrastinator" San

PS. Quick reality check: As I write this email, I have two other deadlines breathing gently sighing down my neck. But guess what? Writing to you about urgency somehow made me more accountable. Funny how that works, no? 😅

🎉 Pst. Don't Keep Me A Secret. if you found value this email, please Refer this newsletter to your freelancer friends. This REALLY REALLY helps me a lot, thanks!