Podcast Ep 332 - Overwhelm contributing to procrastination? This will help!

In this episode of the Flourish Academy podcast, Heather Lahtinen shares a real coaching session on procrastination and overwhelm. She emphasizes the importance of working for your "future self" by tackling tasks today, whether it’s outsourcing or managing your mind to get through those moments of low motivation. You'll also hear about the journey to finding the right balance between discipline and flexibility in your workflow.

Whether you're struggling to stay motivated or simply putting off important tasks, this episode will offer insights into taking control of your schedule and working for your "future self."

Show Notes:

• Understanding what really drives procrastination
• Coaching example: A client struggling with motivation for photo editing
• The impact of clarity (or lack thereof) on productivity
• Shifting your mindset from "current you" to "future you"
• How outsourcing and brain management can help alleviate stress
• Practical tips for dealing with tasks you don’t enjoy

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Connect:

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TRANSCRIPT

You're listening to the Flourish Academy podcast and today we are talking about dealing with overwhelm and attempting to understand what is driving our procrastination.

My name is Heather Lahtinen and I'm a photographer, educator and entrepreneur and I founded the Flourish Academy as a resource for photographers of all levels. We want to help you pursue your passion on your own terms because we believe there is room for everyone.

In this podcast, we focus on creating breakthroughs with your mindset to discover the things that are really holding you back in business and life. I am about to share a coaching clip with you from one of our recent calls and in that statement that I say in my opening,

like discover the things that are really holding you back in life. This is the perfect example of that because one of my clients was having trouble with procrastination. She didn't want to work on her editing and she wasn't feeling motivated.

And on the surface, you know, we ask ourselves like, well, how can I just feel motivated to do this? I want to feel like doing it. I just want to get it done. But that's not really what's going on here.

So I help her examine the thoughts that are leading to her really lack of discipline. These are her words, not mine. She said she has a lack of discipline when it comes to editing her photos and getting them done in a timely manner.

Oh, by the way, she does. She delivers to her clients when she says she will, but sometimes she just waits to the last minute and it's causing her to lose sleep. So we wanted to take a deeper look at this.

This is a very brief coaching clip. This is a very brief coaching clip where you can just get some insight into how our minds work and how you might want to look at things a little bit differently to,

again, uncover the real issue so that you can solve for it. I hope that you enjoy this example. Okay, okay, right. I think there are a couple of things going on here and it might be helpful to address them together and separately because when we start thinking of all of these things,

it starts to feel overwhelming or like, how do I do this? Because this is also happening. So that's like where we need to separate the two. But let me just summarize and then please correct me if I'm wrong.

But what you're saying is you've all this editing to do and you're just not feeling motivated to do it. So you put it off and then it's like last minute and then you're staying up late and you're stressed out because you put it off and you have to do it anyway.

And just not a good scene. And you've tried outsourcing a few times, but it hasn't worked. Is that like, have I do have that. Okay, okay.

So, first of all, I think, I think you might be feeling stuck just because there's a lack of clarity. So let's start with the outsourcing. What if you decided to commit to the process or the journey,

like whatever it's going to take to find the right combination of software or softwares, because there's like multiple AIs we could use here, and working with a person,

these probably a combination of those two things. What if you committed to the process of like, I'm just going to keep trying until I find the right one. Because if it didn't work a few times, I could absolutely understand why you're feeling deflated,

defeated, like this is never going to work. So then you're like miserable about your editing and there's like no hope because how am I ever gonna get this taken care of? So you're sort of in this in between, okay?

So I think the first thing is, let's commit the process, the journey, we're gonna find, figure out a way to outsourced. So that's like one thing. And then separately,

how do we deal with the editing that we have now? And I think we're always looking for like motivation so that we feel like doing it. And the truth is,

I mean, for the most part, I never feel like doing anything. So I don't know that we need motivation. And you had even used the word discipline, like maybe I just need to be more disciplined.

And maybe that's true. But the way I look at it is like, if I have to do something I don't want to do, I, I can like be miserable about it now and do it or not do it.

And then, and or be miserable about it in the future, because I've like pushed myself up against this deadline. And so like, how many times do you want to be miserable? Like,

where do you want the misery to be? I'm just always like in my head. I have this thought. I'm working for future Heather. Like right now I'm working for future Heather.

So things will be easier for her So I just get like really in touch with that vision and by the way that vision could be like a couple of days from now Or it could be years from now,

but I'm always thinking like how can I set her up for success? Not how can I sabotage her? because if you put off the editing now, then you're just making it harder for your future self when you have to stay up late and do it right.

Yeah, I know, I see you. So it's like just a lot of stress you're adding to your plate. So how could you get connected with the future version of yourself to make it easier for her?

Even when the current version doesn't really feel like doing anything. I don't know that it's motivation we're looking for. Although that's great if you can find it. I used to say all the time,

I'm like an expert at manufacturing motivation. And I still think that's important. And maybe it is disciplined, I don't know. However, whatever like makes sense to your brain so that you can work through it is like,

okay, if I do this now and I don't love it, that's okay. You're like, you used to love editing. No, you don't. Yeah, so what? Okay, it's time to outsource, but this is temporary. So it's not like I'm stuck in this,

you know, like, I don't know, I don't know, this like swirling of editing for the rest of my life. I have to edit a few more sessions and commit to the process of finding an editor.

So this is temporary. So what can I do to make it easy for myself in this very like timeframe. And I think just like talking yourself through like when it's time to sit down and edit,

like I'm doing this for the future version of myself. So it's easier for her. I mean, if you think about it, I'm trying to think of like something in my business I don't enjoy doing,

which is maybe writing emails, marketing emails, like not my favorite thing to do. But I mean, I can do it now or I can put it off either way, I'm not going to like it.

So if I do it now, then I make it easier for future Heather, then it's done. Actually, I was working on something for Elevate, and I was like, man, I got to work.

I forget. It was like something, some content I was creating. And I got into my Monday .com board and I was like, wait, I already outlined that and worked on it. It's so awesome.

Past Heather hooked me up and I don't even remember. Isn't that so fun, but that's like my state of being. So I don't like writing marketing emails, but I'm never gonna like it or at least I don't think so.

I know that's a thought, but I just write them now and then it's easier for myself in the future. It's the same with like exercising, working out. It's like, I don't do that in the moment because current Heather loves it,

like not at all, but I'm doing that for future Heather. So if you break this down and just get some clarity on like, what's the goal in the vision here? I think the goal is to outsource the editing at which point you're not going to have to worry about,

which is fantastic. But yeah, in the short term, you have to figure out a way to manage yourself, your brain. This is like brain management, right? You're braining yourself in order to get it done Now,

understanding what, I mean, if you committed to this and you were able to find somebody in the next few months, certainly if you go through it really quickly, like if you work with someone and it doesn't work,

just out next, out next until you figured out you just committed, like the first person is not going to work. I don't expect it to him or her to then eventually I'll get to that point,

which means what? Three or more, three or or maybe more sessions in the queue that you have to edit and get out the door. Okay, so what? Just do them, commit to it,

get it done, make it easier for yourself in the future. And, you know, I know you know me. So this is, hopefully this lands well. Just like stop indulging in all of the emotional upheaval.

Stop indulging in the confusion and overwhelming. Just do the freaking job. Just, you know, like all of the like mind management and trying to figure it out when you could just like sit down and open Lightroom and do it. I mean,

in my mind, any portrait sessions should be done in an hour anyway, like two at the most. So, and even if you were, and you're not 'cause you're experienced, but even if you were just starting out and it took you several hours,

well then like then put it on your calendar and just do it. And then it's done. And then, you know, like hold yourself to the integrity. I just follow my calendar. I plan my calendar ahead of time and then my only job is to obey it.

So, because here's why. I think I'll wrap with this. Current Heather. If current Heather was responsible for the thinking of planning of what she is to do in this moment,

she would screw me over every single time because current Heather would be like, oh, it's nice outside. We should go feed the chickens. We should go spend time outside. It's so nicely,

she wouldn't be able to set me up for that future success, which is where past Heather comes in. I know it sounds wacky, but she plans the schedule with her prefrontal cortex,

not from an emotional standpoint. It was like, hey, you have to write these emails on Monday. You have to edit on Tuesday at this time. And then my only job is to show up and obey that calendar and operate within integrity.

This doesn't mean I lock myself into it. There's discipline, but there's freedom and flexibility. I'm willing to switch things around, but I know that I'm going to hold myself to that integrity to get it done. So you also,

you know what I mean? You have to hold yourself to that standard. Like don't let yourself off the hook. Obviously, if there's something that comes up in your family, you need to address it, but hold yourself to that integrity.

I mean, what are your thoughts? So her and I went on in that conversation to sort of work out the details or the nuances of what her brain was offering her in terms of working on her editing and committing to the journey of outsourcing so that she wouldn't have to work on the discipline of getting her editing done.

She could simply turn it over to a third party. I think what was happening for her for the most part was she was conflating several things and then it was just feeling overwhelming like it was too much. So my job is to simplify,

to help break it down and understand what's really going on and then we can solve for that challenge. I hope that you found this useful. I'll see you in the next episode.