Better Do
Postponing loses!

Being self-employed means that you do everything yourself, all the time. Sounds familiar? Freelancers like photographers tend to focus on the obvious tasks that come with a job: photography, image selection, image editing. Other tasks that are important for self-employment, but for which there is no deadline, are often postponed or not done at all. And sometimes the workday doesn't start until the afternoon, because sitting in a cafe with friends is part of being self-employed. Otherwise, you might as well be working 'nine to five'. But you can be much more successful if you prioritize and tackle the non-customer facing tasks as well.

To talk about procrastination at this point would be way over the top. That would be pathological procrastination, which would not only require therapy, but would also pose a great risk to your job and self-employment. As a professional photographer, you simply can't afford such miscalculations or blind spots. Still, I sometimes get the feeling that some people (unintentionally) jeopardize their success by setting the wrong priorities, or no priorities at all. Do you?

Conversations often revolve around the quantity and quality of jobs. Time and time again, I hear that both are lacking. The topic of customer acquisition quickly comes up. It is often frustrating that there is hardly any activity in this direction or that significant and planned actions have never taken place. It is astonishing how these photographers manage to hold their own in the market - at least for the time being.

How do you actually decide what you want to do and what kind of work you want to do in your professional life? We get up in the morning, great, no appointment, so first things first: coffee and laptop. Although we have a long list of tasks (even if it's only in our heads), we often choose the obvious one. The one that's right in front of us, where we don't have to plan or think too much. Probably something we like to do and that comes easy. Tasks that are new to us, that we do infrequently, or that require knowledge and practice are likely to slip to the bottom of the to-do list. Unfortunately, these are often the most important ones, such as customer care and acquisition. And so we put off important tasks from week to week and become increasingly dissatisfied.

Our selective perception ensures that we tend to see what we want to see, thus favoring the tasks that are in our field of view. A well-functioning repression mechanism - against our better judgment. When a feasible plan is finally in place, motivation is high because the knowledge that these things are relevant to success and will make a difference is often already there. But you will only be successful if you have a plan whose implementation will have a positive effect on your work. No psychological trick, just a little self-deception.

What helps you with postpone-itis? A work diary for time tracking is a good way to observe yourself and analyze required efforts. Writing down when you work and what tasks are completed in what time frame helps you to be aware of your own efficiency. With the many tasks on our daily to-do list, it helps to classify them: what is important and what is urgent? Review what you need to accomplish on a daily basis to prioritize. Urgent tasks are not necessarily important but have a deadline, such as returning rental equipment. And important tasks are rarely urgent, such as marketing or updating your portfolio. However, important tasks will eventually become urgent, for example, if you are not getting enough business. This is unpleasant because all of a sudden these tasks are both important and urgent at the same time.

It doesn't have to be that way. Find tasks that you can be proud of completing, small challenges in your daily workflow. Focus on them and ask yourself if they will help you achieve your goals, improve your network, or expand your horizons. Choose the tasks that will have a positive and lasting impact on your business. It's reassuring to know that postponing is a common problem - according to a study conducted by the University of Muenster, 98% of respondents admit to it.