Pet Grooming Business Owners: How to Overcome Procrastination

WHAT IS PROCRASTINATION?

Procrastination means delaying a task despite knowing it needs attention. In a grooming business, that might be postponing supplier orders, record updates or a pricing review until the issue becomes urgent. Focus on the task and the barrier rather than labelling yourself or a colleague.

Many groomers prefer hands-on work with pets to administrative tasks. Recognise that preference, then build a manageable routine for the business responsibilities that still need attention.

Delaying stock checks or essential administrative work can create avoidable problems: missing supplies, unpaid invoices or last-minute booking changes. Identify the next useful action and reserve a realistic time to do it, rather than waiting for a completely quiet day.

“Procrastination is the thief of time”.

Charles Dickens

WHY DO YOU PROCRASTINATE?

While writing this section, I definitely feel like procrastinating…Why? Because while researching this question, there were so many answers, I felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content. Feeling overwhelmed is definitely a reason why people procrastinate (I’m just off to get a coffee now).

We all procrastinate for different reasons. Reflecting on why you procrastinate can help you to find strategies that are more suited to your situation. According to Dr Joseph Ferrari (2010), there are three types of procrastinators:

THRILL SEEKERS: Some people believe they work better under pressure. They like the thrill and chaos. This pushes them to finish a project at the last minute. This is true for some people. They really do work better under pressure. But for some, this is a delusional idea that they tell themselves to avoid a task. Optimists also fall into this category of procrastinators as they believe a task won’t take as long as it does.

AVOIDERS: Avoiders like to avoid anything uncomfortable or that causes anxiety. The reasons can include; a lack of confidence in the task, feeling overwhelmed (like me) or an inability to delay gratification (I want chocolate, right now!).

INDECISIVE: This group suffers from a fear of failure, fear of making decisions or perfectionism. They also might engage in overthinking which leads to analysis paralysis and makes things so much harder to start.

FATIGUE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO PROCRASTINATION

A physically demanding grooming day can leave little energy for unfamiliar administrative work. Schedule a short, protected period for important tasks, keep the workload realistic and seek appropriate support if persistent fatigue is affecting your ability to work.

THE BENEFITS OF PROCRASTINATION

Have you ever heard of positive or active procrastination? Well, for some people procrastination is a good thing (yay!) and here are some reasons why.

BETTER DECISION MAKING ; No snap decisions are made, so every aspect of the task has been thoroughly thought through.

GOOD IS BETTER THAN PERFECT ; There is no time to fuss over minute details, so perfectionists are forced to get the job done.

IMPROVED FOCUS ; Looming deadlines get you into action so you have no choice but to focus. This helps get you into the flow and increases creativity.

MAKES OTHER TASK SEEM EASIER ; People often do smaller jobs first instead of the impending task. This makes the smaller tasks seem easy in comparison.

And you are also in good company. Did you know Leonardo Davinci took 16 years to complete the Mona Lisa? Other famous self-proclaimed procrastinators include the Dali Lama, Bill Clinton, Victor Hugo, and Truman Capote. So procrastination doesn’t mean that you won’t achieve your goals or make a success out of your grooming business. However, if it is a problem for you, read on to get some tips on how to beat procrastination.

WAYS TO BEAT PROCRASTINATION

“If you are good at putting off things… then put off procrastination“

REMOVE DISTRACTIONS ; Firstly, identify your distractions, then modify your environment to decrease them. The internet and social media are definitely the easiest and most convenient ways to procrastinate in your grooming business. Time is easily wasted by checking news feeds and social media. Social media notifications are a sure-fire way to avert your attention away from your more laborious responsibilities. So put away your phones, log off your social media accounts or at least disable notifications and get on with it.

BITE SIZE PIECES ; When confronted with a big daunting task, it’s easy to become intimidated or overwhelmed. Set yourself aside 20 minutes to start on a project that you have been putting off. Don’t aim to finish it all in one go. Chances are, just making a start can be the kick you need to get going on a task. Maybe, once you make that start you will find that you get into the flow. Then you won’t want to stop!

“You don’t have to see the whole staircase… just take the first step”.

Martin Luther King

Review scheduling, regular breaks and the amount of work you can realistically take on. Basic rest and a manageable routine can support the working day, but persistent exhaustion or other health concerns should be discussed with an appropriate professional.

POWER HOURS ; Are you a morning person or a night owl? It really doesn’t matter when you get your business orientated tasks done, as long as you do them. If you feel more alert and at your best in the mornings, schedule a block of time dedicated to your most dreaded task. When your brain is not fatigued and working at full capacity, those tasks are much easier to tackle.

MAKE A PROCRASTINATION LIST ; Make a list of all the things you can do that don’t take up too much energy or brain power. So your procrastination time is not wasted on meaningless tasks. Some of these might include, but are not limited to; Cleaning out your email inbox, optimising your website, designing and scheduling social media posts. Also consider organising photos for marketing campaigns, reading industry magazines or blogs, organising and printing reports.

REWARD YOURSELF ; Paradoxically, procrastination is rewarding in itself. Procrastination can relieve anxiety in the short term. This is rewarding, plus we tell ourselves positive things like “I’ll do it tomorrow”, which make us feel better. Furthermore, the things we choose to do while procrastinating are usually things we find rewarding. Things like checking our social media, watching silly Youtube videos, chatting on the phone with friends, etc. So the answer is to reward your good behaviour, not your procrastination. Set yourself small manageable chunk. When they are completed, reward yourself by doing something you like or buying a fancy coffee. This encourages task orientated behaviour, not procrastination. The advantage is you delay gratification until after the job is done, and not before.

Neko connects booking, sales, client and stock information so routine business records are easier to review. Keep entries accurate and use reports as part of your process; software does not automatically complete all financial or tax obligations.

SET SMART GOALS ; Quite often people set themselves goals that are unrealistic and very vague. By learning better ways to set goals you give yourself a much better chance of reaching your target. Setting business goals is great but how will you achieve them? To help ensure success in achieving those goals, it can be useful to implement S.M.A.R.T principles. S.M.A.R.T is an acronym that brings structure and measurability to your goals. To read more about setting business goals go to https://www.getneko.com/blog/business-goal-setting-for-2019/

Well, I hope you have gained some useful knowledge about procrastination and how you can improve your motivation to get all those mundane and irritating tasks completed.

At Neko, we want your grooming business to grow and thrive, so we are always thinking of ways to improve our software to give you all the necessary tools to make your business better. We also enjoy providing you with valuable business information via this blog. So please comment below and let us know what topics you would like to read about.

A practical task routine for grooming businesses

Choose one task you are avoiding and describe a small, visible next step. “Improve stock management” is broad; “check the brushes on the shelf against the recorded quantity” is something you can start and finish. Put a short working period in the calendar and gather the information or equipment before it begins.

Protect that period realistically. If you groom alone, choose a time when no pet needs your direct attention. If you have a team, agree who will handle enquiries. Do not turn productivity advice into multitasking that interrupts safe pet care.

Separate urgent operational work from optional improvement projects. An essential equipment issue needs a different response from a social-media redesign. Ask for suitable help where a task is outside your knowledge instead of postponing it indefinitely.

At the end of the week, review what was completed and what kept being delayed. Was the task unclear, too large or dependent on someone else’s answer? Adjust the plan based on that reason. A repeatable routine is more useful than blaming yourself for lacking motivation.

Keep a manageable list with an owner and review date for each important action. When a task is finished, record the outcome so you do not have to investigate the same issue again next month.

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