How An Agora Copywriter Conquered Procrastination And Cut 4 Hours Off His Workday
Before
Branko is a copywriter to struggled with procrastination. Projects he could knock out easily would drag on for weeks.
It caused a lot of stress and made it hard to relax and enjoy his life.
Working with Brian
Branko uncovered the hidden fears and beliefs that caused him to procrastinate — and he got tools and steps to break through them.
After
Branko went from constantly procrastinating to finishing his workday by 3PM each day. So he could enjoy the rest of the day guilt-free.
He also cultivated a more positive mindset, which took his productivity, relationships, and happiness to an even higher level.
“I kept procrastinating…”
“I would work on something here and there. Then when the deadline snuck up on me suddenly I’m in panic mode and I’m rushing like a bat out of hell to get it done. It was a lot of stress, nobody should be operating like that in my opinion.”
Branko shares how he struggled with procrastination
“I think I need help with this…”
Branko had tried all kinds of productivity tips and hacks in the past.
He read books, tried habit changes, and used tools like the Pomodor technique, etc. They would work okay for a week or two but then he would stop.
He needed help being accountable to himself. He was great at being accountable to others. Though when left on his own he wouldn’t get as much done.
Branko’s girlfriend was doing 1:1 coaching with Brian. She was getting great results, so she recommended he work with him.
At first, he was resistant. But he had tried everything else and felt like he had nothing to lose, so he signed up for 3 months of 1:1 coaching.
“I thought maybe there’s more than just the tools…”
“[I needed] someone to help me stay accountable to myself. When I have that I get things done sooner.”
Branko shares how he struggled with procrastination
“I found the underlying root cause”
Through the coaching, Branko uncovered the root cause of his procrastination.
Deep down, Branko felt guilty about getting his work done early.
Even though he worked from home and his pay was performance-based, he had this belief that he needed to conform to the same work hours as everyone else.
On top of that, his girlfriend worked long hours. Subconsciously, he was afraid that if he stopped working by 3 pm each day and played video games, she’d get upset.
Once he realized these deeper fears, he saw how ridiculous they were. He even talked to his girlfriend about how she’d feel if he ended his workday by 3 pm, and she was incredibly supportive.
As he says:
“Some of my procrastination came from guilt. If I got my work done early I felt I wasn’t entitled to reward myself…
I had to learn to accept that it was okay and to reward myself for doing a great job. And that led me to be more productive because I wasn’t beating myself up all the time.
Branko shares the root (and unconscious) cause of his procrastination
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“I felt like a weight had been lifted”
Uncovering the root cause of procrastination was just the start.
Through coaching, Branko discover other thought and behavior patterns that were causing stress and pain in his life.
For example, Branko used to be incredibly hard on himself.
Anytime he made a mistake he’d berate himself for being stupid, lazy, and worthless.
It happened so much he often wasn’t even aware he was doing it. And he even started to believe those things, which had a negative impact on his work, relationships, and self-worth.
Through coaching, Branko learned to change the dialogue in his head.
“I felt like a weight had been lifted.”
Instead of having this feeling of looking down all the time and not connecting to things around me I found myself looking up, like “hey look at that beautiful tree over there or look at that bird…”
Branko shares the root (and unconscious) cause of his procrastination
“I was letting things happen rather than being the master of my future…”
Along with upgrading his mindset, Branko learned to take control of his life.
He used to sit back and let things happen to him. He’d wait for feedback on his writing or wait for someone to get back to him with the information he needed.
Then he’d get frustrated that he wasn’t hearing back. And that fed into his stress and procrastination.
Then on a coaching call, Branko was asked if that situation had to be stressful, and what he could do differently.
That was an eye-opener. Branko began to see all the ways he had more control over the situation that he thought. And he focused on that.
This helped him in everything from getting feedback on his work to getting the paperwork he needed for buying a house. And it helped him feel lighter and more positive rather than complaining.
“I realized I could take the bull by the horns. The only one who can advocate for me is me. People are so tied up with their own problems that if I want to get something done it’s up to me.”
“I’m less stressed and can enjoy free time guilt-free”
Through coaching, Branko was able to:- Skyrocket his productivity and shave 4 hours of his workday
- Upgrade his mindset to feel positive and confident (instead of feeling stupid/lazy/worthless — or constantly complaining)
- Take control of his life
“Not feeling guilty improved my relationships. I’m less stressed, less snarky, and less annoyed because I feel good.
…And I’m able to enjoy my free time guilt-free”
“You’ve got nothing to lose”
Branko resisted working with a coach for years.
But through coaching, he realized the value of having a 3rd party outside of friends and family offering a fresh perspective.
Particularly when that person is trained to help you dig into the root cause of a problem. And can give you tools that will uplevel your mindset and life for years to come.
“Worst case you get a better understanding of who you are and what’s holding you back.
And you also get incredible tools you can use forever. Best case it’ll change your life for the better”
Want to Conquer Procrastination?
Are you struggling with procrastination? You can break free from procrastination the same way Branko did through coaching. So you can get more done, have less stress, and enjoy time with people you care about guilt-free. There is currently a waitlist for coaching. You can apply for coaching below.Watch the full interview
You can watch Branko’s full interview below. It covers:
- How the Wheel of Fear helped Branko enjoy free time guilt-free
- How Branko learned to stop being irritated by small things (no more being grumpy all afternoon because someone cut him off in traffic)
- How Branko realized his attitude was bringing down people around him — and how he became more positive and uplifting (while still being authentic)