This is Founders Club - a supportive founder community that nurtures wellness and meaningful connections. We host:

• IRL Founders & Funders Events

• Online Founder Support Groups

Was this forwarded to you?

As founders, we're no strangers to a flood of business content.

But lately, we noticed a growing trend – more and more founders are reaching out with personal questions:

…and SO. MANY. MORE…

As founders, we tend to feel alone during these struggles, but rest assured, you're not.

Each week we’re going to dive into one of these burning questions.

We gather and share wisdom from coaches, fellow founders, and VCs.

Let’s conquer founder challenges together!

Got questions?

Submit them here, anonymously.

Want to troubleshoot live with fellow founders?

You can join Online SaaS Founder Support Groups. Learn more here. 

A question we’ve gotten a lot lately:

If you’ve been asking yourself the same question, this one’s for you.

✅ 9 Proven Tips to Overcoming Founder Procrastination

As a founder, you’re probably pretty psyched about your company’s vision.

Making that vision a reality, however, requires doing tasks we tend to procrastinate on.

We all know the drill - you've got a to-do list longer than a CVS receipt, but you find yourself cleaning out your closet instead. Just me? Moving on...

I spent the last month testing strategies to beat procrastination. Dare I say, I did it. Here’s what helped:

1. Ditch the Motivation Myth

Waiting around for motivation? Be honest, when was the last time you actually had the motivation to do the task you dreaded? Yeah, same, still waiting on it.

Instead, embrace discipline. Doing what you promised yourself builds self-belief, compound interest, and might even summon motivation for an encore.

2. Set the right goals

When the path ahead seems foggy, taking the first step becomes daunting.

Vague goals = unclear actions.

Clear goals = clear actions.

Clear actions make it a lot easier to take the first and following steps to complete your task.

For example, if your goal is to “do market research”, it’s hard to understand where to begin and where to end.

Instead, aim for SMART goals:

Specific:

• What needs to be accomplished?

• How will it be accomplished?

• Why does it need to be accomplished?

Let’s rephrase “do market research” into:

Measurable:

• How will you measure success?

Achievable:

• Is the goal realistic?

Relevant:

• Is the goal relevant to a broader objective?

Time-bound:

• What is the time frame on the goal?

The final goal:

3. Communicate the deadline

In an ideal world we would set a deadline in our head and always achieve it.

But we’re only human.

Sharing a deadline with somebody else provides a sense of responsibility and accountability, typically leading to more successful task completion.

Share the deadline with your co-founder / team / client / advisor.

Solo founder? Share it with your friend, partner, or even on socials.

4. Eat the frog

1. Identify your frog - the task you’re dreading

2. Do it first thing in the morning

3. Feel great after doing it

We’re often guilty of putting off “the frog” to later. Yet, later we’re too tired, too hungry, it’s too late, the list goes on..

We put off the task to a time when we’re least likely to do anything, let alone the thing we dread.

Let’s change the narrative and align our energy levels with the mental energy required to do the task.

5. Schedule it in

We identified that we need to “eat the frog” as early in the day as possible. Now it’s time to book it on your calendar, so that nothing else get’s in the way.

The time is here, how do I to start? Glad you asked 👇

6. The Countdown Technique

You hear that “ping” on your calendar suggesting it’s time to start on your goal.

Count down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and sprint into action.

On lazy days I count down from 20.

Combine it with the 3-minute rule 👇

7. The 3-Minute Rule

Start with a mere 3 minutes.

Set a timer and force yourself to do the task for that time. You can suffer through the most boring of things for 3 mins.

You'll often finish quick tasks within this time, and for bigger ones, you'll find your groove and want to keep going.

8. Mix Business with Pleasure

Find something you can enjoy while doing that mundane task. Crank up your favorite playlist, munch on an appetizing snack, savor a tasty drink, light a scented candle…

My go-to: foot massager under my desk. Unconventional? Perhaps. But I’m now excited for those seemingly dull tasks cause it means I get a foot massage.

9. Reward Yourself

Use a small reward as an incentive for task completion. It could be a short walk, a quick chat with a friend or a brief social media break.

In the future you will associate task completion with a reward, resulting in increased eagerness to do the task in the first place.

And remember:

Have other tips? Share them!

Got any procrastination-busting tips of your own? Reply with them to this email!

Want to learn how to build mental resilience as a leader?

Join an exclusive cocktail hour for 50 early-stage founders & VCs and learn about building mental resilience and emotional regulation from an expert on AI in Leadership.

📆 Tue, Jan 30th

📍 The Ned

RSVP 👇️ 

Let us know how the procrastination tips work out for you.

Warmly,

Founders Club