You're Busy All Day But Your Revenue Isn't Moving. Say Hello to Productive Procrastination! [ep. #271]
You worked all day. You're knackered. And yet when you look at what actually moved the needle in your business… nothing. Welcome to productive procrastination! The sneakiest self-sabotaging cycle I see amongst women business owners. You've had results. You know the strategy. So why do you procrastinate on the exact things that would grow your business?
In today's episode, I'm walking you through the five signs that you're stuck in productive procrastination, why your subconscious is choosing "busy" over revenue generating activities, and what's really underneath the surface (say hello to fear of visibility and expansion).
But guess what? You don't need another plan, another system overhaul, or more clarity. You need to understand why your subconscious won't let you do the thing you already know works. And once you see it, you can't unsee it. I'm also sharing exactly how to start breaking these patterns and building real momentum in business this week, not next quarter. Ready? Let’s break the patterns!
Topics covered on Productive Procrastination:
Why does productive procrastination feel like you're winning when you're actually standing still?
The 5 signs you're stuck in productive procrastination (and how to spot this self-sabotaging cycle before it costs you another quarter).
You had a great month, so why are you suddenly pulling away from revenue-generating activities?
"I just need to get organised first," that's how your fear of being seen is quietly running the entire show.
You already know the strategy, so why do you still procrastinate? (Hint: it's not a discipline problem, it's a subconscious pattern).
The one question to ask yourself the moment you catch the productive procrastination pattern in action.
Connect with Rebecca Haydon:
Quote:
“You already know what to do. The work is teaching your subconscious that you’re safe to do it.” - Rebecca Haydon
Transcription:
Our AI tried its best, but expect a few quirky typos in the transcript. Embrace the imperfections and enjoy the read!
[00:00:00] Productive procrastination is the sneakiest trap I see amongst women business owners. You're working all day, you're knackered by 6pm, but when you actually look at what moved the needle? Nothing. You're busy, but you're not doing the revenue generating activities that grow your business. And the worst part is, it doesn't even look like procrastination.
In this episode, I'm breaking down why this is actually a subconscious pattern designed to keep you safe, not stuck. I'm walking you through the five signs you're caught in this self-sabotaging cycle, what your fear of being seen has to do with it, and why you keep losing momentum in business by resetting to zero after every good month.
If you're ready to overcome procrastination that's disguised as productivity and finally break patterns that have kept you at the same level for months, this one's for you. You already know what to do. Let's talk about why you're not doing it.
[00:00:00] Hello, my beautiful lady. Welcome back to the Subconscious Expert. I haven't talked about procrastination for a while on the podcast, but I'm bringing a little bit of a different angle today because today we're actually talking about what I call productive procrastination, and I'm really talking to the woman who, the business owner who is kind of not new to business.
[00:00:25] You've had results. You kind of know in what works or you definitely know what works, but you are stuck in this pattern where you are busy, busy badge of honor all the time, but actually the revenue is kind of not moving at all. Now, the sneaky thing about this pattern is it actually doesn't look like procrastination.
[00:00:49] Like, okay, sometimes you are, but you're not lying on the sofa. Scrolling, TikTok, avoiding work. Nine hours a day like you are working, you are b you are doing the things, but actually none of it is actually moving the needle. And you've been sitting and pondering and wondering why you can't seem to, um, break through to that next level, like why you are working so hard, but you are not seeing the growth that you want.
[00:01:19] Guess what? This episode is going to show you exactly what's happening underneath, because at your level it doesn't look like avoidance anymore. It looks like productivity. So let me paint you a little picture to begin, you wake up. You have a full day ahead of you. You sit down at your desk, you're ready to work, and you do the work all day.
[00:01:49] Actually, you are busy. You're busy, but what are you actually doing? I. Maybe you're answering a couple of emails, reorganizing your inbox, you're responding to a couple of dms. You are, um, checking your clients for the, the sixth time of that day. You're maybe updating your project management system. Um, you are tweaking a bit of website copy, uh, maybe mapping out a little content calendar.
[00:02:18] Um. Reworking the offer. We are then optimizing the backend. We're reorganizing the CRM again. We're back in with the clients. We're updating the onboarding process. Um, you're doing some researching, you're learning, consuming content, and at the end of the day, you're exhausted. You are exhausted because you have worked hard.
[00:02:42] In fact, you are productive. However, you still get to the end of the day and you go, I've done nothing today. And the question, the, the million dollar question here is, was it revenue moving? Was it revenue moving? [00:03:00] Did you spend the entire day doing things that feel important that give you the dopamine hit, but actually didn't actually risk anything?
[00:03:14] Now the tasks that I've just railed off, and I've only reeled them off because I see my clients doing them all the time. Um. They are good tasks. They are legitimate parts of running a business. But if you are doing those continuously instead of the things that actually moves revenue and moves the needle, we are not in productivity anymore.
[00:03:38] We are in protection. And I know, to be honest, on some level, you already know that, you know that answering emails doesn't bring new clients in. Unless you're answering potential clients, if you're gonna smack me back with that one, um, you know, that reorganizing your notion isn't generating sales planning.
[00:04:02] Q3 is very important, but if you're not selling in Q1, what are we doing? But we do it anyway because your subconscious is keeping you safe. Of course, it's a, it's, its only job and. It wants to keep you in that survival, which means avoiding anything. Avoiding avoiding anything threatening, eg. Your revenue goals, your vision scaling.
[00:04:33] Because a lot of the time, and I know I speak about this a lot in the podcast episode and I don't wanna sound like a broken record, but quite frankly, I will a lot of the time. Expansion, um, means more exposure, um, more risk, more threatening, right? So when you sell more, you become more visible. When people see you more, more people could have opinions about you or like more people are watching what you do, or more visibility means more responsibility or more clients are.
[00:05:12] More clients to deliver to, or bloody expectations to meet or responsibility to hold, whatever that is. You know, more responsibility is higher expectation. All of those things. And that question of like, can I deliver at this level consistently? Can I sustain it? Can I handle the pressure? All of those very subconscious beliefs are triggering the fear of like, what if I can't hold it all?
[00:05:42] What if more clients mean that I'm gonna be burnt out? What if more visibility means that there's gonna be more criticism? What if success means that I have to lose something else somewhere else? So your brain is just being an absolute G dog at the [00:06:00] moment. It's being a genius because it keeps you busy with things that feel like progress because you're getting the dopamine hit, aren't you?
[00:06:08] But actually don't risk the expansion in any way. You are working, you are knackered. But actually, if we look at it, and I get my clients to do time audits for me all the time, which really calls them out quite frankly, you know, is it moving the revenue? Is it increasing your visibility? Do we need to have a look at that?
[00:06:34] You are choosing that kind of manageable, uh, quick tasks like. Dopamine hitty tasks. I know I keep saying that, but it truly is over being this absolute magic. You are absolute magic. You are. So there's a couple of things that I see with clients, couple of signs that this kind of like, um. Productive procrastination is happening.
[00:07:05] So the first one that I see is that a client would have like a really good month and then they would like stop talking about their offers for weeks. Like the revenue's up, multiple sales things are clicking, and then you go quiet and. Again, very cleverly, you tell yourself that you're delivering for the people who have just signed up, that you need to get organized before we go again.
[00:07:28] Um, we need to get the backend sorted before you can sell again. But actually really your subconscious just saw like what more looks like and was like, okay, that's enough time to not push again. We're back on the rollercoaster of life of business. So that's sign number one. Sign number two is that you suddenly get really interested in things like fixing your systems or I don't know, like optimizing your processes right in SOPs for everything.
[00:08:03] And it's right when you should be selling. You are literally spending like hours creating SOPs, if that's something that. Riles you up. I mean, definitely doesn't rile me up, but you know, like project management now I've gotta make my notion look really pretty or setting up automations. And again, systems are very, very important.
[00:08:24] I'm not saying that they are, but if you are using systems as a reason not to sell, that is avoidance my love. That is avoidance. The third sign. By God, did I fall into this sign? Is that you spend more time planning, love a plan, a plan of a plan, of a plan, of a plan, and when you've got the plan, you write the plan again, like you spend more time planning than you do again, selling, getting yourself out there.
[00:08:57] You haven't posted about your offer or sold your offer in [00:09:00] about three weeks, but my God, we've got a plan. We've got a plan, guys. Planning feels productive and planning feels really safe because it stays as the plan. Planning doesn't risk the rejection, of course, but we need to get that plan off the paper.
[00:09:16] We need to be doing something with that. The fourth sign that I see is that you start to create something new instead of scaling what's actually working. Um, so a lot of the time, and I have this conversation with clients quite a lot actually, um, is that they've got an offer that is really proven, like, proven that it works, proven that people buy it and instead of selling more of it, they decide to just like randomly sell something new.
[00:09:43] Um. Like a new challenge or a course, um, because actually creating something new lets you stay in this kind of building mode instead of scaling selling mode, like building feels safer, um, than actually scaling. So they're just constantly creating something new rather than sitting in something that works and going, right.
[00:10:08] How can I make this work even more, even better, constantly in the shiny objects syndrome? And then the last sign that I see is that you had the clarity, it worked, and then you're just telling yourself, oh, I just need more clarity like. You are very smart. You're a very smart woman. I know you are. Um, and I know that you know how to figure things out.
[00:10:36] So when you are not moving forwards, you tell yourself it's because you need more clarity. But quite frankly, you spend weeks, if not months, if not quarters, if not the full year in clarity mode. No, just know you don't need more clarity. You need to take action. A lot of the time, the clarity doesn't come from sitting and thinking about it.
[00:11:01] It comes from doing. It comes from being in it. The clarity comes from that. So if you are using clarity as a reason not to move, it's usually because you're scared. It is usually because you are scared. Now, these signs, and, and when I talk about them, I want you to know that like working on these things are good, like systems matter planning really matters.
[00:11:27] Clarity matters. All of these things matter, but if you are doing them instead of actually what is going to grow the business. That is the pattern that we need to have a look at because obviously it is costing you, right? It's costing you revenue. Um, it's costing you bloody depletion of your energy 'cause you're knackered.
[00:11:48] Like you are staying busy, but you're not growing the deeper cost more than anything. And I think for me, the deeper cost on this was time. [00:12:00] Time is just so precious and every week you spend in productive procrastination is another week. You are not building momentum. And we know momentum is everything in business, like momentum is what carries you through the slower weeks.
[00:12:21] Um, momentum is what compounds your results. Momentum is truly what I see separate the people who stay stuck at the same level for years from the people who keep. Breaking through it, but actually you can't build momentum if you are constantly pulling back. Like if you are having this good month and then going quiet forward, backward, up and down.
[00:12:44] Push retreat. Like if you are resit, resetting, resetting every single time. If you're starting from zero. You will never build anything sustainable. And actually, to be honest, more importantly than time, the other cost is that you're teaching your subconscious that you can't be trusted with more. Because every time you have a good month and then you go quiet, you are proving to your brain that expansion.
[00:13:12] Well, this isn't safe for me. Every time you go and create something weirdly new instead of scaling something that actually works, you are reinforcing that belief. Aren't you, like every time you busy yourself with the backend task, instead of actually selling or doing some visibility work, you're showing your subconscious that visibility is, oh yes.
[00:13:36] Well, it is dangerous. That's that's what you are showing it. So as well as time, we got subconscious going on here too. So what I want you to understand more than anything. Is that you know what to do. And I sometimes say this to my clients and I say, if I put a gun to your head right now, you would go and do the bloody thing, wouldn't you?
[00:14:00] And they go, yes, Rebecca, yes. And they hang their head like, you know the strategy, you've done it before. It's not as complicated as we ever think it is. We actually need to have a look at why your subconscious doesn't believe you can hold more without something breaking. That's why it's keeping you exactly where you are.
[00:14:22] Like it's busy enough to feel successful. But almost like controlled enough to feel safe. And actually, until you address that belief and that identity, to be honest, at a subconscious level, you can push more effort on that. But you can work harder. Um, you can try a hundred new strategies. You can hire the coach who gives you a better plan.
[00:14:45] If your subconscious still believes that expansion is dangerous, that success is dangerous, that having it all is dangerous, you will find a way to stay exactly where you are and hey, you'll just look really productive while you do it. [00:15:00] You already know what to do. So the work here is actually teaching your subconscious that you are safe to do it.
[00:15:09] Teach your subconscious that with evidence, you've got probably a lot of evidence already. So the actual work here is actually seen the pattern, which hopefully I've opened your eyes That to your, to now to yourself from just listening to a few examples that I've given you. When you see the pattern, when you are in productive procrastination, and you can name it being like, I, Rebecca, I'm in productive procrastination right now, what is one thing that would actually move the needle?
[00:15:40] Now go and fucking do it. Like catch yourself doing it when you are reorganizing your inbox or coloring your um, Google Drive folders rather than posting about your offer. Notice it. Don't shame yourself. That's not what we're here for. Just notice it. And then secondly, I just want you to ask yourself the question of like, what am I protecting myself from by staying here?
[00:16:08] Like what feels unsafe about doing the thing that would actually move the revenue? Is it the visibility? Is it the responsibility? Is it the expectation? Um, what else do I see? Is it the fear that you won't be able to sustain it? Get really specific with that. Your subconscious has a specific reason for keeping you safe.
[00:16:30] And actually, once you know what it is. We can address it. The third thing that I want you to do is I want you to choose momentum even when it feels uncomfortable, like post about your offer, even when your brain says that you need to be or reorganize in your back end first. I still laugh every time that I say that child.
[00:16:54] Um, or have the sales conversation when planning feels safer or. Follow up on something, um, that you know will move the needle for you. Even when creating something new feels more exciting, we need to prove to your subconscious that you can handle it. And every time you do that, every time you choose the thing that actually moves revenue, quite frankly, you've probably decided to not even know what that is.
[00:17:25] But again, that's bullshit. Um. Every time we choose something that actually moves the revenue over the thing that feels productive, you are going to be building evidence. We want evidence that this expansion of yours is safe, that success is safe, that visibility will not kill us. That you can handle more than you think.
[00:17:45] 'cause you can, I know that, and the evidence is what will allow you to break that pattern. Okay, so there it is. You are like, oh God, I thought I was procrastinating one way, but now a whole new [00:18:00] door has been opened. It procrastination just looks like you're being busy, productive, doing all the things. Are you doing the things that actually matter?
[00:18:12] That's where I want you to focus on this week. And if you are, you're just running a pattern that used to protect you, but now we know limits you and awareness around that is the first step to changing it. I'm excited for you on this. In fact, drop into me if you're in a, if you're in your productivity, procrastination.
[00:18:33] And I'll, uh, I'll call you out, I'll give you a little kick up the butt and let's, let's go. Alright, thank you for listening. Um, let me know if you have any questions from today's podcast episode, and I will see you on the next one.
More about The Subconscious Expert:
Welcome to The Subconscious Expert, the podcast where your subconscious becomes your one-way ticket to the mind-blowing results you desire in your life and business! I’m your host, Rebecca Haydon, The Subconscious Expert who went from being stuck in victim mode to a multi 6 figure business owner. Each week, I will be giving you the subconscious tools and techniques so you can become the woman who is living out her vision with a life and business that she is truly OBSESSED with. I have said it before, and I will say it 100 times again: "Your business can't outgrow your mindset, and if you want to grow your business, it always starts with growing your subconscious." So let's dive into the subconscious breakthrough you so deeply deserve!