The Perfectionism Project

Revenge bedtime procrastination is something most perfectionists struggle to stop. When you're not planning properly as a perfectionist, you put more business tasks on your to-do list than you have time to complete. Because you want to be productive, you put pressure on yourself to get everything done. But then you don't know what to do first…

You end up working on a random business task until it's 80% done (and then get distracted by something else) or you do nothing at all. All the while, you're feeling guilty that you're so far behind. You're thinking about all of the things you should be doing that aren't getting done (like posting consistently on social media). And you're trying to catch up on all of the life admin your past self has delegated to you.

Every day has an undercurrent of overwhelm, panic and stress. And with every unproductive day that passes, it only gets harder to trust you'll get everything done. You're burned out from all the stopping and starting. And you're beginning to wonder if you'll ever change.

But then comes bedtime. You promised yourself you'd get to bed on time but you knew you wouldn't. But why would you? The hours past bedtime are the only guilt-free time you get to yourself. In the still of the night, you can relax and unwind. Nothing is expected of you. The pressure is off. And you have the promise of a more productive tomorrow.

Here's the thing - a bedtime alarm or better nighttime routine won't stop revenge bedtime procrastination. Revenge bedtime procrastination is a symptom of a bigger problem.

Because you haven't been planning properly…

• You're putting too much on your to-do list
• You don't know what's important and what isn't
• You can't trust yourself to follow through on your plans
• You're trying to catch up on everything your past self put off
• You're not getting clean rest during the day

When you start planning properly, revenge bedtime procrastination will stop. You'll be able to wake up at the time you want, without snoozing your alarm. Instead of watching Instagram stories, you'll do the things you truly want to with your time - turn a corner of your home into the most inspiring workspace for your business. And you'll finally read all of those books on your bedside table.

To plan properly as a perfectionist, sign up for PGSD today at samlaurabrown.com/pgsd. The doors close at 11:59pm New York time on 16 January 2022.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• Why perfectionists struggle with revenge bedtime procrastination
• The real reason you can't get to bed on time
• Why setting a bedtime alarm or a better nighttime routine won't help
• How to stop revenge bedtime procrastination for good
• What will change when you're planning properly as a perfectionist

Featured In The Episode:

• Sign up for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd
• Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power
• Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject

In this episode I'm answering your questions about my group program Perfectionists Getting Shit Done. Since the doors to PGSD are closing in 48 hours (11:59pm EDT on 16 January 2022), I want to make sure you have everything you need to decide whether PGSD is a good fit for you and whether joining this round is the best timing.

PGSD is my group coaching for perfectionist business owners to get them out of their own way. If you're someone who has been doing a lot of procrasti-learning and you know a lot about what you need to do to build your business but you're just not able to get yourself to do it - that is where PGSD comes in.

Tune in to learn more about PGSD, how it will help you get out of your own way and whether it's a good fit for you.

The doors to PGSD close soon. You can sign up at samlaurabrown.com/pgsd.

Questions Answered:

• I'm not sure if I'm a perfectionist but I can relate to what you talk about on the podcast.
• Does PGSD help me get clear about exactly what I want to do? I'm unsure about the direction I want to take and how to make it come together.
• Is PGSD a good fit for me if I'm not sure about my niche yet?
• Is PGSD just for coaches/other kinds of entrepreneurs or do you have members who are creatives/artists making money from their art?
• Is PGSD a good fit for me if the tasks that trip me up in my business are different from the examples you share on the podcast?
• How do I know PGSD won't just be more procrasti-learning?
• I have ideas to start a business, but haven't started yet. Will PGSD be a good fit for me?
• Can I pay for PGSD in another currency?
• How much time would you recommend dedicating to PGSD per week, if I was going to join this program?
• When teaching Power Planning, do you go over a framework that can be followed? Do you provide ones for us to 'try on' until we find what works best for us?
• What platform is the course hosted on?
• Do we have time to get to know you directly and/or others on the programme or is it mostly self study?
• On the coaching calls are the participants seen on video or do they interact just by chat box? If I attend a call, will I be on video?
• What is the likelihood of being selected to be coached 1-1 on the live coaching calls?
• Is this a program to help someone who is already a coach stop procrastinating or is this for someone who isn't a coach learn how to be a coach as well? Is this the right program to take if I want to be a coach?
• When is the next class after the one that is starting in January? How often do you open the doors of PGSD?
• I am interested in PGSD and power planning, but I don't run my own business or plan to work on starting one. What would you recommend?
• Do you have a short version or intensive version of PGSD? I'm not sure lifetime access is the right fit for me.
• I'm specifically interested in learning more about power planning and getting assistance/ more insight into it from a shorter course.
• Can you please share more information about the coaching process/experience? And the sorts of things people get coached on - is it specific to their business or moreso to their behaviors and habits?
• How much is it to join PGSD?
• What does lifetime access actually mean?
• Do we have access to one on one Q&A for help if needed beyond the group?
• I'm in another program - should I wait until it's over before I join PGSD?

Featured In The Episode:

• Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd
• Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power
• Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject

In this episode I'm interviewing Kristen Cain, a style coach and committed PGSDer, on all things perfectionism and Power Planning.

A few months ago, Kristen reached out to our team to see if there was anything she could do to help spread the word about PGSD so that more people like her can get out of their own way in their business. So I decided to interview her for the podcast!

The doors to PGSD are now open. We are open for enrollment for one week only (until 11:59pm New York time on 16 January 2022). Sign up today at samlaurabrown.com/pgsd.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• What 'getting in your own way' looked like for Kristen
• The reason Kristen signed up for PGSD even though she 'couldn't afford it'
• Where perfectionism work fits in when it comes to building your business
• Why Kristen felt overwhelmed when she first started Power Planning
• The difference between listening to this podcast and being in PGSD

Featured In The Episode:

• Sign up for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd
• Kristen's instagram: @kristencainstyle
• Kristen's website: kristencainstyle.com
• Kristen getting coached - Episode 280 of The Perfectionism Project
• Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power
• Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject

There are courageous things you need to do to build your business that you might never feel excited about… like pitching yourself as a guest on one of your favourite podcasts or posting on Instagram when you've been getting is 17 likes or publishing your sales page when you're still working on believing that your product is worth the money.

If you're only able to do things when you're in the mood to do them, your business won't get much further than it is now. But changing that is simple…

There are three problems that make perfectionists get in their own way in their business: planning problems, productivity problems and persistence problems.

So far, this series has shared how to solve your planning problems. I've taught you how to stop procrasti-planning, what the Power Planning process looks like from start to finish, how to plan your week when it's rife with uncertainty and the importance of the Three Month Commitment.

In the final episode, I'm sharing how to solve your productivity and persistence problems so you have the full picture when it comes to getting out of your own way.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• Why planning properly is only the first step in getting out of your own way
• What you need to focus on once you know how to plan properly
• How the PGSD Process helps you get out of your own way
• helps you to get out of your own way

Featured In The Episode:

• Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd
• Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power
• Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject

Power Planning will get you out of your own way in your business and have you doing the deep perfectionism work you need to do - all while you're doing more of what matters than ever before (in less time and with less overthinking). But it won't work for you if you give up on it prematurely.

The habit of giving up too soon is one of the main reasons you're not where you want to be in your business. Most perfectionists want overnight, struggle-free, push-of-a-button success and we quit when we don't get it. We feel disheartened, discouraged and inadequate - when really, we just hadn't tried for long enough.

Making the Three Month Commitment to Power Planning matters. You won't feel like it's working after a week or two - and that's the whole point…

The closer we are to being in the growth mindset, the easier it is to get out of our own way in your business - no hustling, willpower or 'pushing through' required. The very act of Power Planning will coax you out of your perfectionism. And the fact that Power Planning won't 'work' instantly is what allows this to happen.

The Three Month Commitment might just be the missing ingredient in your business. And I share how it works (and what not to do) in today's episode…

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• How I discovered the power of the Three Month Commitment
• Why the Three Month Commitment makes it easier to get out of your own way
• What making the Three Month Commitment does NOT mean
• How not to be all-or-nothing about your Three Month Commitment
• Signs you're making progress with Power Planning during the first three months
• What to expect after three months of Power Planning

Featured In The Episode:

• Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd
• Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power
• Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject

Most perfectionists find it challenging to plan out their week when they don't know what will come up or how much energy they'll have. Whether you're working an exhausting day job, doing shift work or raising young children alongside building your business - there are certain things that can feel hard to plan around. Especially when no one has taught you how to plan properly…

Some perfectionists plan their week as if everything will go smoothly, hoping for the best and then abandoning their plans when the inevitable happens. Others feel like they can't make plans at all and wing it day-by-day, praying they'll be able to find the motivation to do what matters most. But neither of these approaches work.

That's why I interviewed Michelle Weeks on how to plan properly amidst uncertainty. Michelle is a PGSD Coach as well as being a life coach who helps mums resiliently and joyfully navigate the ups and downs of motherhood.

Michelle and I are mothers of 6 month old babies (Freddie and Lydia). And we're both using Power Planning to get out of our own way and shit done in our businesses.

Tune into this episode to discover all of the practical things we do to make Power Planning work for us when life is throwing constant curveballs.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• Power Planning versus to-do lists
• The importance of 'buffer time' and where to add it in your calendar
• Why Michelle has been committed to Power Planning for more than 2 years
• How Power Planning stops you from feeling bad about changing your plans mid-week
• When it makes sense to only Power Plan a couple of days at a time
• What Power Planning actually looks like in practice (it's not perfect)

Featured In The Episode:

• Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd
• Michelle's Instagram: @michelle.c.weeks
• Michelle's Website: michelleweeks.com.au
• Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power
• Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject

Power Planning covers everything perfectionists must do to plan properly. It's a simple 3 step process that anyone can learn. And I walk you through it in this episode.

Here's a brief overview of how Power Planning works but be sure to tune into this episode to get all the details!

Step 1. Power Hour - in your weekly Power Hour you'll put your needle moving tasks in your digital calendar and create simple contingency plans that make it easy to get everything done without feeling overwhelmed.

Step 2. Little Tweaks - every day you'll spend a little bit of time tweaking your calendar so you can get everything done without ever feeling behind or burning out, even if something unexpected comes up.

Step 3. Weekly Review - at the end of the week you'll do a brief weekly review to discover what worked, what didn't work and what to do differently so next week's plans are even easier to follow through on.

After listening to this episode, you'll know how to make the kind of plans that get you out of your own way - even when you're scared to put yourself out there.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• The 3 problems that make perfectionists get in their own way
• What it looks like when perfectionists follow the same planning advice as everyone else
• What needs to happen during your weekly Power Hour
• How to update your calendar so your plans stay workable
• How to do your weekly review
• How Power Planning has you doing more in less time without burning out

Featured In The Episode:

• Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd
• Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power
• Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject

Perfectionists get in their own way when they follow the same planning advice as everyone else. That's why I've recorded a 5-part planning series for the podcast that'll help you plan properly as a perfectionist.

This planning series is for perfectionists who write and rewrite long to-do lists of business tasks they never start, fall behind because they underestimate how long things will take and have notebooks full of ideas they haven't done anything with.

This episode (part 1 of the Planning Series) is all about the differences between procrasti-planning and planning properly as a perfectionist. This will help you understand where you've been going wrong with planning so you can do something about it.

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• The two types of procrasti-planning and how to identify them
• 7 signs you're procrasti-planning
• Why perfectionists can't follow the same planning advice as everyone else
• The hidden reasons perfectionists procrasti-plan
• How to Power Plan and the elements of planning properly as a perfectionist

Featured In The Episode:

• Join the waitlist for Perfectionists Getting Shit Done (PGSD) - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd
• Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power
• Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject

For the foreseeable future, I'm going to be doing my personal growth updates quarterly (instead of monthly like I used to) so it aligns with the quarterly review for my impossible goal. So today's episode is a chatty personal growth update covering the last 3 months of 2021.

In this episode I chat about why we've been in planned profit loss this quarter, the mastermind I've just joined for 2022, getting the renovation done (yay!) and navigating life as a new mum.

Featured In The Episode:

• Join the PGSD waitlist - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd
• Sign up for daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power
• Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject

In this episode I'm interviewing Imogen Pickering, a serial entrepreneur and long-standing PGSDer on all things goal-setting and perfectionism.

Imogen is the founder and lead creative of Bijoux Brands, a creative design studio specialising in crafting strategy-led, scroll-stopping brands for ambitious female-founders. She also candidly shares the emotional highs and lows of business on her social media channels.

Since the inception of her first business - her fashion brand called Imogen Apparel - she has shared the methods and practices that she has learned surrounding mindset, goal-setting and manifestation with her audience.

Imogen doesn't hold back in this interview and candidly shares the ins and outs of her perfectionism journey, including her personal experience with setting an Impossible Goal and why she's such a big believer in them. Tune in

If you've been someone who is scared to set a goal you can't achieve then you're going to love this episode with Imogen Pickering (known as Imogen Jersey on Instagram).

In This Episode You'll Learn:

• What Imogen has learned from setting impossible goals in her business
• How PGSD has helped Imogen to get out of her own way
• How to bounce back from a failed launch
• Why Imogen started working on perfectionism at the beginning of her business journey
• How to believe in yourself and your goals, even when things aren't working
• Practical ways to move past fear

Featured In The Episode:

• Imogen's Instagram accounts: @imogenjersey and @bijouxbrands
• Imogen's website: ​bijouxbrands.co.uk
• Join the PGSD waitlist - samlaurabrown.com/pgsd
• Sign up for FREE daily Perfectionist Power-Ups - samlaurabrown.com/power
• Follow me on Instagram @perfectionismproject