Productivity and apathy

I want to post about something practical.

I am starting a business as a personal English tutor, I've lived in Canada and am pretty proficient at the language. I started taking an online TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course so I have some idea as to how to go about it. I'm in the early stages at the moment.

I live in Israel (I speak Hebrew, Russian, English and am considering learning Japanese and Mandarin), there's lots of middle easterners and Russians here who need to improve their English. I also offer skype sessions to Russians from other parts of the world.

I am having trouble with being disciplined enough to consistently market myself online and work on getting customers, I've had one person so far but since I am not experienced I've had trouble keeping him.
I've found that I tended to be apathetic throughout my days off and didn't do anything productive instead wasting time, when I work on my day job I've had the same apathy after I get home.

I would really appreciate any good practical advice on how to get things done.

Thank you,

I know that this isn't an issue that involves childhood trauma, if I'm posting in the wrong forum than I will ask in another place.

When you think of Productivity Vs Apathy, I do wonder if there is an element that may be a part of "Procrastination"?

(I just wrote something only to have a key board related accident and couldn't get it back. So I'm trying to recapture the idea again)

Before I saw this question, much about the idea of procrastination came to my mind under my walk back today, alone with my thoughts of why is it that I myself am constantly waking up too early in the morning, almost ready to go and so something and yet I delay and delay with my own action, either self inflicted or by complete random mishap.

Realising at this point in time some of my situation has been either an intuitive intervention to keep me out of trouble, so I start being more open minded about what seems to be my own procrastination.

As far as childhood trauma comes in, there is great evidence to show that procrastination, productivity and apathy all CAN have been rooted within some childhood or past experience traumatic experience. For example a fear of an emotional commitment to what you want to do, will leave you without motivation to "do something" or make what appears to be progress.

But the idea of "productivity" is a judgement call, because for as much as you want to do "something" (anything) when it comes to goals, you have to wonder if it is often to "prove something" to someone else or to culture which is also part of a toxic version of "motivation" and productivity paradigm. This is where the "ignored child" goes on to "show them all", or the one who is always being down trodden goes, "I'm going to prove you were all wrong about me".

To be honest, I recognise that within myself so I often try to ask people to take a step back because this idea of progress and "showing everyone" how wrong they were about me.. managed to help divert myself from a slower path, which would have produced slightly better results, yet at the same time, I can't say my mistakes are anything bad, because I have learned so much along the way.

I do often want to know when people are going to show everyone what they are made of, show all that ambition that is the construct of their public persona, I wonder, how much of that is their authentic desire? How much of all that is in harmony with what they REALLY would like to do? Is it simply about making money or is it a genuine passion, if its a genuine passion, then why is it so hard to find that urge to "get in there"?

For my own consideration, I have "duties" and often tell myself, "If I do these things first, then I can do all those other things.." but then I recall, how I, in my youth sacrificed to go to university because I did have a distinctive goal in mind, and this I did while working and playing in a band. I can not imagine now trying to do that and expecting it to work out today.. I would not for example sacrifice my family harmony for a creative commitment, and often there will be things that will stop me when small projects I decide upon are just getting started.

These days if someone were to say to me, "Just get a job and then do what you love on the side", I would say that they were being too pragmatic and not understanding that if you do that, you stop yourself and your energies from being used by yourself to fulfil your own needs and not just the practical aspects of earning money, that is unless you are in a partnership. I won't go into the aspects of partnership because this is an entirely alien dynamic when you are dealing with personal goals, and that in itself always needs navigation.

I'm sure the Spartan Life Coach guy has much more to add to this; I think he had a video about loss of motivation when in healing (this really spoke to me personally and what I have said to others about loss of motivation and seeing old goals in a new light in fact)

I hope this brings something new to your perspective.  

Good practical advice:
Tackle the hard parts in the am when you have more energy and are more motivated (most people are more productive in the am)..
Save the monkey work when your slowing down in the afternoons..
If there are things that make you nervous, or you procrastinate at.. do them in the AM.
Make Lists!!!
Have your own room to work in, where you can close the door and don't get distracted..
If you get distracted on the computer.. as in watching too many Spartan Coach videos.. there are programs you can download and set timers too..
NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK..
But the thing i found most helpful is do the stuff you are putting off in the am..

hmmm...I've been an athlete my whole life, so discipline is something that I know about..BUT, I was disciplined is sports because I was motivated enough and had goals...so,do you have a plan? have you set your goals?are you motivated enough? If you are, get into motion,start where you are and things will fall into place. Well, get more professional advice, of course...but,mooove!

Set goals and a plan, work to a structure, keep it simple, realistic and fun (if you can).