We all know that girl on Instagram… she’s running an amazing business that is clearly her passion, her life seems perfect, and she’s raking in the dough! And, I’m sure we have all thought “if only I had more ____ I could be doing what she’s doing”, “she just got lucky”, or whatever other lies we tell ourselves to feel better. But, there is a lot that we don’t see her doing… that no one does. Running a successful business doesn’t come from luck (or Instagram followers). Behind every successful entrepreneur, there is a healthy and balanced regimen of habits that happen every day behind the scenes. If we don’t start changing the way we look at our business, and how we work on and in it, nothing will change!
So, what are some simple things that you can start implementing today to take your business to the next level and increase productivity? ...We’re going to share our faves… in no specific order!
Decide and Commit to Creating HABITS- Habits are things that we do all the time without even thinking. They have become so ingrained in our routines that they just happen! That shouldn’t be any different when it comes to our business. The more we practice our business habits, the easier they will become!
Time Block- Surprise, surprise… we are talking about time blocking again! But, even the smallest time blocks will help make space for some of your new habits. Choose what tasks you want to do when, and then stick to it! The more you do this, the more it will become a habit. For example, I only check my email twice a day. Once in the morning, and once at the end of the day. It was hard to stop the constant email checking, but I realized that it wasn’t a productive use of my time, and if something couldn’t wait I would get a phone call. Limiting the time spent in my inbox has been a mental and time saver.
Batch Your Tasks- Find your time sucks and minimize them by batching them together. A lot of things that waste our time are small tasks that we try to sprinkle in throughout the day. Think about what all of those little items are, and work to focus on getting them done in one chunk of time.
Set a Timer- Who doesn’t work better under pressure (just me?) Setting a timer can be that fire we need to get our tasks done quickly! And, for a lot of us, our kids can act as a timer! Push yourself to beat the time and do whatever you’ve got to do to get it done before nap time ends (or your timer goes off)
Set Priorities- Make sure you are clear on what is important in your business operations and systems, and always prioritize tasks that generate income first! Offering free value is always helpful, but make sure your energy is going to what is going to drive your business forward first. Ask yourself, what tasks can I do today to see the most progress?
Put Your Phone Away- I recently started putting my phones away in the closet for chunks of the day when I didn’t need to be on it...and let me tell you how amazing it has been! I’m more productive, present, and don’t waste countless hours mindlessly scrolling when I should be working (or with my daughter). If you have to be working on your phone, try putting the DND on so that you aren’t distracted by every little ding!
Spend Time and Energy Doing What You’re Good At- We all started our businesses because we were passionate about what we wanted to do. But, somewhere along the line, we realized that there are a lot of things we don’t love that happen behind the scenes. There is no use wasting your energy, time, or talents working on the things you don’t love (and may or may not be great at). We are all about asking for helping in this space, and there comes a time where we will need to ask for some help in our business. Take some of the not so fun stuff off of your plate by supporting another business and spend time working on what you’re good at and love.
Create Systems- We have to stop running blindly through our day to day business operations! And the best way to make sure you are aware of what is happening is to create systems! Systems will help you stay organized and on top of what tasks need to be done when, and will help you really know your business from the inside out. Luckily there are a lot of tools to help, or get creative and make something up that works for you! Take control and run your business, don’t let your business run you.
Know When to Say NO- I love that saying “no is a complete sentence”, but it is not something that comes easy to a lot of us! Make sure you only take on what you can handle in your business so you don’t fall into overwhelm. It can be hard to turn down opportunities but make sure everything you agree to take on aligns with who you are as a business owner. Be honest with yourself, and only do what you can do today.
Time to get busy! Until next time, stay bossy!
xo