Another day ends. And your To Do list is exactly the same as it was this morning.
You were “working” all day. So, why didn't anything get done? In the online coaching world, I have a reputation as a “do-er”. My coaches enjoy working with me because I listen, I implement and I get results. And, while I do work very hard, I have plenty of time for “play” in my life too.
How Wasting Time is Killing Your Business
You can always make more money but you can't make more time. Once time is spent, it is gone. And, unfortunately, I find that entrepreneurs tend to waste a lot of time. In my bestselling book, Take the Risks or Get a Job, I talk about the 7 biggest time suckers for entrepreneurs. Avoid these and you'll get a lot more done in your business.
5 Secrets to a Super Productive Day
So, now that we have the time wasters out of the way, what can you do to start “getting things done” in your business?
- Draw Yourself a Map. In order to get somewhere… you need to know where you are going. So, before you open that computer and get sucked into Facebook, e-mail and everything else, take some time to create a plan of how and when you are going to accomplish your goals for the day. Then put your head down and just do the work, instead of spending all day organizing the work. One of the lessons I learned very early on is that you need to use your calendar to schedule in tasks that you need to do. With my busy travel and coaching calendar, time blocking is the only way anything ever gets done.
- Create Magic Time. One of the biggest lessons I've learned working with a team across 4 time zones, is that everybody has a certain time during the day when they are the most productive. I work best at night. I am up working until 2 or 3 in the morning sometimes. Just a few hours later, my Marketing Director (one time zone behind me) is responding at 5:30am her time. Are you a morning person? Do you work better at night? Find your best time, and honor it by blocking it out to focus on the most important things in your business. Save the busy work (checking e-mails) for times when your energy is naturally lower.
- Start Stock Piling Your Ideas. If there is one thing I know about entrepreneurs, it is that you are full of ideas. The trouble is, even the most talented person can only really implement one idea at a time. On the other hand, there may be times you are looking for a blog topic or a new product idea, and come up blank. An easy way to make sure that the ideas are there for you when you need them is to create an “idea zone” to capture all the ideas when they come to you. You can carry a small notebook around with you – or – you can keep your ideas online. Evernote is what I use.
- Don't Be A Lone Ranger Accountability to other people is one of the key elements to making sure that things get done. Two ways to build accountability into your business are to (1) hire a coach or join a mastermind and (2) Hire a team. These both work because you are putting money into the game. It is a simple way to bet on yourself. Plus, coaches and team members help you get more done in your business; in addition to keeping you focused and accountable. I actually include an accountability program from The Accountability Squad as part of my Millionaire Minds Coaching Program. I have seen how much this helps my clients stay focused and on track to accomplishment the goals we set. You can learn more about that accountability program here: The Accountability Squad.
- Be Kind To Yourself In the end, you are the most important asset in your business. Even if you create the most amazing team in the world, your energy level and well-being are going to have a tremendous effect on your bottom line profits. So make exercise, eating well and getting enough sleep a priority 🙂
Want more tips on how to get more done in your business? Go here to grab a copy of my best selling book. Take the Risk or Get a Job.
