"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough." ~Rabindranath Tagore
If you're an entrepreneur or small business owner, you know all too well about the TIME game. What's that? Basically, it's that feeling of trying to cross off every single thing on your to-do list before the end of the day.
So what do you do if you're trapped in the 'too much to do, too little time' game? Get smart.
Here's the thing - don't do everything on your list. That's right, life's too short. Yes, you may need to send that proposal to a prospective client, finish a report, write a letter, do some consulting, etc. but do you need to do everything on your list? How do you know what to do and not to do? This will vary depending on your business and lifestyle but there are some things you can do to simplify your day.
Try this:
- Every day, start out with a plan. Be sure to have 3 key high-payoff things you'd like to achieve. This will keep you focused and you won't have to have a to-do list a mile long.
- Take at least 30 minutes every day and work undisturbed. Have your assistant answer calls, or turn on your answering machine.
- Every day say this phrase, "Is this the best use of my time at this moment?" This phrase will keep you focused. Sometimes you will use your time to work on business, sometimes the best use of your time might be to take a walk or relax.
- Write down your high pay-off activities on paper. Every day, try to focus on these most and let the other things be dealt with minimally. ex. high payoff activities might include: consulting, selling products, phoning past customers or current customers, etc. High pay-off usually means activities that generate the most revenue.
- Hire experts to do jobs that aren't your forte. This will free you up to do what you're good at. ex. if you don't enjoy doing websites, why waste your time? Get someone to do this so you can focus on your real skills.
Our time on this earth is fleeting, much like the life of a butterfly. When we really think about this, we need to make the best use of our time in our business and life.
I invite you to think about your day today as you read this. How are you spending your time? Are there things you can eliminate? Can you add more fun to your life? How can you make your life better?
Take care and happy escaping,
Lisa Rickwood, "Small Biz Stress Buster," is a small business coach, visual artist and author of Escape The Pace: 100 Fun And Easy Ways To Slow Down And Enjoy Your Life and co-author of Power & Soul: 42 Successful Entrepreneurs Share their Secrets for Creating the Business and Life of Their Dreams. She helps small business owners ‘master stress for professional and personal success.’ Get your FREE e-book, 5 Critical Actions That Hurt Your Business and Add Stress to Your Life…and How to Escape Them by visiting: http://www.escapethepace.com/
2 comments:
Lisa, I always enjoy reading your newsletters because they are so practical.
Now a confession - I read the complimentary section of your book for the first time last night while I was practising some self-care, relaxing in a bubble bath, and it was AWESOME! I loved it.
Just wanted to let you know as a belated birthday present :-)
Organising Queen blog and
Take Charge blog
About 2 years ago I started out organizing my time every morning by asking myself the question, "What are my priorities?"
Then eventually about 6 months ago, I changed the question to: "What is the most important thing I should be doing with my time?"
When I am doing something I am not certain is an exceptional use of my time, I ask myself as well, "Is this the most important task I should be working on at this time?"
I believe the above question is in effect very similar to:
"Is this the best use of my time at this moment?" as Lisa wrote in this blog.
Now that I am getting more and more busy and attracting, allowing, and receiving more of what I want in my life, task management, and time management are even more important to me to Master.
As a Healer, I also recently came to the conclusion, "I have enough on my plate." but that conclusion my change when more synergistic relationships arrive and are solidified in my life!
I know relaxing is very important and I do tend to relax!
I use relaxation to stay in touch with my body, to show love to my body.
I hope that eventually all people learn to work on tasks without creating stress in their bodies or their life.
The effects of our "self-induced" stress response whether we are aware of it or not has probably become the single most prevalent and important aspect in creating and sustaining disease, and also preventing healing from disease.
Thanks for the tips, Lisa!
Master Healer Salvatore Crapanzano
Hanna Kroeger Healer
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