Get More Done
What can you do in an hour? Ask any entrepreneur or business owner and they’ll tell you that in an hour well spent you can finalize a sale, vet a new lead, forge a partnership, or begin planning your next course or product launch.
The more important question is, what do you do in an hour?
All too often as a business coach, I see clients lose out on the potential for success that each hour brings. And when that happens, one of these three culprits is usually to blame:
Lack of clarity about what actions will make the most difference for you.
Procrastination or inconsistency in showing up to do the work.
Overcomplicating things and letting yourself get lost in overwhelm.
In my mastermind, I work with entrepreneurs to help them close the gap between what they are getting done and what they can get done.
Here are three ways you can start implementing right away to get more done each day:
Prioritize. It’s easy to get stuck in a routine, doing the same things over and over because that’s what we’ve always done. But you can supercharge your productivity when you take an honest look at how you spend your time and energy. Both are in limited supply, so get clear on what actions will really add value and move the needle for you. Then, be ruthless about weeding out the actions that don’t do much for your bottom line.
By working on prioritizing her time, my mastermind member Kristin was able to accomplish her six-month goal in 45 days. Wondering how you can fasttrack your productivity?
Try these tips:
• Assess your actions. Make an audit of your day to see how you’re spending your time. Some people find it helpful to track their time for a week to really get clear on where the hours are being spent. When you know what actions are taking up your time, you can rank them according to how much value they add, and whittle down time spent on low-value items.
• Plan your day. Take a few minutes each night to plan the next day’s goals so that when you wake up, you are ready to hit the ground running. Focus on incorporating high-value actions into your day.
• Do the harder, more important tasks first. When you start your day tackling the more demanding items on your list first, you are able to give them your full attention and energy. Plus, accomplishing something major before lunch is a huge mood and confidence booster!
Show up. Ever wonder how high performers are able to manage their calendar, protect their time, and regularly produce quality work? They show up. Consistently. That may sound like a tall order when you think of all of the people and tasks that compete for our attention as entrepreneurs and business owners.
Here’s how to get started:
• Banish procrastination. Have you ever noticed that when you procrastinate, it doesn’t just delay achievement -- it actually makes the work feel more daunting? Putting off important tasks will lead to them becoming larger in your mind, weighing you down instead of propelling you forward.
• Block time in your calendar. One of the reasons we fail to get things done is that we try to fit them in between other tasks -- or while we’re doing other tasks. Give your prioritized actions the time they deserve by adding them to your calendar and committing to keeping all of your scheduled appointments. Use the blocked time for its intended purpose, without letting distractions pull you off track.
• Consistently commit to getting three key things done each day. When you commit to accomplishing three high-value actions every day, you will steadily move towards your goals, creating momentum and impact. Your focus and clarity may even make room for you to bang out one or two actions from the next day, putting you ahead of the game.
Keep it simple. One of the best ways to get more done is to streamline the steps involved in a process or goal. I worked with my mastermind client Marissa to identify the steps in her clients’ journey, and choose which could be left out, automated, and delegated. The end result? Less work for Marissa, and a smoother experience for her clients!
Here are a few examples of how you can keep it simple:
• Distinguish between necessary and nice to have. When you create your action steps to achieve a goal or establish a process, be realistic about what is truly needed and what would be nice but not necessarily worth the time investment. For example, if you’re launching a small group training program, a gorgeous sales page, automated registration, and a teaching platform are nice to have, but not necessary. You could instead reach out directly to a select group of people, offer your program results, and deliver the promise with easy tools like zoom, email, and Google Drive.
• Distinguish between what needs to be done by you, and what can be done by someone else. One great way to streamline is to take things off your plate and delegate them to someone else. Administrative tasks like emails and invoicing take time, but they don’t have to take your time.
• Ask yourself the most important question. At the start of each project, ask yourself, “How can I reach my goal faster and easier?” This will help you create action steps with simplicity in mind.
As an entrepreneur or business leader, each hour of your day counts -- and you only get 24 of them! You can make the most of your time by being focused, committed, and clear on what really matters.
If you’d like the support of a dedicated group and expert guidance so you can get more done with less time and greater ease, learn more about the opportunity to be part of Success Circles.
