5 ways to find time to work on your business and not just in it
We all know time is the thing we all have the same of but it can disappear or be zapped so quickly when we are not focusing on what we should be doing or tend to be more reactive that proactive in your business. Do you struggle with the motivation to get things done that need to be done within a timely manner?
Is your business running you or are you running it?
Let me give you 5 things that can help you to really use that time better – help with the focus and be more productive when trying to work on your business and move it forward – therefore controlling it rather than it controlling you. It is so easy to let that happen and that doubled with procrastination and that to-do list actually expands very quickly.
- Blocking time out of your calendar
Actually blocking time out for activities. This really does enable you to use your time effectively because every school run, lunch break, client call, email check time is set aside. This can however, appear very overwhelming when you feel there is no time to actually breath – because you’ve not put that time in! Time could be just 10mins a day to check your social media, a day a month to plan and write your blogs and social media posts for the month or 15 mins to meditate and be thankful for your successes and grateful for those in your world.
- Fill those dead moments
When you are walking the dog, waiting for that ballet class to finish, when you are early – those moments can be used to listen to podcasts, make those calls, brainstorm or do some planning. Some people do it when they are driving too (just the listening mind!). You may however wish to use that quiet time to contemplate and so be it but if you have a long journey on the train any moments used to get ahead are not to be sniffed at.
- Read a chapter of a business or motivational book
There are so many books about; so many recommendations – do you have a list of books to read that others have recommended and you’ve hardly broken the ice on them? You can set an hour a day to do just this – perhaps an hour before bed, first hour in the office or even get up an hour earlier to put it there. I’m led to believe that getting up early is good for us and a habit that is well worth trying to make (personally I have failed as it was a new year’s resolution for me that I have yet to achieve – hey I have 12 months to practice!).
- Find an Accountability Buddy
Finding time for ourselves is hard (don’t we know it) but if we have someone else that is also making the time then we are more likely to do it. Working with someone else to set goals, check up on progress and someone to brainstorm or celebrate with is so important when running a business. This may be a business coach, someone else with their own business, a mentor, a colleague – so I’m sure you can find someone. Meeting say once a month to set goals, discuss plans and motivate each other does work. Staying motivated when you are working alone can get difficult so an hour or so of motivational support can do wonders for progress.
- Setting goals
We all know what we want to achieve, or what outcomes you want but do you write it down, refer to it regularly and check up on the progress? Setting a big goal can appear overwhelming at times, so chunking the actions down, identifying the small steps can really help you to progress and reducing that to-do list – on a daily basis not just monthly.
I’d love to hear how you go about finding the time to work on your business and not just in it. Being pro-active and not just re-active.
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