As a business owner your time is valuable. Creating a business routine that works for you, is one of the best things you can do for your business. Not only will it help you be more productive, it will also help you to build habits that better support you and your business.
When it comes to establishing a routine though, there’s so much conflicting information out there! Whether you follow influencers in your niche or global icons, everyone seems to have an opinion on what makes up a ‘good’ daily working routine.
But it is not about finding a ‘good’ routine. What you need is a routine that is right for you.
10 Tips to find the right business routine for you
So, if you are looking to find the right business routine for you, here is a simple 10-step process you can follow. These tips will help you to build routine into your working day and ensure you are protecting your mental and physical health too.
#1: Get your day off to a good start
If you want to start your day right, do things that put you in a positive and upbeat frame of mind. Whether it is journaling, yoga, meditation, exercise or listening to music, opt for something that will put you in a good mood and wake up your mind and body. You also need to ensure you’re nourished with a good breakfast, so you have enough energy to get you through to lunchtime.
#2: Take time to prioritise your tasks and your actions, before you start your day
You’ll probably already have a list of activities and tasks you need to complete during your day, but it is worth taking 10 minutes, to plan them out. Not only does this give you a chance to prioritise your tasks, it’s also great for getting your mind ready and focused on what’s ahead.
#3: Start with your biggest tasks
Start your working day off, by doing the biggest task on your task list. Not only are you tackling it when your mind is at its freshest, you are also ensuring it doesn’t play on your mind or get pushed further down your list. And you may find that actually, it’s a task you could outsource to a VA – and totally remove it off your list altogether!
#4: Work with your natural energy cycles to establish a routine for you
We all have a natural energy cycle that we repeat on a daily basis. It usually involves being our most alert in the morning, followed by a mid afternoon lull and total energy depletion in the evening! So pay attention to the ebb and flow of your energy throughout your day, and work out when you’re at the most productive. You can then plan your business routine around your unique energy cycle.
#5: Remember to include self-care
As we established in last week’s blog post, self-care is essential to your mental and physical health. Do not forget overwhelm can be reduced with self-care too. That is why you need to ensure you’re scheduling your self-care tasks each day. And as part of that self-care, look to include some regular learning time. As this Medium article illustrates, it is an important part of your business and personal success.
#6: Work in blocks of time
When it comes to planning out your routine, you need to work in blocks of time. If you try to plan a routine around every available minute in your day, it’ll be too rigid for you to stick with. But if you opt for blocks of time, you’ll have the freedom and flexibility to plan in and move tasks accordingly.
#7: Have a lunch break
No matter how new or established your business is, you need to step away from it and have regular breaks. A lunch break is the perfect time to take a break from work and recharge your batteries. Not only will it help you focus better in the afternoon, it is an essential part of your self-care regime too.
#8: Connect with others
As part of your daily routine, you need to include connection with others. Why? Because it not only helps you build business relationships and contacts, it is also a good way to boost your energy, motivation and self-worth.
#9: End the day right – celebrate your achievements
At the end of each day, take some time out to celebrate your achievements. This will help to end the day on a high, but it also helps you start to notice what you have accomplished. Far too many business owners don’t take the time to do this, and end up getting demotivated and dispirited, by their perceived lack of progress and productivity.
#10: Plan out tomorrow
Finally, look to get a head start on tomorrow, by planning ahead. The list you create now will help you kickstart your routine tomorrow – as you can then plan in the tasks you’ve written down. This helps you into the habit of writing down and planning, rather than relying on your brain to remember everything you need to do – and worrying that you’ll forget it all. It’s also the perfect time to see what else you can potentially outsource to someone else.
If you’re looking to potentially outsource some of those tasks on your list to a VA, why not get in touch? At Virtual Hand we’re here to help you get more work done and free up your valuable time. Outsourcing to a VA can become an essential part of your work routine, especially if you want to get those big tasks off your list and celebrate more achievements at the end of each day! So get in touch and let’s see how Virtual Hand can potentially help you.
