Ease Overwhelm
If you’re a business owner, chances are you’re part of the 84%.
According to The Alternative Board’s 2017 Business Pulse Survey, “84% of business owners are working over 40 hours per week, and 1 in every 10 feels continuously overwhelmed by their responsibilities.”
I am all for buckling down and getting work done, but I also believe that running a business doesn't have to be so hard. Finding a way to maximize productivity without feeling like you’re drowning in a sea of tasks is a matter of focus.
These five tips should help to reduce your overwhelm:
1. Focus on accomplishing 3 things per day. Trying to go in too many directions at once will leave you spinning in circles or frozen with uncertainty about what to do next. You end up not accomplishing anything. By choosing just a few tasks, you move closer to your goals in a calm and orderly way. Once you get these done, you can always choose three more to work on.
2. Focus on what is important. Treat your life like a college essay and edit it. Eliminate everything that doesn't help you reach your big goals. Learn to say ‘no,’ or at least, ‘I'll think about it’ before adding more to your plate. Everything you commit to should be in line with your values and help you reach your overall life goals.
3. Focus on what you're good at. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. You should understand the many facets of your business, but you shouldn't be doing them all. Delegate anything that you are not good at or that completely saps your energy. You will enjoy your business more and produce better work if you allow the expertise of other professionals to support you in areas that are not your strong point.
4. Focus on earning income. Some business owners think if they do it all themselves, they’re saving money. In reality, the opportunities you’ll lose doing menial tasks will cost you more than hiring someone to do those things for you. Delegating the $15 per hour tasks frees you up to work on the higher dollar per hour tasks.
5. Focus on the 'big rocks' first. One of my favorite stories is 'The Big Rocks of Life.' You can read it HERE, but the overall message is that to best manage your time, you need to give priority to your big goals. Schedule a block of time to get your important work done. All the small tasks will get done in between these appointments. If you focus on accomplishing all the minutia first, it will eat up your day and you won't have the solid block of time you need to do your important work.
Having a prosperous business requires effort and work, but it shouldn’t require you to burn yourself out. Instead of running yourself ragged by running in every direction at once, try these strategies, and grow your productivity and happiness at the same time.
To get clear on where to focus your time and start making a real impact with your work, let's work together to fast-track your goals. Learn more HERE.
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