Only do what’s necessary for your business
One of the things I love about my clients is that you are all entrepreneurs. You’re excited about your work and you’re passionate about your ideas. You love your businesses (sometimes) as if it were one of your children. And you spend a lot of time working.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is that many entrepreneurs don’t always feel like you’re getting anything done … despite the long hours and hard work. You’re pretty sure you’re being inefficient and feel like there’s never enough time.
And that’s exhausting.
The antidote?
1. Get clear about what you’re trying to accomplish. I see clients every day who are heading in 15 directions all at once. Do you jump from one thing to the next and back without any clear destination? Are you always chasing the next shiny object?
The best way to get clear is to take time to make measurable goals that are easy to articulate. For example: “In the last quarter of 2021 I want to increase revenue by $10,000;” “I want 10 more consistent clients;” “I want to delegate 10 hours of work per week to an assistant.”
2. Make a plan that supports your goal. If your goal is to increase revenue by $10,000, identify five or six activities to support that objective. This might include raising prices, additional public speaking, attending more networking events, writing a newsletter, publishing on LinkedIn, etc.
Be deliberate about this. This is how you are going to spend your time.
3. Set up support systems. In order to know whether you’re carrying out your plan, it’s important to track what you’re doing. Part of my plan to increase revenue this year is to attend at least one networking event a month, meet with one new person every week, and publish my newsletter every month. There’s no way I could track my progress in my head, so I have an excel spreadsheet to track my success each week.
Am I flawless in my execution? No. Does it help to see what I’m actually doing so I can make mid-course corrections? Absolutely.
4. Don’t be afraid to say no. If you get a request that’s not aligned with your goal, it’s important to say no. If you have a bright idea that’s also not aligned with your goal (no matter how bright) it’s equally important to say no.
For example, one of my tactics for growing my revenue this year is meeting one new person each week. Depending on people’s schedules this is not always possible so some months I adjust to meeting 4 new people per month to allow more flexibility.
Do your goal setting and planning in quiet. Also, do it separately from your day to day activities. Be clear in your language and remove any ambiguity. Stick with it, even when you’re feeling short on time or energy. Be sure to add time to keep updating your systems.
In the end, you’ll feel more focused, get more done and enjoy your business a lot more than you thought you could.
