Put Time On Your Side
Time.
If you’re anything like me, that word makes you shudder. I don’t like wasting time, feeling like I need more time, or running out of it. Some days, I feel like I wake up and open up my laptop to start a project and work until bedtime (not every day, but I’m sure at least some of you have been there)!
When I teach a class on using social media or blogging for business growth, it’s the biggest roadblock I hear. How can I add in another task in an already busy day? Here are three ways to get more done and feel better about your business that you can start right now.
Start With You
When you board a plane and the flight attendant gives you the safety speech, what do they tell you? Take care of yourself first before attending to other passengers, even children. I’m going to say the same goes for your business.
In my line of work, I used to cringe when clients asked to look at my website or my social media. Why? Because I was blogging for clients and running social media for other businesses…I never had time to get around to my own. I would get up each day and say, “Today, when I’m done with work, I’ll write a blog.” But I am never done with work. Between my regular tasks and the smaller tasks that come up during the day (a flyer here, an email signature fix there…), the work just keeps coming.
I knew if I wanted my business to grow, I had to make a change. I resolved to start every day with 30 minutes to an hour of work just for me. It’s magical. The short time I devote to my own business growth has not, in fact, taken away that much time from my clients’ work. It has invigorated me – by starting the day with what I am most passionate about, I am so prepared to take on the rest of my work.
cancel the to-do list
When you write a to-do list with the intent of crossing off your completed tasks, you’re often left disappointed. We often put more on the list than we can complete in a day. So, it can be really discouraging to look at what hasn’t gotten done yet. Staying mindful of what needs to get done in the day, start a Already Done list. When you complete a task, even a small one, like making a phone call or updating contact information on your business page, add it to the list. You’ll be surprised at what you accomplish and energize your day!
Consolidate
When you’re looking at something like social media or blogging, the time involvement is overwhelming. A blog or two each week? A social media post each day? The time really adds up. By using a service like Hootsuite, or Buffer you can schedule social media for a week, a month, or more. Add this task to one morning out of your week and that 20-minute investment makes a big difference. The same goes for any task. Instead of letting a short and small task interrupt your day several times a week, handle it all at once and put it out of your mind.