Here’s how you are wasting time.

Trying to focus on everything? This really means you are not focusing 100% on ANYTHING.  In other words, you are wasting time.

AND that probably means that you:

  • are feeling overwhelmed.
  • are not feeling like you are doing anything right.
  • may be procrastinating.
  • may have some guilt that you are not spending enough time with your kids.
  • may not be taking good care of yourself.
  • may be missing out on important times in your life.
  • may be thinking about what you “should” be doing or “should” have done…all while being somewhere else either physically or in your head.

Well, have you ever been like that?

In the beginning of building your business, or maybe when you are transitioning from corporate

to being a lap top biz owner, you probably don’t have a set schedule.

It is a challenge to have your own biz schedule TIGHT, especially when you work out of the house!

Laundry is calling, t.v. is calling, a nap is calling, your kids don’t’ leave you alone while you are working…..

Relate??

Here is a simple way to ensure you are getting everything done you want and stop wasting time.

Calendar it all!

Yes, calendar “free time” or “spontaneous time”.

It takes discipline to be successful.

Powerful business are thought through, not just created by winging it.

AND if you have been winging it, and have had some level of success, why not get your system tighter so you can be even more successful??

The idea is chunking all of your like/similar activities together.

The idea is to decide what needs immediate or ‘DO NOW’ attention and what doesn’t.

This takes some of the emotion out of the task.

I mean, let’s face it, sometimes we don’t want to make a call, or write the blog post, or enter receipts…..sometimes we just don’t FEEL LIKE IT!

Maybe you feel like this with working out or the laundry!

When we can become disciplined to do the things we don’t love doing, and actually get them done we can be more present on the things we really need to do and want to do.

We have to learn to take the emotion out of our biz. Let’s face it, men do.

Now I know some of you are thinking, but Mary, we are women and we are emotional.

Yes, that is what makes us fantastic in so many ways! But it also can stop us in our tracks with guilt, with worry, with …..well, fill in your own blank here!

First things first. What are you missing out on because you are wasting time?

Write it all out.

Next write down everything you need to do for biz.

Now write out everything you need to do for your home.

Now write out everything you need to do for YOU!

Here’s the fun part.

What can you delegate?

What can be done perfectly well by someone else?

My clients know I have a little saying….”every girl needs a housekeeper”.

If you don’t have enough time, what are you doing that you can pay someone to do and who is happy to do it? Decide what it is only you can do.

  • Housekeeping
  • Laundry
  • Photoshop
  • Loading your social media
  • Bookkeeping
  • Email
  • Dog walking
  • Grocery shopping
  • Launches—writing copy

What is on your 3 lists that you could, right now decide to delegate?

Okay, where do you find people?

Ask those around you for referrals for virtual assistants, housekeepers, etc.

Maybe fiverr, Odesk, Hootsuite or Edgar.

Next, remember, balance is b.s. so look at your LIFE CALENDAR and build extra support when you know that you will be busier or when your child is home from school. Figure out first, when you want to vacation, when you want to work out, when you want date night etc. and build your biz around your life.

THEN, you will not have guilt that you are not spending the quality time you desire with those you love! No more mom guilt. No more honey, I’m too tired!

I have been tweaking my calendar and to do lists. So, here is a basic schedule for me.

Here are my “chunked” activities and what is delegated. Now I know I can delegate more and that is coming!

Up early to work out.

Monday & Tuesday: Client days, Closing the Deal calls, Trainings

Wednesday: People connecting or “studying”—yep, I still want to know more about my biz, how to improve it etc.

Thursday: ADMIN DAY! enter receipts, blog/vlog, what marketing things need to happen?

Friday: off

——Well, let’s talk about distractions!!—-

You know, my question to you is how long do you hang around on social media?

Block out 2 x’s a day to engage and then use the post scheduler to load your other biz or misc. stuff.——if you aren’t engaging with people, get off social media!

——-When do you check email? Don’t do it when you roll out of bed. Be proactive. Don’t open your email because then you are in reactive mode. You are allowing other people to dictate your time.

Here’s a little about how I have more time in my schedule:

  • I also have VIP DAYS for clients usually on Wed. or Thursday.
  • I work out.
  • I have a housekeeper 2x per week.
  • I don’t do laundry.
  • I grocery shop several times a week because I hate planning a meal and buying food to freeze.
  • I go out to eat once a week, and maybe pick up something ready made from the grocery store ( I can’t make that yummy flat iron steak like they can!)
  • I have chat with friends and go to the movies.
  • I build free time into the calendar so I can do whatever.
  • Fridays are usually for facials, massages, mani/pedis, shopping.
  • During the school year I am the homeroom mama, the Brownie leader, the car driver for River’s cheerleading 2x’s a week. (I sometimes will take my macbook to do a little paperwork while I am watching her 2 hour class)
  • Most importantly though.
  • I have dropped my Mama guilt about wondering if I spend enough time with River.  During the summer, I build in time that just she and I go away! ( the look on her face when we flew first class during our last trip WAS PRICELESS!)
  • I have date nights with John.
  • I go away on either a true vacation or a mini-3/4 day trip either every month or every other month.
  • In the winter, I have a fire every single night and veg out watching t.v. or playing a game with the family.
  • I love taking a cooking class!
  • We have a craft room in our house and I get to sew or color with River.
  • We love a long drive to nowhere.
  • When River is sleeping over a friends house, I will book a hotel and John and I will try a new restaurant and have a little husband wife getaway.

Life is full.

Life is grand.

You wanna BIG, BOLD LIFE & BIZ, you have to plan for it!  Stop wasting time.

#beBOLDitsTIME