Like many people, when I started my business I did not expect the biggest challenge to be actually getting stuff done!
Making money, finding clients, learning HOW to grow a thriving business, yes – but it turns out the thing I needed to nail was how to actually get stuff done.
I meet so many people in my business who tell me, ‘I used to be a Project Manager’, or ‘I was really organised when I had a J.O.B’, why can’t I organise myself now I work for myself?
Turns out it’s a big problem for us entrepreneurs. I’ve spent a lot of time on this – because my first big goal for working for myself was to have freedom and flexibility, so having a routine and set ways to do stuff wasn’t high up on my priority list.
Luckily I’ve since realised this wasn’t the best plan, and I’ve now got a productivity system that works for me, it isn’t restrictive, allows me to travel the world and still grow my business without feeling like a slave to my To Do list.
Here’s my Top 3 Tips for actually getting stuff done:
Schedule your day the night before
Never ever sit down to work asking yourself ‘what shall I do first?’ Get into the habit of taking 5 mins at the end of the day to plan and clarify exactly what you will achieve tomorrow. Always start your day knowing exactly what to tackle first. This will save you hours of time. Top Tip: Don’t over schedule yourself. Keep your action list achievable so you get to end every day feeling accomplished (instead of frustrated!)
Don’t work from one massive To Do list
It’s inefficient, draining and it doesn’t work. Instead, have a daily ‘Action List’ where you have your top MIA’s – your Most Important Actions clearly identified for the day before you start work (See Tip 1!). This ensures you are always working on the right actions, instead of just picking what you feel like doing from this overwhelming and unrealistic To Do list.
Don’t check your email first thing
By checking your email first thing your day turns into reactive mode. You then spend your morning reacting to the demands of other people. Think of your inbox as a list of other people’s To Do’s. Top performers work on their top priorities first, before checking their emails and becoming reactive to other people’s demands.
I’m pretty passionate about this topic, developing self-mastery has been the game changer for me and my business, whilst these tips are super simple if you actually IMPLEMENT them consistently you will also see some pretty impressive shifts!
