Since February’s topic of discussion is time management around The Campus, we’re going to talk about organizing your daily tasks for efficiency
purposes. As small business owners, we often wear so many hats that it’s hard to keep from drowning. We’re managing our homes, managing our families, managing our businesses, taking the kids here and there, walking the dog, paying bills, volunteering, and the list goes on and on and on and on. It’s no wonder why there are days that we feel overwhelmed.
Do you ever get that way? Do you ever spin your wheels only to feel as if you’ve accomplished nothing? Please tell me that you do and that I’m not the only one who wants to throw up my hands and walk away from time to time.
Well, there is a system that we can put into place that will assist us in effectively organizing our daily tasks. The purpose of this system is to become more efficient with our time, our energy, and our sanity.
#1 Prioritize
Many people mistake prioritizing tasks with ordering them. The tasks that receive the highest priority should be the task that will generate the most profit or results. For example, email should probably never be your first priority. However, planning your next product launch is a top priority task because it leads to more profits and a bigger business. Email is something you can likely manage during lunch or at the end of the day. Or better yet, outsource to an assistant.
#2 Plan ahead
The best time to plan tomorrow is at the end of today. At the end of your day, make time to plan the next day. Take time to acknowledge your accomplishments and prepare for the day ahead. This helps you prioritize without the distractions of the day. It also helps you sleep better because you have a plan.
One of the easiest ways to make the most of your daily tasks is to plan. Take a look at your goals and create a reasonable plan to achieve them. Assign daily tasks for yourself throughout the month or quarter. Then sit down and plan your weeks ahead of time. When you can take a look at a week or a month and know what you need to accomplish, it’s much easier to plan your day.
#3 Use a planner and/or calendar
I think a planner is one of the most crucial accessory that all business owners/entrepreneurs should have. On my desk, I have a cheap 18 month planner (also known as a calendar, an appointment book, a schedule book, etc). I purchased mine at Walmart for less than $10. It’s important to have the planner lay flat on your desk when opened. It should also allow you to see the whole week at a glance. Be sure to find a planner that has room for you to add your appointments and make notes.
I write a lot of notes on my planner. For example, I keep track of various social networking stats, so on every Monday I list how many Twitter followers I have, or how many “like” I have on the Business and Learning’s Fan Page through Facebook. By doing this, consistently, I can easily flip back through the pages and compare the numbers.
A physical planner is essential. Use it for more than just an appointment book. Another thing I use it for is to jot down resources (such as websites, or names of books to read). Use the planner as a reference or a working document to keep yourself organized and working efficiently.
In addition to a physical planner (one that I can touch), I utilize Google Calendar and share it with my team. I use this system primarily for appointments to keep me on track throughout the day. What’s nice about this system is that it alerts you that your appointment is coming up. You can also set it up to where it reminds your client that they have an appointment with you as well. This keeps “no shows” to a minimum.
Then there’s the iphone or smartphone. Your Google Calendar can sync with your phone or PDA and keep you on track when away from the office.
The key is to find a system that works for you and use it consistently.
#4 Celebrate your successes
It’s easy to look back on the day and see what you didn’t accomplish. Yet it’s much more powerful to look back on your day and acknowledge what you did accomplish. It helps you embrace a positive mindset. It prepares you for a productive tomorrow. I’m a HUGE fan of celebrating our successes and victories. As I’m working with my clients, we celebrate everything…every accomplishment regardless of how big or small it may seem. Get excited about the small details and celebrate!
Good planning and productivity are a habit. Habits are created by consistently focusing on replacing bad habits with good habits. If you have bad habits, identify one and work on replacing it with a good habit. Give yourself about three to four weeks to adopt this new habit. Once you’ve achieved success then you can add another new habit. Little by little you’ll adopt a lifestyle of good habits that result in well organized and productive days.
Share with us some of the ways that you stay on track within your business…we’d love to hear from you!
About Kelli Claypool
