How to Work On Your Business Instead of In Your Business
The new year is here! Have you thought about the goals for your business this year? They don't need to be lofty goals—in fact—you can achieve some pretty great feats with a little time each day.
The number one struggle I notice with small businesses is actually setting time aside to work within their business. Oftentimes, we're caught up in client emails, brainstorming, and doing the work that we actually run out of time to work on our own goals!
If it's been your goal to set more time aside to work on your business but aren't sure where to start, here's my favorite tips that I use!
1. Schedule your time more effectively
Having a clear, concise plan each day is a great way to stay on track and stay focused. Using the best product lifecycle management software can help you make better, more timely decisions too.
Do you ever realize you've been spending forever in your inbox? Time yourself and aim to spend a specific amount of time on a task. Toggl is a perfect (and free!) tool for this. If you find yourself spending forever on something, timing yourself is also a great way to make sure you stay within a reasonable timeframe.
Once you get a good idea how long something takes you, plan out chunks of time for each assignment that you do. Perhaps you reserve an hour each day for emails, a couple hours for planning shoots, etc. Reserve that time and stick to it, that way you'll have that guaranteed time to work on your business.
2. Plan at least 30 minutes each day to work on your business
Those chunks of time that we just discussed? That includes time for your own business! Make a 30 minute (at least) time chunk to focus solely on your business. This could be writing blog posts, planning content, engaging on social media, working on your marketing plan, etc.
For those 30 minutes, stick to that specific task you've assigned yourself. Make sure that this task is helping you propel your business forward. For example—if you want to engage with your audience on social media, then it's probably not best if you're just endlessly scrolling social media and watching cute dog videos (trust me, that can easily take over). Avoid distractions and stay focused on your goal.
For more tips on time management, check out this post.
3. Wake up earlier
I know that sounds tough—I'm not a morning person, either. But having a consistent sleep schedule that allows you to wake up early (without feeling tired!) helps you kickstart the day less-stressed and more focused.
There are numerous advantages of waking up early. It enhances our productivity, helps us concentrate, and even helps us sustain a healthy diet.
Our brains are typically most alert in the morning, so setting your most important tasks for then is a great way to ensure you complete them. Slowly acclimate yourself to waking up earlier 15 minutes each day until your desired rise time. Aim to stick to a consistent schedule *everyday* and avoid sleeping in on the weekends, as tempting as that may be. When you start the day feelin' good, you're much more apt to get that work done effectively!
4. Write your goal down
Having a clear plan-of-action helps us stay aligned. Ever have those busy days where you feel completely exhausted and with no direction? Write down your goal, niiiice and big in an obvious spot. Maybe that's on a sticky note on your computer, or on a dry erase board, or both!
When you felt like you've lost clarity, you'll always have that reminder to realign you. Keeping your goals visible at all times is a perfect way to keep you on track.
5. Let go of perfectionism
As business owners, sometimes we feel we need to have everything perfect before we release it to the world. But we're humans. We all make mistakes. Letting those little mistakes get to us not only robs us of precious time, but can actually instill fear in us and prevent us from getting things done.
It's absolutely okay if nothing is perfect. Work on getting things finished, because progress is better than perfection. The less time you spend worrying about the little things is more time aside to work on your business.
Now is always the best time to start working on your business. By planning out your time efficiently and dedicating even 30 minutes a day working ON your business rather than IN it, you're ensuring progress forward. Don't fret over the small stuff and you'll always be able to have time to work on your business.
