Top 10 Strategies to Get It All Done
If you’re like everyone else, the holidays get insanely busy and your already-full life and schedule can be out of control.
But let’s face it, when you work full time running a business, have a family, and a life, you’re used to having a full plate.
My Top Ten Strategies To Get It All Done!
The second installment of the annual Playing Oprah giveaway focuses on the same struggle every single entrepreneur faces: How to get 30 hours of work done in a 24 hour day?
The truth is: You can’t.
But you can get more done than you think with the help of some very special tools and people.
Keep reading to uncover my favorite strategies that help me reach the bottom of my ‘To Do’ list!
10. Acuity
There are a million scheduling systems available and I’ve tried them all. I’m a systems freak. I love to jump onboard, alert my team to upcoming changes, and then abandon the entire idea when it gets complicated. Acuity isn’t flashy (although they have made some sweet updates in the past year) but it gets the job done.
Acuity allows customers to schedule and reschedule appointments as needed, saving me precious time and headaches. It also integrates with my own calendar so I’m never double booked. Best of all, the learning curve is short, it’s faster and easier than doing it manually, and customers get that “professional” feel right from the start.
9. Basecamp
I fought this for a long time by thinking team management systems were complicated. Remember I mentioned I’m a systems freak? I bet my team could name 20 project management systems we’ve tried in the last four years. However, this year, our team grew and we had to commit. Basecamp was the winner.
8. Start each day with a planning call
One thing that has made significant impact to how productive I am is having a daily planning call. My assistant keeps a running to do list of items we’re working on or promises we’ve made to customers. Each day we set priorities of what must get done, what’s nice to get done, and what can wait. This frees up space in my head because I’m not telling myself there are 100 things that have to get done today or else the business will fall apart.
What if you don’t have an assistant yet?
That’s ok, you can still have this meeting with yourself. Before you do anything, take a look at your list of to do items. Pick the absolute most important. Are you able to get it done today or does it need to broken further down into steps? Then you repeat this process, making certain you only put items on the “Must Do” column that must be done today. Instead of ending the day behind, you’ll feel accomplished when you’ve completed your “Must Do” items and, on the days you cross off the “Can Wait” to dos, you’ll feel like a rockstar!
7. Schedule a day to RUN your business.
If I had a favorite tip, this one would be it. Most days, I have the pleasure of working with some of the most inspiring businesses owners on the planet. Like you, my days are packed full with customer activities and responsibilities which I love, but it leaves very little time to run MY business. I’ve begun scheduling a day (as often as possible) where I do not reply to emails, work with customers, get on social media, or schedule any meeting besides my planning call. I spend my day doing the common business tasks that will grow my business. Here is a list of some of the things that get completed on this day:
- Blogs
- Resources created
- Emails written
- Financial check up
- Any new content, program, or offer that I’m working on
- Sales pages written
What I also love about this day, is that I stay in my cute PJs all day and don’t leave the house! It’s a day dedicated to nothing other than business growth.
6. Separation of house and office
I’m very clear: I run a business. A real, legitimate business that makes money and helps others. It can be easy when you work from home to mix office to dos and house work, but that’s a bad idea. When I walk into my office at 8 am every morning, I’m at work. The laundry doesn’t get done, food doesn’t get cooked, and beds don’t get made. It is no different than if I’m working in a 500 person office where I have to clock in and out. I’m working.
And, just as important, when I step out of my office at the end of the day, I close the door and leave work at the office. Then, I’m able to go into mommy, wife, and house mode. I make every attempt not to work while Halianna is up, no cell phones at dinner, no computer when we are watching TV. This is when the home chores get completed (or they don’t!).
Now do I make exceptions to this? Yes. I love to eat lunch with Halianna. I do have work emergencies where I have to be in both modes at the same time. BUT the boundaries exist so that my attention isn’t divided. I read a study once that said when you multitask you operate with the same brain capacity as someone who is high from smoking weed. I don’t run my business or parent while high so I try very hard not to multi-task, either.
5. Ontraport
If I’m willing to try 20 team management systems, you better believe I’ve tried all the email management systems, too. Ontraport remains my top pick for list management, payments, forms and all things Customer Relationship Management related. Ontraport is user friendly and uncomplicated. Their customer service is solid and better than others I’ve tried. The best feature of any high end email system is the ability to segment your list. This process is a breeze with Ontraport and saves us time every day.
4. Leadpages
What can I say? I flipping love Leadpages and it’s really one of the most effective tools I’ve used in my business. We run all our Facebook ads from Leadpages and it saves us tons of time—not to mention, based on my experience, they convert better than a squeeze page.
3. Mastermind
This is such buzzword in our industry but for good reason. I’ve been part of several masterminds, both paid and unpaid, and I can tell you, when done correctly, they’re a huge asset to your business. Having a group of intelligent, business owners to bounce ideas off of and provide feedback will save you hours of trial and error.
As a matter of fact, this year my mastermind was directly responsible for some of the biggest money making choices I’ve ever made in my business. The key to a Mastermind that works, is finding the right partners and setting an agenda for each meeting.
Masterminds also compliment #2 on this list which is…
2. Make Time For Education
There is so much great information available for free on the internet that it can feel overwhelming. But it’s also too good to miss. Make time to listen to a podcast or attend a webinar about an area of business growth or something you want to learn more about. I have seen the best of the best do this and it pays mega cash in your business when you make time to learn and grow.
1. Sleep
I used to think the grind of starting a business was glamorous. That I had to work myself to the bone all hours of the night because I was building a business and the more I worked, the faster I would hit a million, create success, or whatever goal I was working towards. I know you need an incredible work ethic to run a business. But I used to work eight hours a day, put Hallianna to bed and work until after midnight every night. For years, I deprived myself of sleep in the pursuit of the next goal. Now, I get 8 hours a night (at least!). It’s a requirement for me to run my business. It lets me get more done and stay on top of my game for my customers.
Last week, I told you my the Top Ten Money Makers In My Business and now you know how I get it all done. I have one more list of Top Tens to share before the Playing Oprah giveaway.
Which means there’s still time for you to sign up to win!
All you have to do is enter your name and email below to be eligible for the giveaway. I’ll draw winners at random and announce them on November 30th!
I’m so excited to give away a money makers and strategies to help you create results, revenue, and raving fans in your business.
All you have to do is enter your name and email here to be eligible for the giveaway. I’ll draw winners at random and announce them on November 30th! [TWEET THIS]
