3 Key Elements To Improve Your Productivity and Positively Impact Your Relationships
Ever feel like time is in short supply and you just can't seem to get all the shit done that needs doing on a daily basis? Maybe you feel like you have to have your hands in everything because if not it won't get done right? Or maybe you’re swamped with your entrepreneurial duties that you just don’t have time for your family. Yea, you're not alone. The problem is, you're not acting like your best business owner self when you're in this frame of mind. In fact, you own a job (or several) versus owning a business.
I'm often fascinated by the number of business owners who fancy "multitasking" as a real desirable skill. When I hear someone say, "I'm a great multitasker;" what I've actually just heard them say is that they are great at doing a lot of things but accomplishing nothing. Think about it. How many times have you felt like you were so busy, but can't recall what you actually got done that moved the needle in your life?
This is because the human brain can not actually fully focus on more than one thing at a time if that thing requires your full cognitive attention. For example, you can chew gum and walk at the same time or fold laundry while on a conference call, BUT could you do long division while driving a car? Could you help your child with his homework while actively responding to a sales call or email?
In this blog I will show you three things that can help you, help yourself and get more productive. I will also talk about opportunity costs, how to manage them, and some examples of boundaries you can set that allow you to be present at every point of your day.
Eliminate: You're doing too much. You need to get rid of all the actions that aren't serving you or your business. Make a list of all the things you do everyday and decide which ones aren't serving you. Then get rid of them. When I coach clients directly, I often have them write down every single thing they do on a daily basis for 3 days straight. EVERYTHING -go to the bathroom, eat, scroll social media, work with clients, answer emails, take phone calls, etc. and the time it takes them to do it. Then I tell them to eliminate half of it. While this seems extreme, it does get you to look at all the things you're doing on a daily basis and come to grips with the ones that are stealing time from you. After all, there are 168 hours in the week, how are you misusing them?
Delegate: Why do you have your hands in everything? What tasks are you doing that you could hand off to someone else who is able do them just as well, if not better than you? Good business owners hire good people who are motivated and then inspire them to do a good job. That way you can spend your time in your creativity and passion. Stop micromanaging and let people do what they do while you do what you’re good at. If you have trouble trusting people to do this because you feel they "can't do it as well as you can," then maybe you need to hire better people. OR, maybe you need to learn that trust is given NOT earned and your control patterns need a little coaching. (Shameless plug: everyone who is a business owner should have a coach). Ask yourself what actions are you performing that you can do, BUT you are not efficient at? Also, ask yourself what daily activities could you hand off to someone else that are time suckers.
Systemize: What tasks could easily become more productive if you adopted a system or built a system to sustain it? Is there an app of service or device that would make your day to day tasks easier and more efficient. A business is nothing more than a system of systems. In healthcare we have an EMR (electronic medical records) system to manage patient documentation. It would be a huge pain in the ass to go back to paper charting and maintaining that. So what systems are out there you could adopt in your business/life that help streamline the madness into something beautifully organized. Go back to your list in the "eliminate" section. What could be eliminated by systemizing? What could become more productive if there was a system to organize it? Trello is a good example of organizing tasks to be completed and you can also tag your team or family members on the things they need to handle to make everything run smoother with less direct communication.
At the end of the day, you are a representation of your business, life and your "brand." If you're unorganized and running around crazy, then the perception of your life will eventually be the same. Ask yourself what role is it that you should be playing in your business? What are your strengths? Stick to those and put systems and people into place that can help you with the rest. When you spend too much time on tasks that are not in your zone of genius, such as building a website for your business, how much time are you then sacrificing to work with or recruit more clients/customers to your business. This is the difference between owning a business and owning a job.
In your personal life could you have someone else pick up your dry cleaning or cut your grass, or deliver ready made meals to your door, or grab your kids from school. Find ways to free up time so you can give your best attention to the most important tasks in the moment. You only have so much mental capacity, so when you’re constantly juggling thoughts of all your tasks it makes it impossible to put in your best work and be fully present.
We also can’t talk about productivity without talking about opportunity cost. Opportunity cost means that for every task you take on there is a sacrifice to another opportunity. In other words, the opportunity cost of sitting at your child’s soccer game while sending work emails on your phone means that you miss the opportunity to watch your child play a sport and have a meaningful conversation with him/her after the game. Be present in your life not juggling 10 things at once. So what are your opportunity costs? How much work are you performing that doesn’t allow your team to step up
Set boundaries around important hours of the day such as:
no phones or tv allowed during dinner so you can connect with those most important to you
time blocking for certain tasks to be completed - emails, projects, answering texts or taking calls - I use 4 hour time blocks for important work that I need full concentration on and shorter periods of 30-60 min for every day things like emails, meals, and phone calls
no phone in the bedroom at night
avoid work conversations on date nights
use the silent mode on your phone when you’re dealing with important tasks so you aren’t distracted
develop a weekly schedule that allows your brain to go on autopilot and know exactly what you’re working on and when
saying “no” to things that are not aligned with your vision
These boundaries serve as a way of teaching others to also respect your time. My team knows they can only reach me at certain times. If they send me an email or text I will answer during the allotted time to do so. If there is an URGENT matter then they call me directly. Note also that it is important to determine what is URGENT.
At the end of the day we only get one life. One life to enjoy and live in abundance. Do you want to look back on your life and wish you had more time? Or do you want to put systems into place that allow you to be fully present, energetic, and productive at every moment in your day?
Stay Edgy,
Daniel Tribby, ATC, CEAS, ITAT, CNP
Co-Founder, The Edgy Entrepreneur, LLC
© Edgy Entrepreneur, LLC. • 51 E. Jefferson St. #3292, Orlando, FL 32802 • www.edgyentrepreneurs.com
