Entrepreneurs: Boost Productivity and Leisure Time by Trimming the Fat from Your Schedule
Monday, August 10, 2009 8:33By Ellen H. Brown
Many of my clients, who are solo business owners, tell me that there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done. There was certainly a time when I felt that way, as a solo entrepreneur. And in the spirit of honesty, I’ll admit that there are still times when I feel like I’m drowning in work, or at least struggling to stay afloat.
When I start feeling that way, I begin looking for places to trim the fat from my day. Sometimes that means cutting out certain activities entirely. In other cases, it just means trimming back. Because I’m always looking for ways to work smarter rather than harder, and sometimes that means simplifying my work and personal life and doing less.
Of course, there are no one-size fits-all solutions, for trimming the fat. That’s because we all have such different values, so something that one person considers dispensable may be essential to someone else. Having said that, here are some ideas for trimming the fat that have worked well for me and a number of my clients:
1. Unsubscribe to email lists that are no longer serving you.
2. Cut back on the number of blogs and other online news you read.
3. Limit the time you spend on social media sites and consider automating some of your Tweets and Facebook entries
4. If you’re a big fan of online games that lure you away from your projects, limit your time playing these.
5. Delegate tasks outside your core competencies to virtual assistants or other professionals such as copywriters or web designers.
6. If you have friends or family members who consistently call to chat during the workday, suggest that they call at a more convenient time.
7. Stop attending networking meetings that aren’t a good fit for you and your business.
8. It’s great to volunteer your time, but if you have too many volunteer commitments, consider paring down the list.
9. The next time someone asks you to do something that you know you don’t want to do, say “thanks, but no thanks.”
10. When you notice that you’re spending time worrying (a huge time waster) about something you have no control over, bring yourself back to the present moment, take a deep breath and re-connect with the activity you’re involved in.
Did you notice that I didn’t suggest that you stop taking healthy breaks to eat well and move your body? That’s because I’m a big believer in healthy living and self care. When we take time to nurture our bodies, and balance work with play, we have more energy for all aspects of our lives.
So, what little bit of fat could you trim from your day?
In what way would you benefit from cutting out a time waster or two from your schedule?
What would you do with an extra half hour of fat (or more!) you manage to trim from your day?
I’d love to hear what you have to say. Please join in the conversation by leaving a comment, here, on Stepping Stones.
Ellen H. Brown is a certified coach who works with solo business owners interested in running wildly successful businesses without sacrificing their personal lives. Her business, Wellness Journeys, is based in Cleveland, Ohio. To download her free special report, How to Boost Profits and Productivity Without Sacrificing Your Personal Life, go to http://www.wellnessjourneys.com/profits-and-productivity.php
T says:
August 11th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
I would add: Don’t be afraid to use your voice mail and/or answering machine. Just because the phone rings does not mean you must answer it! Many people seem to feel that a ringing phone demands their immediate attention, especially if it’s a cell phone. I’ve found that it’s a rare return phone call that can’t wait for at least a few minutes. Also, I do my best to mono-task instead of multi-task. The latter will spread you too thin & reduce your effectiveness, not to mention cause stress. I’ve found it wastes time rather than saves it.
Ellen Brown says:
August 11th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Thanks for your great suggestions, Terrisa! I very much agree with you, with regard to answering phones and multitasking. I personally think that multitasking is way over-rated!
Mark Joyella says:
August 11th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
Great topic… but a tough one for me. I know that my use of social media at times devolves into mindlessness and time evaporates at that point. But let me throw this suggestion into the mix: what do you think of to-do lists? I’ve always been an obsessive list writer, and each night I create a determined, comprehensive list of tasks for the next day, which I then use to beat myself up the following day, by picking it up, seeing how few items have been crossed off, and then deciding the day’s going poorly. I’m quite tempted to try going list-free for a while to see if I’m more productive without all the list obsession.
Mark