Busy and productive are not the same. Although many believe if you are in a constant state of motion, you are engaging in activities that will result in more revenue for your business.
Unfortunately, as I like to call it, busy work is an avoidance technique, used to make time go by faster, allowing an individual to avoid completing a certain task that could benefit their business.
In today’s article, I am going to discuss six ways you can stop being busy and start being productive.
1. Plan Your Week In Advance
On Sunday evenings, sit down with your paper calendar and map out your upcoming week. Then schedule alerts on your phone as needed. This will allow you to jump right in on Monday mornings and remain focused throughout the week on productive tasks, steering you away from meaningless busy work.
Related: How Entrepreneurs Prioritize Their Time for a Productive Day
2. Use a Time Block Schedule
Each day, block off time to complete certain tasks within your business. That may look like two hours to generate leads using LinkedIn Sales Navigator, one hour to do follow-up emails and phone calls, three hours to plan and create content for social media using tools like Canva.
3. Learn to Delegate
You are not a superhero. You can not accomplish everything in your business alone. Recognize your weaknesses, stop wasting time trying to complete a task that you hate doing, and bring in the right people to assist you. This can be a virtual assistant that works a certain amount of hours each month, a social media manager, or a sales associate. If you are working with a limited budget, start with contract workers and slowly move into part-time and full-time employees.
4. Set And Track Business Goals
At the beginning of each year, decide on one major goal that you would like for your business to achieve. Each month, break that big goal into four smaller goals that you tackle each week by developing daily action steps and tracking your progress daily. I use the Business Tool Kit, which has monthly and weekly goal sheets to help you stay on track while increasing your productivity.
5. Set Boundaries
You became an entrepreneur because you wanted freedom. Realize that it is okay to tell people no, walk away from business deals that are not a good fit for you and your company, fire clients who are demanding access to you 24/7, and stop answering business emails and phone calls after a certain time. Productivity does not mean working on your business 24/7. Setting boundaries will allow you to function from a calm and centered space and show up fully charged, which will help you when it comes to making good business decisions.
Related: 5 Morning Secrets to Being More Productive at Work
6. Create a Done List
We are always creating lists that remind us of what needs to be done but rarely do we create lists that highlight what we’ve successfully completed. At the end of each day, write down what you’ve accomplished and what this achievement will mean for your business, and how you are feeling. At the end of each week, reward yourself for getting your to-do list done!
As you can see, productivity doesn’t just happen; it takes planning, recognizing your weaknesses as a business owner, utilizing available resources, and delegating things you’re not good at.
Productivity also means putting measures in place that will allow you to hold yourself and your team accountable in addition to celebrating your achievements.
