The first quarter is about to end... yikes!
So let’s do a quick accountability check-in. How are those goals coming along that you set way way back in December? Are you on track? Or has life stuff happened and derailed your big dreams of making this your best year ever?
I set some crazy goals myself this year. In fact, I set crazy big goals every year... I’m all about it.
But where I really struggle is with being consistent. You see, I have this little problem ― I’m a total free spirit. Which means when I’m on, I’m unstoppable, but I'm also prone to burnout because I struggle with balance. One week I’m killing it and the next I can’t bring myself to write a single blog post or do any lead generation.
So that’s a big problem and I have a feeling some of you suffer from the same condition.
So what’s a gal (or guy) to do when you’re just not feeling your business? When you’re stuck, due to a lack of clarity, motivation or time and you're burnt out or doubting yourself.
Here’s the exact strategies I use to help me (and my clients) stay extremely focused, productive and hit our goals when we're running a lean team...
1.) Take things off your plate.
You're busy. You have a family and a life that demands your time and energy and there are only 24 hours in a day. Which means that you need to get crystal clear on what you want to accomplish this year and how you're going to get there. All the extra stuff that doesn't support your big goals needs to gets removed from your agenda until you start to see some progress.
Feeling productive and actually being productive are two different animals. By taking things (the distractions) off your plate and time blocking 90-minutes a day to work on your goals you will move things forward.
2.) Create not consume.
I am a big fan of personal growth and development. Sometimes I'm too much of a fan. I can get stuck spending hours on reading blog posts, watching training videos, learning everybody else's opinion about how I should be marketing my business. The problem here is I spend all this time consuming content, but don't make time to actually do anything with the information. Here's how I suggest you tackle sharpening your skills when you're busy trying to run a business...
- Pick your top 5 mentors, influencers, coaches and bloggers you identify with and want to learn from this year and ignore the rest for now.
- Schedule time to catch up on their trainings and free content each week (I have an hour on Tuesday & Thursday reserved for this).
- Schedule time to execute on what you are learning.
- Be a smart student! Test and evaluate their strategies - if they produce results, keep following them. If they don't, maybe consider bumping them from your list and following someone who is more applicable to your business growth goals right now.
3.) Embrace a project management tool.
I am not a natural-born organizer. I resist structure! But I need it in order to keep my sanity and run my business like a well-oiled machine. This is where my project management tool of choice, ASANA, comes in.
I have all my daily, weekly, monthly tasks, as well as my templates and processes plugged into this handy digital checklist so I know everyday exactly what I'm doing to market my business. I love it because it holds me accountable for what I've committed to. If I'm slacking, ASANA reminds me I've got to pick up the pace. It also makes it super easy to collaborate with my teams.
If you don't have a project management solution that you LOVE, I put together this free mini-course for you! In 3 videos I walk you through how to create a free ASANA account, organize your marketing tasks and create a monthly marketing plan. This way you can start running your biz like a true pro :)
4.) Build templates for everything!!!!
Templates are essentially your mini-systems. They are the processes you go through each time you create a new piece of content, throw a client party, send an email etc. In order to save time, be more consistent with your branding and scale your business, you have to get all this info out of your head and onto paper, ASANA or some type of document that you and your team can use. This is the best way to quickly create content and run an efficient, lean team. No more staring at a black screen wondering what you will write about or how you will use the content you create. Your template will guide you through the process and make sure you don't skip an important step every time.
5.) Outsource where you can.
How many $10 per hour tasks are you doing each day? What about $100 per hour tasks? $1,000 per hour tasks? If you focus all of your energy on the little things that have to get done, but don't yield big results for your business you are stunting your own growth. Evaluate all the smaller $10-$20 per hour tasks that could easily be outsourced to a virtual or part-time assistant. Look at your budget and if you can afford to outsource those tasks― do it! This will free up hours of time each month that you can focus on those goals and big money-making activities. Plus, won't it feel nice to get some of those tedious things off your to-do list? Here's a list of things to consider outsourcing...
- social media, blog and email artwork.
- video editing.
- copywriting.
- website updates.
- client gifts (creating them).
- simple admin tasks.
- appointment setting.
Well there you have it...give these tips and try a watch your productivity skyrocket!
P.S. - Don't forget to check out that free ASANA course by clicking, HERE.
XO
CopyKat