Sounds kind of funny, doesn’t it – stop doing anything to make yourself more productive?
But it really is true. In order to be your best self in your business, you need to shut down the business stuff and take time to recharge. Often. In effect, do less.
For many years now, I have operated my business during standard business hours. I am basically in my office from 9 to 4 each day. And I shut it down after that.
Occasionally I’ll need to do some catch up, but for the most part I only take on as much work as I can do during my regular business week.
It didn’t used to be that way. Like many of you, I worked early mornings, evenings, late nights, weekends, holidays, the whole bit. But what I found was that I was so much less productive when I didn’t place those boundaries on myself.
I actually got less done, working all the time.
I have now been able to streamline how I work (and when) and I have better systems in place to get more done.
Here are a few tips that I use, that might help you also:
1. Client production calls – I do these quick calls weekly with clients to do a quick overview of what we are working on for the week. We go over deadline dates for certain tasks, new work that will be coming my way, and upcoming strategy. It’s a quick touch base that allows me to get their work organized each week. Be sure to limit the time on these so you just cover the basics. No need for more than 15 to 20 minutes if you do them weekly.
2. Business hours and turnaround times – setting standard business hours helps to make sure that my clients know when I am working. Boundaries are important and being clear helps everyone manage expectations of when work will be completed. And … don’t work when your business hours are over.
3. Doing ‘like’ work together. I batch my work from clients – so that I am either working on all of one client’s work at the same time (maximizing their billable time), or I am doing the same type of work (ie Infusionsoft newsletters) at the same time (maximizing my tasks). Keep a system of how you get your work done makes you more productive.
4. Down time – Essential. Taking short breaks through the day helps to refresh the mind. Stopping at the end of the day and shutting it off helps you get ready for the next day. Try to organize your task list for the following day at the end of each day, and you will be better able to stop thinking about work when it’s time for personal time.
5. Put down the phone – Whether it’s phone calls during the day, or checking your emails at all hours of the evening or night, distractions must be managed. I take scheduled calls only, for a select length of time, and I do not check my work email past my standard business hours. It’s a boundary and it’s essential to keep my mind away from work when it’s not supposed to be there.
So there you have it – respect your own time, and others will too.
It’s the only way to ensure that you will be a happy small business owner for years to come!
Let me know how you manage your productivity! I’d love to hear it.
Image courtesy of [digitalart] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net