In this article, we are going to address how to prioritize your day + increase your business productivity so you can cross the stuff that matters off your to-do list and leave the rest behind!
Congratulations, you are on an online business owner, yippee!
Oh wait, that often comes with a ton of stress and overwhelm because, well, there is always something to do, you are wearing all the hats and you have a ton of balls in the air, you gotta manage the books, market your business, create a business plan, answer the phone, respond to email, make coffee, make AND implement every single decision.
Managing your day to day schedule and learning how to prioritize your day is imperative if you want to maximize your output, get more done in your biz, you know so you can increase your business productivity and enJoy your life in the process.
I mean, what’s the point if you are burning the candle at both ends all the time. That’s no fun!
Many times as online business owners we feel that 24 hours in a day is not enough to cover everything you want and need to do.
In reality, the number of hours in a day is more than enough if you know how to properly manage your time so that your time does not manage you.
The trick to effective time management, which of course involves learning how to prioritize your day but you also want to make sure you have the right stuff on your to-do list.
That means based on what is in alignment for you and the vision that you have for your business. You also need to know how to set goals and all that jazz too but once you got that stuff down, this is the next step to increase your business productivity.
Before we dive into How to Prioritize your Day + Increase Your Business Productivity
You may want to check out the following resources to help you make sure you have the right stuff on your to-do list:
- 3 Easy steps to Reach Your Goals FAST!
- Setting Your Goals, Easily Said, Easily Done!
- Stop working towards your vision, do this instead!
- How to Prioritize Your Ideas
The first thing you want to do when you prioritize your day is to divide your daily responsibilities into two main categories by urgency and importance.
Step 1 – Make a list of all the things that you do in a typical workday.
Step 2 – After completing the list draw a square with four quadrants. This will serve as your responsibility matrix.
Step 3 – Now, label the first quadrant as “important and urgent”, this is the cell in the top right.
Step 4 – Label the second quadrant as “important and not urgent”, this is the cell in the top left.
Step 5 – Next, label the third quadrant as “not important and not urgent, this is the cell in the bottom left.
Step 6 – Lastly, label the fourth quadrant as “not important and urgent, this is the cell in the bottom right.
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You now have effectively categorized your day to day tasks into four classes.
You can call them:
- Critical Activities
- Important Goals
- Distractions
- Interruptions.
The direction followed by the labels is from first to the fourth quadrant.
Now, fill in the spaces with the appropriate task from the original list that you have.
Having a visual representation of your daily tasks is pivotal in managing your time.
You want to have as many entries in the second quadrant as possible. Successfully doing so is a good indicator that you are slowly making progress in affective time management because you tend to have enough time to finish important matters instead of rushing through them.
You want to minimize entries in the third and fourth quadrant. These are matters that contribute little or nothing to your productivity.
Playing on Facebook or other social media platforms, texting, instant messaging and email is a perfect example of this. A friendly message from a friend, family member or colleague may require an urgent response but if it has nothing to do with bringing you closer to achieving your desired result, then politely decline from further interaction. You can always take this matter up during your break time.
This technique is attributed to former President Dwight Eisenhower. One of his quotes that remain true today is, “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important”.
When you learn how to plan your day effectively by using the matrix and you’ll be surprised with how much extra time you actually have at your disposal.
Here’s the deal: You went into business because you are really good at what you do and you enjoy it. Now you realize that there’s more to it than just being an expert at what you do. You also have to manage the books, market your business, create a business plan, answer the phone, respond to email, make coffee, make AND implement every single decision.
Hmm, That is a lot of balls you need to have in the air in order to achieve your dreams, huh?
If you feel like you are drowning the details of your business, and you would like to discover 3 keys to unlock freedom + cashflow in your business than I would love to invite you to download my free report + bonus audio.
If you’d like to some help creating a strategic plan so that you can reach your goals FAST, then be sure to check out Rock Your Goals + Strategic Planning system here, where I teach you in-depth how to use strategic calendaring to get more done in a day than most people do in an entire month.
Instant Access to my Proven Step-by-Step System to Set, Plan & Reach Your Goals
- 50 Minute Goal Setting Planning System Training Call mp3 recording
- 60 Minute Strategic Planning & Calendaring System Training Call mp3 recording
- Bonus: 6 Step Goal Setting Worksheet System
- Bonus: 90 Day Planning Tracker Worksheet
- Bonus: How to get the most out of your day and schedule your time accordingly Exercise
- Bonus: Monthly Planning Action Guide Worksheet
- Bonus: 30-day goal planning worksheet
Questions? Ask away and I’d love you to post your comments.
hey, I’m Kim + I am ridiculously passionate about helping you to work smarter and not harder + to realize how freaking amazing you actually are, exactly as you are and how easy business really can be when you are in alignment + simplify + add systems to organize your business + plan your business growth. I’ve been geeking out about online business, online marketing + systems + personal development + all that stuff since I created my first business back in 2006 + sold it.
This whole business owner thing is not for the faint of heart, there is a reason why most businesses fail!
While the road to burnout doesn’t look the same for everyone on it there are some similarities you typically experience on this path!
You’re always in the weeds of your business
You don’t have efficient systems and processes (or maybe none at all)
You aren’t delegating effectively
You can’t take time off
You’re trying to do too many things at once + wearing all the hats
It’s exhausting just thinking about it! But there’s a way off the hamster wheel!
If you’re overwhelmed, overworked, stressed out, and worried that if you take time off the bottom will fall out from beneath you and your business will fall apart.
Then, you are in the right place my friend, been there, done that, got the tee-shirt and I’d love to support you in ending the cycle!
You’re invited to access the training + 1 pager worksheet NOW!
Discover 3 Keys to Unlock Freedom + Cashflow in Your Business so that You can Stop working so hard, plug the leaks in your business so that you can unplug from your business and actually have free time to enJoy your life + love your business again!
