Once I started using them, I found that my focus, productivity, and the momentum greatly increased. I was able to knock out my to-do lists, complete important tasks, and finally, feel like I was getting ahead!
I felt relieved, proud, and confident, and saw that no matter what came my way, I really could accomplish all I know in my heart I’m here to do!
And because I’m here to help you succeed and make the biggest impact your heart desires, and I also know you’re busy FEMpreneur, I broke it down for you into three steps.
Remember:
Simplify + Scale = Balance
Brain Dump
Dedicate 15 minutes every week, preferably at the same time, to create your weekly schedule, and stick to this! This is the first and most important step!
With this time, begin with a “brain dump.” Here you list out all the different tasks, worries, and goals you have yet to complete. Most find it easiest to break it down into categories, such as business, family, personal, and any other big area in your life where you have a lot to get done!
Prioritize
Now that you’ve got all those pesky tasks out of your head and onto paper, I’m sure you’ll already feel a little lighter, maybe even your breathing has deepened and slowed, and you feel a bit of peace. I know I do after a brain dump!
Looking at your list, you can quickly see some of these items are more and less important and some less urgent than others. Go through each task and ask yourself, “Is this important or not so important? And is this urgent or not so urgent?”
Use whatever method helps you keep track of the four categories: Important and Urgent; Important, Not Urgent; Not important, Urgent; Not important; Not Urgent.
Now you have a clear direction of what tasks to complete first, beginning with the “Important and Urgent” tasks. You can also tell which things you can delete from your list and stop worrying about. Doing so will help bring you balance.
Those things that are not important and not urgent are not worth your precious, valuable, sometimes very short time! (Great quote to highlight in the blog post.)
For each item, ask yourself if you can:
Do—Important and urgent tasks and things in your zone of genius, money makers, what you’re here to do and lights you up
Delegate—Can someone else do this quicker, cheaper, and more creatively than you can? You may want to check out Fiverr, getting a partner, sponsorships or virtual assistant (VA).
There are many ways for you to move your business forward without having to do it all yourself. Plus you’re helping other women and men live their dreams of creating awesome content while working from home!
Get creative and try to find the best win-win scenario for all involved.
Delay— Some things are long-term, not pressing, or even “not right now’s.” Tasks marked. For those important, not urgent tasks, you can schedule a time to revisit those things later, such as in a month. Then, make sure you mark yourself a reminder such as on your google calendar, personal planner, and/or asana. With that, you can officially forget it for now!
Delete—For non-important, non-urgent issues, cross those off and forget about them and feel the worries and anxieties around them float away!
If it makes you nervous to delete something, trust me when I say I understand. However, if it rises in importance, it will make its way back to your weekly brain dump in the future. So for now, feel the freedom in releasing that task. Just let it go!
Time Blocking—Also known as “time batching,” in this technique you block off chunks of time in your day you block off to slay the items that remain for you to complete. Why do this? Because it can boost your productivity by 150% and give you back control of your schedule, calendar and life!
By sticking to this method and letting others know the times you have reserved to be available and unavailable, they’ll quickly learn to respect your time and boundaries. (This is a great way to combat energy vampires, too!) And you could even serve as a productivity and self-care role model for someone without even realizing it!
Time blocking also forces you to focus on completing tasks and allows you to track and be more realistic of time spent on certain projects. It’s also a great tool in preventing procrastination.
When looking at your calendar and deciding the best times to reserve, consider when you’re at your most productive.
Are you a get it done early bird? If so, I highly recommend blocking off some time, perhaps two or three hours, in the morning for your mompreneur work tasks. Do you find that afternoon or night-time is more your jam, perhaps when the kiddos are asleep? I get that! Do what works for you! This is your business, your family, your life, and your world!
Next, complete your most important tasks first! These are often the ones you really want to avoid, probably because they’re scary or nerve-wracking.
Take a deep breath, know you’ve got this, and just do it, girl!!
If you find yourself saying, “Yeah, but I have a LOT of important tasks. The question is where to start!” I’ve got you. Ask yourself, “What would I be most proud of accomplishing today?” That’s almost always the best place to start!
Tips for Time Blocking
Remember to block off any upcoming vacations, long weekends, weddings, children’s school breaks and appointments, etc. as needed.
Be unapologetic with your time—and don’t apologize! You can let others know you care about them and their goals and will happily be available during your next designated time block that works for both of you, and give them a few options.
Make sure your goals are SMART: Specific; Measurable; Attainable; Relevant; and Time-based.
Just getting started is HUGE! If this is still a struggle you’re facing, pick something small from your list—no matter what category—and just finish it! Remember the 2-minute rule: if you can complete a task in 2 minutes, just do it! Marking something—anything—off your goals as completed builds confidence and momentum. Go easy on yourself! You’ll get there!!
Another way to help get unstuck and stay on track is to ask yourself, “What can I do right now to help me move toward my goal?
Commit to this practice. Like anything new, it can feel clunky at first and take a little getting used to. And since habits take 21 to 66 days to form, patience and persistence are key!
As with anything, if you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, take a break. Get mindful, get centered. Breathe and smile. Don’t rush; taking your time will make you feel like you have control again.
Breaking your schedule down into manageable chunks, like personal, family, and business, can slay anxiety, overwhelm, confusion and procrastination before they even have a chance!
Do you find yourself consistently having problems fitting a certain task (workout, sleep, family time) into your life? Block it in so you can fit it in!
Growing with others who have similar goals can provide additional support, guidance, friendships, and many other opportunities while creating more momentum. Best of all, this can add so much more fun!! If you want to grow with a team of other mompreneurs who are also devoted to manifesting their dream business and making a big impact on the world, I invite you to learn more about my group coaching program, Simplified Business Academy. In this space, I provide guidance, goal-setting strategies, day-to-day planning, and other important steps to slaying it as a successful FEMpreneur! We would love for you to join us as we continue to level up together.
“A dream written down with a date becomes a goal. A goal broken down into steps becomes a plan. A plan backed by action makes your dreams come true.” ― Greg Reid
I believe in you. Let’s do this. It’s your time!!