As a business owner, you have an endless list of things that need to get done. Blog posts need to be written. Newsletters need to be created. Social media needs to be updated. Clients need to be served. List-building needs to happen. And your next big thing needs to be created.
No matter how hard you try, you can’t ever seem to catch up. Even if you had four more interruption-free hours each day, you’d still struggle to make it all happen.
You think to yourself, “How the heck am I supposed to take my business to the next level if I can barely get the basics done each week?”
I hear you.
Being a business owner is not an easy job. Unfortunately, there’s always more to do than time to do it. So I suggest you stop trying to play superwoman and consider another approach.
Today I’m giving you my secret for always knowing what to work on, even when I have too much to do. (And honestly, who doesn’t have too much to do?) This tip will also help you get more done, faster.
Why you should run your business like a dinner party
Imagine this… It’s Monday morning. You turn on your laptop, excited to make this week a productive one. You check email. You update Facebook. Then it’s time to dive into the real work.
You could create that new program you’ve been thinking about. You could work on building your list. Update your website. Finally shoot a video. Write your next blog post. Or freshen up your newsletter design.
But you freeze. Overwhelmed with options and unsure what the “right thing” to do is, you stare at your computer and do nothing.
Sound familiar?
Now imagine this… You’re cooking dinner for some friends tomorrow night. You pull out your favorite cookbook and decide on tofu marsala. You grab a scrap of paper and jot down your shopping list. At the store, you grab tofu, tomatoes, mushrooms, basil, and a loaf of French bread. You’re in and out in 10 minutes. You didn’t waste a second and you didn’t forget a single ingredient. When it’s time to cook, you’re set. You’ve got the recipe and the ingredients, and you know exactly what to do.
Easy, right?
When you know exactly what you’re trying to do and how to do it, you eliminate wasted time, stress, and money. You dive right into exactly what needs to get done and get it done.
When you aren’t clear on what you want to do or how you’re going to get there, you waste a ton of time and get nowhere… sort of like what may be happening in your business.
What if you could approach your business like a dinner party? What if you were clear on what you wanted to do and how you were going to do it? How much time and stress could that save in your business and in your life?
The solution for always knowing what to work on
If you’re tired of feeling directionless and are ready to make real progress in your business, here’s how to make it happen:
You must find clarity.
Clarity is about knowing what you want, why you want it, and how you plan to make it happen. With clarity, you don’t waste time wondering which task to tackle next, and you aren’t afraid of making the wrong decision.
When you’re clear, you always know what to work on next. Tweet that!
When you know what to work on, you can get stuff done. Period.
Not clear? Here’s my secret for getting there
If you’re finding that you could use some more clarity in your business, here’s how to get there.
1. Start by creating clarity in your life. (Yes, your life!)
What is important to you? What do you value? How do you want to spend your time? What are your short- and long-term personal goals?
I believe in creating a business that supports you in having the life you want to live. In order to do that, you must first start by determining what kind of life you want. The more specific you can get, the better.
2. Next, think about your business.
Why are you in business? What are your short- and long-term visions for your business? Where do you want to go and why?
Many newer entrepreneurs start their business with a general idea of what they want to do, but they often lack specificity. It’s no wonder why they feel confused about what to work on each day.
The more you can drill down and get clear on your specific business vision, the easier it will be for you to create the business you long for.
3. Draw your map.
Once you know what you want for your life and your business, create a plan to get you there. How can you create a business that supports your personal values and goals? What do you need to do to reach your personal and business goals? How will you get there?
Map out how you will get from where you are to where you want to go. Determine what concrete steps you must take to get you there. Then follow this plan!
4. Get there one step at a time.
Clarity is the secret to always knowing what to work on. Clarity tells you what your priorities are, meaning what you work on first, second, third, etc.
With your priorities in order, tackle one thing at a time. Yes, one thing. Work only on your top priority until it’s done. Then work on the next one until it’s done. Then the third, etc.
Working on one thing at a time takes discipline, but it’s a skill I suggest you master if you want to really go after the goals you’ve set for your business. It’s also THE way to get more done, faster. (And who doesn’t want that?)
With these four steps, you have exactly what you need to stop doing the things that don’t serve your goals and focus on the things that will help you reach them. You’ve also have the keys to knowing what to work on every single day.
Put it into action in your business
In the comments below, I want to hear from you. Tell me…
1. Do you ever struggle from indecision in your business? What impact does it have on your business and your ability to meet your goals?
2. Where in your business could you use more clarity to help you get more done? What action can you take in the next week to get that clarity?
I can’t wait to read your thoughts below.
As always, thanks for reading and for sharing your ideas!
Wonderful advise here Jenny, I lean in and try to catch the habbit of creating clarity that I often detect from you :-).
1.
I often struggle with indecision, yes, I do. I am a very creative person and I could easily drown myself out with ideas and papers with ideas and jumping from one fantastic project to another. I truly try not to, but that takes dicipline every day. If I don´t find clarity in the morning it can linger on and I may end up with a very unproductive day! I use writing freely (morning pages) to gain clarity on what to work on each day.
2.
Right now, I don´t know whether I am heading in the right direction: I am in the process of printing cards, a lot of greeting cards to a growing number of shops.
So pleased there are fine shops in different countries wanting to sell the cards. Not sure if I am the right person to be producing these products. I decided that for now, I do it. So that it gets out there. In the future, I see the product making handled by someone else and I want to do mostly what I do best: paint/create, teach, write.
What I could do to get more clarity on my direction with producing/ creating is to sit down, pen and paper, and write a plan for how long and in what amounts I want to be producing and also what actions I can take already now toward letting other companies produce products with my images on.
Thanks for being a champion of clarity of mind paired with creativity, love that!!!
Lisa – I LOVE that you used this blog post and the comments section to get clarity. You rock!!!
Admitting that you struggle with indecision is great because it gives you the power to choose to operate differently. Yes, choose! You can decide to create/find the clarity you need. And you did!
You even listed a great way to get clarity: “Sit down, pen and paper, and write a plan for how long and in what amounts I want to be producing and also what actions I can take already now toward letting other companies produce products with my images on.”
Nice job! And thanks for being so honest and open here. Love that!
HI Jenny!
Yep, I love your posts, as I’m definitely one who gets distracted by shiny objects. My struggle this week is not being able to get my crowdfunding site seen! Love my product, lots of good comments, but then few click in and take action, so then I spiral down rethinking whether it is just a stupid (but patented) idea…. But the results of taking action have been tremendous, and I’m sure I’d have been further faster had we met much earlier on.
Yes, I am working with someone and making lots of lists with specific goals and then achieving – they are just helping point me in the right direction. I really like your dinner party analogy, as that is what is FAMILIAR, have done it many times (hence, my product) So that is helpful, as this business of getting an invention to market is so unknown, and the steps do not lead to the end such as a dinner party. But taking the steps at least keeps the path towards the goal. And damn that facebook!! (I’ve been trying to take your advice about that and the amount of time and am doing much better, thanks).
Wish you hadn’t been so booked up, I know you are excellent at taking action as I’ve been on your list for awhile and love your posts.
One of the great things about you, Marj, is your determination. You are so invested in your product that you’ll keep moving forward no matter what.
I’m glad you’re getting the support you need to list out your goals and go after them.
Keep at it. You’ll get there!
love this jenny.. that’s one of my biggest struggles.. figuring out what to do… and not feel overwhelmed.. lol
thanks for the step by step!
Thanks for being here, Danielle! Love seeing your pick on my blog 🙂
I’ve seen you do some crazy-big things this year. Maybe you sometimes struggle to figure out what to do, but I also know that you do eventually figure it out and go for it. You are a model of persistence and kick-ass-ness!
Thanks Jenny!
Yes! Clarity is the key for me! Thanks for bringing it home.
I’m just finishing up an online course “Creating a Business Plan”. I’ve been in business for seven years and have never done this! I have found the process incredibly powerful as I crystalize my thoughts and values and the direction I’m headed. The route becomes clearer. I have a marketing plan for 2013! This informs my every move.
Thanks for helping us forge ahead with clarity!
Love that tangible example of clarity. Silvia! With that plan in hand for 2013, I bet you’ll kill it!! Thanks for sharing that with us!
Thanks, Jenny — this was so helpful for me today. Sometimes, when I’m spinning in circles, I don’t recognize that it’s because I’ve lost clarity about what I’m doing. Great reminder.
You got it! Glad you see where you get stuck, because now you can change it!
You know, I struggle with that last step. I’m always wanting to multitask. And I think it’s not because I can’t decide what to do, but because I’m scared to do it. But really, I know what’s the priority for the hour, or even the day or (gasp!) week! And if I just work on that one thing and get it done, I’d accomplish a lot more than I do when I bump around between three different tasks, email, and social media. Focus, focus, focus. That must be the reason you get so much done and take so much time for your personal life, Jenny. You’re an inspiration. 🙂
Awesome honestly, Laura! Thanks for admitting that you’re scared to focus on one thing. I think it happens to all of us. And as I’ve said to several people above, now that you know your pattern, you can choose to operate differently.
It starts with clarity, and then the next key is FOCUS, just as you listed. (Are you reading my mind?!) Once you know what you want to work on, do that, just that, and don’t get any ounce of distraction interrupt as you do it. When you write a blog post, just write. Don’t check email, facebook, etc. Stick to the task at hand and it’s amazing how much you can accomplish… and leave time for your life! 🙂
Thanks for being here!
I’m with Laura – I swear it’s that “artist brain” that wands to flit about like a bee in a meadow full of flowers…
Clarity for me is like a dirty word. I love it and I hate it. It’s so elusive and yet I recognize how terribly integral it is to me getting anything personal or business related and I can pinpoint it as the exact reason why many of my efforts seem so…not enough in the results department. I feel like I’m *never* clear so of course I can’t make anything happen. Getting to that point, realizing it and understanding why has been a journey for me even before I started my businesses and what led me to finally do it. Now the issue crops up again when it’s time to “get it done”. For me I think clarity is so elusive because it is just not a habit of mine. I’m used to taking care of everyone else’s needs first and never my own so while I can a prioritizing superstar when it comes to me my wings cramp up.
I honestly hedged when I got to the third step – what make another list…ACK no! But I made myself do it anyway and I realized I had more of an idea than I thought I did.
For me clarity & its steps lead me to look at some things that need to be done *now*. I want to grow, I want to scale, and I want to solidly make a certain amount each month. But I realize that before these “minor-but-important” tasks are taken care of that is not going to happen. They express inconsistencies and hiccups that need to be fixed to promote that professional image I’m perfecting. They’re also pretty finite tasks too – once they’re done I won’t be going back to do them over so getting them out of the way will allow for me to polish up other areas.
See if this reframe on clarity helps you at all, Aradia. Consider that clarity can be long-term (3 to 5+ years out) or it can be 2 months out. You don’t have to know your end game or big-big-big picture goals to declare clarity.
For example, I have a really hard time (dare I say “impossible”) time seeing more than 6-12 months out in my life or in my business. Sometimes I can only see 2 months out. It’s frustrating because as a planner and strong implementor, if I know what I want, I can sure as hell make it happen. But I often can’t see what I want or what wants to happen in my business. Although I have moments of fighting that, I also have moments of acceptance. Right now I can see clearly through June — yes, just through June — so I use the clarity that I do have for my business coupled with the clarity I have about my life/personal values and draw a map to get there. Although I’d love more clarity, like a 3 year plan, I just don’t have it. Plus, it works okay this way. Instead of fighting what I don’t have that I wish I did have, I go with what I know. This is how I’ve run my business for the past 2 years and holy smokes, it works just fine.
The benefit to this (aka, the way I make myself feel okay with only a 2 month plan) is my to-do list is that much shorter 🙂
If you changed your definition of clarity, would it feel less stressful for you, both in life and in business?
Wait…did you hear that. Yea that was my mind being blown! 😀
I really love this idea of a shorter time frame. I did the exercise as original and I can say it helped nail some things down but I kept it to “things I want done this year” only. I think the shorter time period would definitely make a difference. One of my major tasks is a copy(re)write for my descriptions. Some are okay, others are atrocious. But that task in volume is super mind-numbing. But it’s not hard, I have a banging formula (thank you Laura G & random other people) and I just need to do it. If I buckle down and don’t dilly-dally I can be done by the end of March.
I think making my long-term shorter would help too. I know I can rock it and powerhouse through things, but when I give myself too long to do them (enter Parkinson’s Law) I’m terribly inefficient.