I’ve been running my own business full time for a little over two years now and I think I finally have a grasp on how to run it successfully without totally feeling burnt out. And let me tell ya, that’s a big accomplishment for me.
When I first left my 9-5, I went straight to running the blog at full speed while also working a full-time remote position. After about 6 months, I decided to transition to blogging only (full time) and somehow my workload increased. Add now a new fitness business, Adorn and a few other fun side projects and my days as an “entrepreneur” are a tad bit insane.
I took a step back a few months ago to streamline how I spent my time and find some new ways to be better as a business owner. I literally do each of these three things every single day and I have to say, I feel like things have been going pretty solid every since. I feel less stressed. I’m being more productive and efficient. I’m getting more and more opportunities. Something is actually working and I’m pretty pumped.
Check out the 3 things I do every day to be a tad bit more productive and totally crush this entrepreneur life!
ONE. Prioritize
I once heard someone say that you should organize your to-do list by listing the things that are directly tied to money at the very top. How did I never think to do this before?
Sure, it isn’t always about money but when you run your own business and only have yourself to rely on to bring in next month’s rent, you gotta prioritize your task list. There are so many things I need to do every day. Some big and some small. If I tried to really do every single thing all at once, chances are I’d either fail and not make it through the list or I’d do it all half-ass and that wouldn’t really be a great result either.
I started making my to-do lists at the start of each day and then running back through it to identify the items that were directly tied to getting paid. As a blogger, that might mean sending pitches, following up to campaigns, writing content, sending invoices, etc. And then some of the other more ongoing or creative tasks would be saved for the end of the day or pushed to another day.
Same goes for corporate jobs. Prioritizing that review meeting with your boss about a raise or cranking out an awesome new business proposal go at the top of the list and vendor thank you notes or inbox cleanout might go towards the bottom.
If I ever feel like I’m in constant catch up mode, I’ll plan a day each week to knock out some of the less important tasks to ensure they still get done even if they aren’t a top priority for the days before.
TWO. Brainstorm
Because the above tips usually mean the majority of some days are a little less interesting, I love to carve out 30 minutes each day to just brainstorm. I look for inspiration for new blog posts. I brainstorm new video ideas. I use this time to generate some ideas for new projects or strategies to make my business better.
If you don’t run your own business and are working a 9-5 job, use this time to brainstorm how you can climb to the next level in your company or make a current project a tad bit better.
Not only does this give me a little break from some of the more mundane tasks but I also feel like it keeps me on my toes and consistently thinking about how I can grow and build what I’ve started.
THREE. Carve out “me” time
This one should be a no brainer. No matter what your job is, carve out 30 minutes to an hour that is just for you. Whether that’s taking your lunch outside and eating or watching a movie solo after work, make time to just be alone and not think about work our your business.
For me, lately, this has been doing a boxing class or watching a few episodes of The Office with a glass of wine on the deck. Just a little bit of time I can turn my brain off and chill without running through my task list or checking emails.
