There is no better time for a fresh start than a new year. So before you start doing things the way you’ve always done them, a great question to ask yourself is:  are you truly being productive?

Sounds backwards, doesn’t it?  Do less, get more done. It is quite powerful – IF you do it right.

It’s no secret that the amount of work on our plates as entrepreneurs is astounding. You are the “jack of all trades” – prospecting, bookkeeping, blog posting, website maintenance, marketing, keeping up with social media (did that algorithm change again?!), just to name a “few” things.  And the million-dollar question is, “are you managing it all effectively, efficiently and profitably?”

Let’s go beyond the basics here. In order to move your business forward and avoid burnout, here are my top 5 tips to get more done by doing less:

  1. Work on what really matters – Revenue Generating Activities, also know as RGAs. RGAs are activities that will fill your pipeline, like prospecting, cultivating business relationships, networking, and dialing for dollars. THIS is the most important aspect of growing your business. Block RGA time on your calendar, daily. It’s where your attention needs to be in order to get to where you want to be. Simple as that.
  2. Work in Your Zone of Genius – Let’s be real, you can do a lot of things. But can you do a lot of things well? As well as if you hired a someone who specializes in that skill? This is where Gay Hendrick’s Zone of Genius approach works really well. The ZOG approach will also keep you working on what YOU do best.
  1. Delegate – Once you’ve assessed your ZOG. Delegate everything else! I know this word gets thrown around a lot in the entrepreneurial world. The bottom line of delegating is Letting go of control. It’s not an easy task, I know, to hand over all of your hard work, your potential future, your “baby” to someone you don’t really know. Check out more on how to delegate here.
  2. Stop Multi-Tasking – It doesn’t work! Not well, anyway. When you consistently switch in between tasks like writing an email, checking social media, taking a call, your attention is pulled in many different directions. Studies show that our effectiveness decreases dramatically when we multi-task (also called context switching). Try to stay focused, on task, and get through your to do list effectively and efficiently. Reduce distractions. Turn the phone/email notifications off. Work on ONE project at a time.
  3. Plan time for NOTHING – Yes, I said nothing. I encourage you to deliberately schedule time for “nothing” on the calendar. Nothing can be productive. It allows space for new ideas, time to take a step back from the “doing”, space to assess what’s working and more importantly, what’s not.

Remember, these steps take time (and in some cases, a bit of courage). If it all seems overwhelming, try one at a time, or ask us for help.

There are resources available to help you get to the level in your business you know you’re capable of reaching.  It takes planning, discipline…and of course a little know-how doesn’t hurt, either. Here’s to your success in 2019!

Donna Miller is a business and community leader, a speaker, an educator and an entrepreneur who is passionate about seeing small businesses thrive. Her team has helped thousands of companies to start and grow by providing office space, virtual assistance, bookkeeping, educational programs and advisory services.  She believes in the power of collaboration (C3=Connect, Collaborate, Community) and that companies should be a force for good. She is the recipient of numerous awards, a sought-after speaker, and is grateful to be a servant leader in several volunteer roles. She is a regular blogger and can often be found on a beach writing.   You can reach her at donna@c3workplace.com