Prioritizing your Essentials
Ready to clear the clutter in your brain and simplify your business?
Step #1: Identify your Non-Negotiables
1A. Personal
We all have things in our lives that are “non-negotiable”. It could be taking your kids to school in the morning, going to church, annual family vacation, etc. Whatever your non-negotiables are is up to you- the important part is making sure your time is reserved for these items so you can plan the rest of your time accordingly.
SELF-CARE should be a non negotiable for everyone. Even if it’s just 15 minutes a day, this needs to be on your list!
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1B. Professional
Professional Non-negotiables are the activities that keep moving the needle forward. These typically consist of any activity that drives new clients to your pipeline. This also includes things like continuing education and any additional compliance requirements.
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Step #2: It’s time to take a Dump
Entrepreneurs typically have a ton of ideas and thoughts constantly running through their head. However, a way to tame the racing thoughts is to do a periodic “brain dump”. This can help get everything out of your head and onto something more manageable.
Use a journal, google doc or spreadsheet (Recommended). Somewhere you can easily reference.
Once you are done with your brain dump, go through the list and rank the items.
TRASH
Indicate any tasks that just don’t matter. Maybe at one point you thought this task needed to happen, but no it’s no longer relevant.
URGENT TASKS
Next, indicate anything that is urgent and write a due date next to anything that has a deadline. These are tasks that typically have a deadline attached to them.
NOT URGENT
Then go through the list again and see what items are left that can go on the back burner. These are items that although need to be accomplished, don’t have a deadline attached to them and will not cause an issue not handled within the next 30-60 days.
UNIMPORTANT
Now it’s time to go through all your Urgent and Not Urgent tasks again. Of those tasks, which items can be delegated to someone else or automated? Please take your time with this section. This should be any task that doesn’t require YOU to complete it.
I suggest blocking off an hour in your calendar to complete this exercise. It’s a nice way to clear the mental clutter and get a clear picture on how you should be spending your time each day.
Ready to simplify your business operations? Connect with my team to learn more about how I can support you!