As an entrepreneur (#JasonHowellCompany) it is difficult to identify everything that needs be done; along with when to do it. If you work from home that challenge is even tougher.
- David Allen’s “Getting Things Done.”
How do you properly separate managing the home priorities with business priorities? How do you outline time to work on your website (and other social media), find new customers, thank current customers, create new services, improve current services, expand and market your “brand?” Have I even begun to list everything? Not to mention while writing this post (this morning), the WordPress system gave me some glitches that took my webmaster to fix (thank you Frankie!). It is tough being the “chief cook and bottlewasher” but there is a way to manage it all. Borrowing from David Allen’s book “Getting Things Done” and some REAL life experience I have a few recommendations:
1. Write down every single goal and “to do” item you can think of…everything; even if it takes an hour
2. Look at that list and take a deep breath
3. Go through that list and make categories (like “Home,” “Marketing,” “Current Customers,” etc.)
4. Take another deep breath
5. Complete one from each category
6. Take a break
From my days in sales I was often told, “Do the whole job every day.” I was never the best at it but on the days I closed deals, they resulted from a string of previously all around days. Complete all steps and succeed.
Good luck.
Place The Big Rocks First. I discovered the time management concept of “place the big rocks first,” by reading Stephen Covey’s “First Things First.” It is described more fully, here. http://zenhabits.net/2007/04/big-rocks-first-double-your-productivity-this-week/
There is also a LOT of productivity to be gained from using Covey’s four quadrant matrix for importance and urgency, when prioritizing your missions, goals, and tasks.
Thanks Ben. The whole idea of “multitasking” has been proven ineffective and is now outdated. Taking the time to “brain dump” and move strategically through your goals, then tasks, is the path to effectiveness.
Good stuff. I’ve got plenty of things to do and everything all at once all the time hasn’t been working out in previous years.