Time... do you have enough, or do you need more?

Let’s be honest here, we all find ways to fill time. Whether it be through binge watching a whole TV series over a weekend, or quickly checking social media in between meetings. We are a society that moves instantaneously between stimulants and have so many options for procrastination.

The same can be said in business. Many of us start the day with a great task list and don’t get to half of them. Is it because your list is too long? Is it because the tasks are too big? Or is it simply because you got sidetrack and spent time on other things? The most common answer is "I don't have the time"...

This non delivery affects our mental health. We as creatures want to be ticking things off and completing our tasks as we go. Frustration builds when things drag out or you seem unable to get them finalised.

Days are going to hit you where side tracking and other tasks are inevitable, however how can you make those days be the anomaly and not the norm.

So the question is, if you had additional time in your work diary… what would you use it for?

Think through all the things on your plate and if you could take five of the things you should be completing for the business (not in the business), what would they be? With that:

• Have you thought through your list of priorities as a business owner?

• Have you documented them?

• Is everything on your list?

A wise person once told me if it's not documented it doesn't happen!

The next part of that is how do you find the time! Some areas to think about:

Time/Diary Management

Diary/Time management seems simple, but it is very easily overridden. The accountability and planning side of this is key and you must stick to it! This could only be an hour or two a week that doesn’t move. This can also help with prioritising business work, avoiding multi-tasking and your team being aware of when you are working ‘on’ the business.

Delegate where possible

From a delegation point of view, how much are you doing in the process that a member of your team could do? This could be through direct delegation or through upskilling over time. Few hours a month committed to training could save you having to touch the task at all in 6 months.

Outsource if available

The growing nature of technology and connectivity has enabled a wider range of outsourcing to be at your fingertips. These range from administration, technology, legal, HR, operations to name a few. Is one of these services a worthy investment for your business to be a more effective way to meet the business needs whilst giving your time back as a business owner.  

Ultimately, all of this comes back to time! Allotting time in your day to spend it where you get most value and your clients get most value. This could mean better service in clients, this could mean focusing on your business strategically or people within your business, all of which are valuable and if you had the time, you would spend more time on!

If you would like help working through your list or focusing on where to start, reach out for a coffee and we can go from there.