Have you ever noticed that the more work you have to do, the more you seem to get done?
Sometimes we’ll worry that we’ve taken on too much and will never be able to get it all done on time, but we usually manage it, right?
I’ve found it’s during the quiet weeks that I’ll procrastinate more and lose focus because I know I have the time to do that.
Does this sound like you?
How much more could we achieve during those weeks if there was a way to stay busy, maintain focus and work more efficiently?
How can you stop procrastinating at work and achieve more for your business?
Although one of the benefits of being self-employed is that you can take better advantage of your free time and work flexibly to suit you, I always find that when I procrastinate too much, I end up feeling guilty and stressed rather than calm and in control.
Wouldn’t it be better to blitz through the work, spend the time you need on your business to attract your dream customers and then be able to kick back and relax with the additional free time you have?
Here are my top tips for keeping busy in your business so you can achieve more in less time.
Block your time!
Planning your week ahead can be a good way of ensuring you have enough time for you and having focused work sessions to really blitz through what you need to.aving a fixed schedule for each week can help get you into a routine and into the right frame of mind for what you need to achieve, it might look something like this:
7am – 9am: breakfast, getting kids sorted and to school
9am – 10am: exercise/meditation
11am – 3pm: work
3pm – 5pm: school run and tea
5pm – 7pm: work
7pm – 10pm: me time
Your schedule will look different depending on your particular needs and situation, but that gives you a good idea of how to balance running your business, with looking after your family and making sure you have time for yourself too.
So, how can you get your work done in just 6 hours a day (or less?)
Make sure you turn off notifications
One of the best ways to get distracted is to hear the constant ping of email notifications, social media and text messages.
So, turn the notifications off, don’t log into apps and software you don’t need for the job in hand and put a ‘do not disturb’ sign up if you need to.
Unless you’re waiting for a crucial phone call or email, you don’t need to be available 24/7 – people can wait a couple of hours for you to finish your work before you take a look at things and get back to them.
Stay away from social media
Social media is one of the worst distractions and causes of procrastination out there.
You need to ask yourself if browsing your news feed or posting in a group is going to take your business further or attract new customers. If it’s not then click away until your work is completed.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be using social media for your business, but make sure it’s structured and focused in such a way that you’re not using it as an excuse to procrastinate.
Allow yourself a break when you get distracted
Distractions are going to happen, and it can be difficult to get back into the swing of things when they do. This is a great time to take a break, get some fresh air and get those creative juices stirring again.
For some more tips on how to work at home with distractions, make sure you’ve read my recent blog about it here.
Use a Pomodoro timer
The Pomodoro technique is a great way to get on with those tricky tasks and jobs you just don’t want to do. By breaking the work down into 25-minute chunks it becomes easier to manage, you achieve more by working intensively for short bursts, and you get planned breaks too!
For an explanation of the Pomodoro technique check out this site from the man behind the idea – Francesco Cirillo.
Time management is crucial as a small business owner, but sometimes it’s about making better use of the time that you have, rather than trying to find additional hours that’ll cut into your family and personal time. Let me know if you have any useful hints or tips on how to make better use of your time to keep busy in your business.