How do you get it all done?
Every time I teach a program – one question I always get asked is: “Monica, how do I get more done?” As entrepreneurs we struggle constantly with having more on our to-do list then we can ever possibly get done.
And here’s the prevailing myth out there. You think that if you just become super-human – more productive, less distracted, more focused – you’ll be able to cross it all off your list.
Well that’s just a bunch of bull. The problem is NOT you (ok, maybe not all you :-)). The problem is that you’ve just got too much on your plate to begin with. So the first step in getting more done is to take things off your plate.
See you can’t just squish more to-do’s onto an already full calendar. That’s like trying to cram more water into an already full water jar. It will just spill out everywhere and make a mess! That’s what most of our calendars look like – full messes.
So how do you create space?
First, what is on your calendar that doesn’t need to be there? Could you delegate some tasks to your team? Is it time you stopped managing your own calendar? Could you delegate the management of your email?
What about in your personal life? Could someone else run some errands for you? Pick up the groceries? Do the cleaning? Cover the laundry?
Are you doing too much for family? Is it time that you start sharing the responsibility of picking up the kids? Making dinners?
Second – how many projects are you working on right now? Are you trying to write a book, re-write your free report, hire a new assistant, get your taxes done and launch a group program all in the next 60 days?
If so – reality check- it’s not all going to get done. And whatever does get done will not be high quality.
The truth is that we can only really focus on 3 big projects per quarter. So you’ve got to move some of those projects until later in the year. Never fear, you aren’t deleting them – you are just delaying them.
Remember, it’s not about you – at least not at first. First, it’s about creating some space.
Once you’ve created the space – then it’s about you using that space wisely. Every time you sit down to work – I want you to first ask yourself two questions:
- Will this task directly lead to me making more money?
- Am I the only person that could do this task?
If the answer to both questions is yes, then keep working. If not, then you need to determine who should be doing that task and start to train someone else. You probably won’t be able to give it away immediately – but you can start to think about who will do this task next time.
The truth is that you will always have more tasks than you can handle – even as your business and your team grows. The trick to more free time isn’t about you becoming a superwoman with a steel discipline.
The trick is becoming a super-delegator and a super-prioritizer. By getting good at delegating you are constantly taking things off of your to-do list. By getting good at prioritizing – you get better and better at analyzing which activities are truly revenue generating and doing those first.
With this method – you WON’T cross everything off of your to-do list. That’s not the point. But you will make more money and create more impact. And yes, if you can just let go of the need to cross everything off – you’ll be a lot happier too.
Leave me a comment below to let me know how you sort and prioritize. I so love your comments!
