Being Productive AND Effective

I talk a lot in my workshops about the difference between busy work and effective work. I'm sure you know what I mean. Those days when you feel as if you haven't stopped - but you haven't got anything to show for it! On other days you get everything on your list done. I think we all experience both types of day.

When you have your own business, your most precious asset (apart from yourself!) is your time. You cannot afford to have unproductive or ineffective days.

If you're familiar with Stephen Covey's books, you'll know about the Four Quadrants and Urgent vs. Important work. There will always be the Urgent stuff that you have to deal with every day.

After that, you have a choice. Do you do some 'busy' work that eats up your time double quick? Or do you spend your precious time working 'on your business' and growing it?

Here's a useful question to ask yourself : "Is what I'm doing right now taking me closer to achieving my goals?" If the answer is no, stop it immediately!

Are you on your To-Do list?

There are so many demands on your time when you have your own business, that it can be easy to put yourself and your needs at the very bottom of list (if indeed they make onto a list at all!).

Just as you wouldn’t expect your car or van to keep running without regular stops to fill up with fuel, you can’t expect your business to function at full throttle without taking care of yourself.

Do you work late into the night or at weekends? Once in a while is OK – too often will run down your energy reserves and leave you vulnerable to picking up colds and other infections.

Get your diary out and schedule time for recharging your batteries – preferably right up to the end of the year! Book time to spend with your family, with friends, or simply to take care of yourself. Plan a round of golf, a relaxing aromatherapy massage, a walk in the country or by the sea, read a novel.

Your business will benefit when you put yourself on your To-Do list – go on, do it now!

Shall I go for it?

I'm always learning from my coaching clients and workshop delegates. Last week's Time Management workshop showed me that, without getting big-headed, I do have some valuable tips to pass on. I suppose I've spent so long reading and researching that I forget other people haven't read or researched the same sources.

Over the weekend I've been thinking about the workshop and the tools and techniques I pass onto coaching clients. It's as if there's an internal dialogue going on! The question that keeps wanting to be answered is "How about writing a brand new workshop that will help business owners grow their businesses bigger and faster?".

This feels a bit scary because I never know how a new workshop is going to be received (even if I do the research beforehand). But, the idea appeals to me so I'm going to start planning and see what happens.

Watch this space.

Catching up with the week

This week has been very busy - again (and I'm not complaining!). During the first part I spent a lot of time getting ready with a new workshop which I delivered today. Would you believe it was on Time Management?! I was a bit apprehensive, as I always am with a new workshop (you can never be sure what people are expecting), but it went very well. The feedback forms and testimonials are very encouraging and the whole experience gave me a real buzz as I drove back to the office this afternoon. Delivering the workshop showed me just how much I have learned about time management to share with my clients (following the techniques for myself is an entirely different matter).

Tomorrow I'm coaching again, a small business with some big ideas (very exciting) so I'm looking forward to that meeting.

My newsletter is very late going out (something I must remedy). I'm getting some very strange symbols dotted around and have had to spend ages trying to get rid of them. Must crack that tomorrow.