“We’ve all been there: Our calendar is a mess and Post-it notes filled with to-do lists cover our desk. We are left wondering, “How can I possibly juggle all of this at once?”
Source: www.success.com
As a business grows, the list of actions and tasks seems to grow exponentially. And if you’re not careful, it’s not ‘if’ but ‘when’ you’ll feel overwhelmed.
Ben Fairfield, Managing Director of SUCCESS Coaching, believes asking yourself three questions everyday keeps you much more efficient, focused and flexible.
Does this move me closer to my vision?
For many people, completing their to-do list is simply a dream. If we’re lucky, we might complete it once a week but for most people, there are always tasks that are repeatedly carried over to the next day. While writing out your to-do list is a step towards being organised, just looking at the tasks on there can still be overwhelming.
This is where having a clear vision for your business is important.
For each task on your list, ask yourself, “Does this move me closer to my vision?”
If it does, prioritise that task to be done immediately, or schedule a time for it to be done.
If the task doesn’t move you towards your vision, ask yourself, “Is it something that only I can do?” If not, it’s something that can be delegated to a colleague or outsourced, e.g. to a virtual assistant, bookkeeper, social media expert etc. Or it may be a task that could be automated. What’s important is these tasks are off your to-do list.
If the answer is yes, “it is something that only you can do” but doesn’t move you closer to your vision, block an hour into your schedule every day to do these ‘catch-up’ tasks.
What’s important to remember is that if you do something that doesn’t move you towards your vision, you’re taking time away from something that does.
Is it still the right vision?
This is an important question. And one that is often overlooked.
A business is constantly evolving but if the vision doesn’t evolve with it, growth of the business could be stifled because it’s still working towards the original, more limiting vision. On the other hand, the direction of the business may change, either naturally or through necessity, and decisions made based on your original vision may conflict with the direction the business is currently taking.
Being aware of even a slight deviation to your initial vision ensures you focus on the tasks that continue to move you in the right direction for you and your business, rather than away from it.
Am I still the right leader?
Another interesting question. This is not about replacing yourself but as your business evolves, how do you need to evolve as a person to take your business to the next level?
What new skills do you need? Do you need to learn to delegate more, e.g. bring in new personnel or outsource more tasks? If you started your business as a very hands-on person, do you need to develop new leadership skills?
Evolving as a person and leader is often the difference between remaining in the trenches, dealing with every obstacle that comes your way, or strategically growing your business.
You can read the full article by clicking here.
