Are you constantly busy but achieving nothing? Are you stuck in a rut doing things you don’t like doing? Do you need to gain more time in your day? If so, this could be down to how you organise your time.
When I first started out in business as a virtual assistant I had so much to do that if I’d waited until I’d got it all done I’d still not have launched my business 3 years later!!!
How Many Hats Do You Have To Wear To Bring Value?
I’m not the only one that is busy and there are so many hats to wear in our businesses that we can easily become overwhelmed with it all.
But have you considered how much time you spend on routine admin tasks, and how much time you actually spending doing the tasks that bring value to your business?
Also how much does each task cost you to bring value to your business? Do you consider that you could spend your time better elsewhere? Perhaps it may be cheaper to outsource the task.
Wouldn’t it be fantastic knowing you can dedicate all your time to doing the things you love whilst the rest of your business is being taken care of?
What Questions Should You Be Asking Yourself About This Stuff?
Let’s explore the options by reviewing your ‘to do’ list.
As you review the tasks on your list there are some questions to ask yourself. They are a good starting point too when considering adding a new task to your list.
- Why am I doing it?
- Will I benefit from it?
- What value will the task bring to my business?
- Is it helping me progress towards my goals?
Commit To These Steps To Gain More Time In Your Day And Get Stuff Done
So how do we effectively manage our tasks to enable us to have enough time in our day?
Here are the stages to follow to enable you to work smarter and create more time.
Stage 1 – Value each task
Choose one of the following categories that is relevant to each task:
- Critical to reaching your goal
- Important but not critical. If you don’t do it, you may not get the best result
- Nice to have but won’t negatively affect your objective
Stage 2 – Rank the importance of each task
Next give each task a number, ranking its importance. The higher the score the more important it is.
Stage 3 – Work out the cost of each task
Once you know which tasks are a priority then it’s time to think about how much time each task will cost you.
Estimate how long each task will take you. If you consider it will take longer than approximately 3 hours then you may need to break this down into smaller tasks.
Stage 4 – Final evaluation of each task
You now know which of your tasks are a priority and how long they will take you.
Next, Divide the tasks value by its time cost.
Here are some examples below:
- Example 1 – Set up new client Content planner for next month – Value is Critical and value score is 20. I estimate it will take me 2 hours therefore 20/2 = 10
- Example 2 – Finish 2nd email in sequence for new lead magnet – Value is important but not urgent and value score is 8. Time estimate 1 hour, therefore 8/1 = 8
- Example 3 – Update profile picture on social media accounts – Value is nice to have and value score is 2. Time estimate is 1 hour, therefore 2/1 = 2
By valuing each task, you can then build a picture of which tasks should be prioritised and will bring value to your business.
Stage 5 – Take Action
Next, it’s time to schedule your tasks into your dairy knowing which are priority and how long they’ll take.
Following these guidelines you’ll begin to see which tasks bring value and where your focus should be, in turn reducing your overwhelm, keeping you organised, gain more time in your day and you’ll be getting closer to your goals.
What Should You Do With The Tasks You Don’t Like And Take A Long Time?
Once you establish a routine you’ll begin to realise which tasks you also don’t like doing and which tasks you don’t want to do. It will identify too which tasks only you can do.
At this stage you can decide whether to outsource the not so important tasks or the ones that you’re perhaps not an expert at. After all you will now be in a position to identify which tasks will drain most of your time. Usually these are the daily routine admin tasks but the ones you really don’t love to do.
Outsourcing these tasks to a virtual assistant can have a significant impact on your bottom line. It can reduce overheads, bring fresh expertise to your business as well as create more time in your day.
Ultimately giving you time to focus on the important stuff that drives your business forward and let you do the stuff you love to do. You’ll also be a master of your time.
Top Tip:
As always there’ll be things that come to mind on a daily basis that you want to get done. Run the above questions through your head and if they aren’t a priority then put them on a master ‘to do’ list important. This way you aren’t worrying about it and can decide whether to plan it into your schedule or outsource it when you next do your diary planning.
There are only 24 hours in a day guaranteed so learn to manage your time and use it wisely. This will help you become more productive, gain more time in your day and you will more likely succeed.
We are only here once. Get in touch and find out how I can help you gain more time in your day to enjoy life as much as you can! jules@purplevioletva.com
Purple Violet – “giving you time to focus on the important stuff”