In a little less than a month I’ll be driving my new (old) Cadillac in a local parade, and when I was invited my first thought was “great!” and the second one was “except the car isn’t running right now…” Continue Reading →
Got too much to do? Try a brain dump
Are you the type of creative entrepreneur who thrives on having 25 projects going simultaneously because that’s just how you like to work?
Welcome to the club. We would hold meetings but everyone is double booked anyway.
Get to Inbox Zero in an Hour – Part 1
This is going to be great, I thought, with the self satisfied smirk that comes with a great idea. I can get caught up and show everyone exactly how easy it is to manage email with our systems. I had the plan: I’ll live-blog in one long document my process of clearing out my inbox after a week of vacation.
I was ready. Willing. And then… predictably, chaos.
Lesson 1, I thought to myself, is to get into work mode. You know the one. Where you’re fully dressed, even though it’s the weekend, and lazy Sundays were designed for a reason. I put on my watch, because every good business person wears a watch.
Moving my computer from its weekend post in the living room back to my desk, I cleared some space and took an empty water bottle back to the kitchen. Clearly I need water; after all, there are over 100 emails to sort through.
My phone had been mocking me all week as I watched those numbers slowly climb and tried not to let the guilt infringe on my movie watching, house cleaning, dog walking, me-time.
I grabbed a fresh water bottle from the fridge (Note: I use these awesome bottles and love them. Except refilling them. Read on for why.)
But noticing that my stash had whittled down to one, I did the responsible thing and started to refill using my Brita filter. We have ridiculously hard water here, and the Brita filter keeps out a bunch of nasty chemicals.
I filled up the filter and set it on the counter to let the water steep through, already thinking ahead to my inbox tackle plan (which I swear I’ll share with you). My eyes drifted across the counter as I opened the curtains and put away a few clean and dry dishes.
Coffee!
A critical point to any email success is coffee, right?
I should mention that I was fully aware I was stalling, a little worried about what I’d find in my inbox after 7 days out of it but hey, a girl’s gotta be prepared.
So I turned on the Keurig, found a clean mug, selected my pod, and let it warm up.
It’s also prudent to mention that I hate waiting. And standing still. And the feeling of unproductivity. So I turned back to the sink and washed up a few stray spoons. Oh, but the tray, that same one that I used for cupcakes last weekend, still needs to be scrubbed before I can put it away. So, while waiting for my coffee, I cleaned it up.
I was just setting the oversized tray on the drying mat when my coffee finished and I turned, a little too quickly, to get the creamer from the fridge.
Bam!
The tray, leaning against the curtain at an odd angle, toppled over, hitting the now full Brita pitcher and, well, pitching it off the counter.
Crash. Splash. Soaked.
Only half the water hit the floor because the other half soaked my pants, allllll the way down one side.
The dogs fled in self defense, and suddenly I was grumbling about coffee and damn unstable water pitchers and grabbing my shop towels and throwing pants in the dryer and… what was I going to do again?
Oh yeah, show exactly how simple and easy it can be to have the right systems to manage your email during a break.
But let’s be real. As real as I can be with my watch off (it hits the keyboard and hurts my wrist) and pants in the dryer and a third of a mopped kitchen floor (I moved the towels around with my foot a little while getting the coffee ready).
Email comes with a lot more baggage than we think, and it’s so much more than wanting Inbox Zero. It’s the pit in your stomach when you think of an unhappy customer or the surprise when an invoice is submitted. It’s annoyance at spammers offering to enlarge body parts you do not possess and one too many promotional emails from a business in a day.
And, while we’re being honest, it’s the frustration when someone asks for free help again and the jealousy when a colleague or friend has a big win. It’s the self doubt when there aren’t enough opportunities being offered and the bitterness when the ones extended are just beyond your grasp, financially or otherwise.
Email brings up so much emotion and struggle and yes, joy, but also avoidance and multi-crastination (the ability to procrastinate on many things at once).
So whether you’re reading this because there’s a message in your inbox you’re unconsciously avoiding – don’t look at me like that, you know the one – or you’re honestly struggling with how you’re going to tackle hundreds, if not thousands of requests and concerns and responsibilities just waiting there innocently, then, well, you’re in the right place.
Because the real lesson here is that if you allow it, something else will always be more important than your email.
Pull everything out of the dryer – oh I should finish laundry first…
Nearly trip on a paint can – maybe I should clean the garage today…
Start up the computer – I wonder what all my friends are doing today on Facebook…
We get behind on email not just when we’re on vacation or away from our computers, but because it’s a chore. “You’ve Got Mail!” is no longer the chime of a connected person; it’s the weight of decisions.
One last thing before this becomes a procrastination in itself (because I still haven’t opened up my email in the browser…). One of the tasks I took care of this week was some recall issues for my car. Nothing big, just the airbag, driver’s seat, blah blah blah.
Well, at the dealership I went into the “quiet room” because it was easier to catch up on the Voice without a TV blaring in the waiting room. And every 30-40 seconds I heard a chime. Just a little one. And after a few minutes I ascertained that it was coming from the gentleman next to me on his iPad who misunderstood the meaning of the word “quiet.”
And that chime was his email. Every. single. time. he got a message it would chime. After 5 minutes I was stressed, and it wasn’t even my email!
Don’t let email become the rock in your shoe that pricks at your guilt and conscience every minute of the day.
This is already getting rather long, so stay tuned for Part 2 where I actually open up my email and take account of the damage.
3 ways to overcome project procrastination
Procrastination, whether it comes in the form of homework, the snooze button, or your taxes, is a beast. In our personal lives, it may mean Spring Cleaning starts in August, or Christmas presents are shipped around March, but in business it’s much worse.
In some ways, entrepreneurs feel they’ve already beaten the procrastination beast by leaving the comfort of corporate, forming a business of some sort, and getting some stuff done. Continue Reading →
The power of momentum in your business
I grew up in the suburbs of San Francisco in the Bay Area, an area that has continued to evolve and grow out the infrastructure – especially after the ’89 earthquake! Since the area is well known for traffic and on-going construction I had an amazing idea when I was a kid.
If only, I thought in great naivety, they could do all the road work in ONE week. We could close the schools and everyone can stay home, then the rest of the year we wouldn’t have to deal with construction delays.
Genius, right? Just kidding, I know how impossible/silly the idea is now.
But the problem is we often have the same mentality in our businesses.
I don’t need to work on my filing, I’ll just put everything in a box and deal with it when I have 4 hours.
I’ll just ignore social media until I can overhaul the whole thing and afford to hire someone.
Sure, I need support but can’t afford full time so I’ll just wait until the budget is there for 4 people.
Maybe you have your own “procrastination project” which is one that isn’t moving forward but sharpens our avoidance techniques 😉 When I have these projects in my life the house becomes really clean!
The real solution to project procrastination is to generate momentum
If you accept that starting a project doesn’t have to require 12 continuous hours of work, then you’ll be more willing to take baby steps along the way.
When it comes to accomplishing any big goal, the first step is the hardest.
Your Action Step: Pick a single project that you’ve been holding back on and decide one thing you can do to move forward.
Focused momentum will accelerate projects faster
Imagine that you’re assigned a reading list and pick up 12 books and decide to read the first chapter of each book. How well do you think that will work for comprehension and getting into the story or subject?
When your attention is divided, so is your momentum.
Instead, start with a single project – not 5.
Your Action Step: Create a “later list” of projects that can stand a little more time on the back burner. Then commit to starting one project, even if it’s just 15 minutes of focused time.
Momentum will carry you over the speed bumps
I have this theory that “bright shiny object” syndrome is a symptom of not getting enough wins before you hit a snag.
Common blocks include managing teams, implementing technology, needing to make up skills, making big decisions, and integrating with your existing business. If you only work when things are going smoothly, then something will always stop you.
By focusing on one project, taking action with baby steps, focusing your attention, and building up momentum, you’ll be able to surpass those blocks along the way.
Your Action Step: Focus on the next step and don’t worry about things too far down the road. Trust yourself that you’ll have the insight and information you need when you reach a block to overcome it.
Get Past Procrastination Infographic
Here at She’s Got Systems we believe that it’s not enough to know what needs to be done, you need a plan and action steps and deadlines to get it done. Most of us have our goals and vision but struggle when it comes to take business from dream to reality.
See the procrastination infographic below for more insights on why and how often we procrastinate and the impact on our lives and businesses.
Infographic by OnlineClasses.org
Does this procrastination infographic sound familiar?
Distractions are abundant! So if you find yourself losing focus, try these 3 targeted tips:
*stop desktop notifications of new emails and use filtering to move non-urgent emails into folders to check later
*disable notifications on your phone from Facebook and Twitter – being tagged in a post is not important enough to distract you from your work!
*set a countdown timer on your phone or use an egg timer from the kitchen to work on whatever task you need to finish for just 10 minutes, you’ll be surprised how much you can get done
The tips at the end are great, here are some ways to implement them in your business:
1. Set deadlines for your goals whether it’s submitting an article for a news magazine or reaching out to potential clients about new packages.
2. Start small and be consistent. It’s more important to do the right 5 things 100 times each than try 5,000 different things once. Remember that your habits will build over time so don’t break the chain.
3. Find accountability that works for you – some people work best with a friend over coffee, others need a group setting, and many entrepreneurs need a coach who they pay to keep them on track over several weeks and months. Be honest about the type of accountability you need and implement it in your business to beat procrastination.
Big thanks to OnlineClasses.org for this great infographic on procrastination!
The Curse of ‘Someday’
If you’ve ever shared about your goals or big plans and then sighed with an air of ‘someday… maybe’ then this article is for you.
As we’re constantly bombarded with success stories by those who have achieved all the things we ourselves want, it’s easy to become hopeless and frustrated because we’re not there yet. There are countless books, authors and motivational speakers who are dedicated to helping us all move from ‘someday’ to action so I’ll keep this simple.
Take one step forward.
That’s it, the whole ‘secret’ to my success in accomplishing anything. This blog post? Started with an idea, opened up the file, began writing. Of course I edited and revised and made many changes along the way but that’s the fun part. The process of taking anything from an idea to a finished project – it’s a little like hiking. Sure you get to stand at the top of a mountain at the end and hopefully there’s a beautiful view, but also aim to find joy in the process and the challenge of getting there.
One of the many reasons I love working with systems is that once I’ve figured something out I have a map. I won’t say there is no more indecision and waffling but there is considerably less.
Recently I launched a fun project that I’ve been thinking about and planning for almost a year. Since the idea would not leave my head and often pop into my ‘someday’ thinking randomly, I knew that I would take action on it eventually. Instead of creating a fifty-seven step plan I just got started. Created the blog. Uploaded a bunch of posts. Started tweeting and sharing.
Of course when you’re launching something in your business, instead of for fun like my blog, you’ll want to plan a little more and here’s where the system comes in. When you’re creating a new program note if you want to take three weeks to develop the content or six. Do you want to launch it on a Tuesday or Saturday? What does the order page look like? What is your pricing strategy?
When you start, you don’t have to know all the answers. Just take one step and make one decision and record it so you have a system to follow. Then, in the next launch, you can refine.
This process is one that you’re already familiar with when it comes to traditional learning. We practice writing letters, solving math problems, shooting baskets, and even public speaking, each time refining and learning from the process. The person who studies the perfect football play or reads about drumming techniques will not be as effective as the one who picks up the ball or drum sticks and begins to play.
So think back to the one thing you want to do in your business ‘someday’ – what is it? What’s the first step you can take today to move it from someday and into action?
Please share in the comments and if you’re absolutely stuck let me know and I’d be happy to support you getting unstuck!
Tackle Tasks Without Procrastination
The most difficult thing to accomplish is something you’re putting off to the point when it becomes increasingly worse. The task may vary based on each of our businesses but there are some common ones: bookkeeping, invoicing, and updating records.
I shared about my gardening failures and didn’t mention that very early on I hated doing even the most routine maintenance such as mowing the lawn. It would take me 40 minutes to do two very small sections of grass and everything bothered me. The lawn mower bag was hard to empty, the motor stalled, it was like pushing a boulder around my yard.
Recently I went outside to mow, grumbling all the way, and realized that it had only taken 10 minutes and wasn’t such a chore after all. I considered why with all that free time since I’d just earned 30 minutes of my life back.
Now I have a system so the whole process of accomplishing a routine task is much smoother:
Sprinklers start every morning,
I cut the grass in the afternoon when the grass is dry,
I empty the bag immediately when it gets full,
and most importantly…
Regular maintenance makes it all easier
I realized that the motor didn’t stall once and I didn’t need to stop when I was halfway done to empty the bag. Since I had just mowed the weekend before it wasn’t such a chore. Instead of waiting a month (or two) and letting the grass grow so much that I had to fight it, only making it worse, I was staying on top of mowing and now each time it was much easier.
And we do the same in our businesses. We wait until April 14th to sort personal and business receipts for the past 12 months. We gather names and ideas and tasks on a dozen scraps of paper and in emails but can’t get them in one place. We don’t check our metrics or do billing until we have months to catch up on. And the more we put off these regular maintenance items, the harder it becomes to get motivated, tackle the task and stay on top of things.
You’ll hear this from the entrepreneur who says “I have a list but I haven’t emailed in 3 months and now I don’t know what to say.” Procrastination gets in the way and there are more and more obstacles in the way until we’re paralyzed in inaction.
So how do you solve such a phenomenon when you see it happening around you? My favorite hacks are to use triggers and assistants.
Triggers are the first step in a system. For my mowing it’s Saturday afternoons after the grass dries, I’ve done errands and before it gets too hot. That’s my trigger to roll out the lawn mower and get it done.
Systems don’t have to be complicated to be effective! It can be as simple as: mow the lawn, empty the bag, put away the mower.
Regular triggers can be added to your calendar – take 10 minutes to stretch every 2 hours you sit at a desk. Clear out 10 emails by delegating tasks every afternoon. Run reports and track conversion rates every Friday. Archive any incoming newsletter one day after they arrive if they’re not read.
You’ll be most successful at keeping these routine tasks completed if you automate. Direct all unsubscribes to one folder and handle them once a day. Filter all customer support to one place and respond daily. The more you automate with the use of technology, the less you’ll find yourself procrastinating.
When the task is irregular it can be difficult to set a trigger so you’ll want to internalize the first step of the system. If you’re reading a newsletter and see something you like in the formatting, the copy or the design don’t leave it in your inbox. Move it through a system by forwarding to your assistant with a few notes. If you get a customer support email and note that you need to make some changes in a program or be clearer in your copy don’t leave it to fester. Copy those thoughts to your program manager or into your online management system for programs.
David Allen covers this in Getting Things Done when he writes
“If there’s something that needs to be done about the item… then you need to decide what exactly that next action is. “Next Actions” again, means the next physical, visible activity that would be required to move that situation toward closure.”
As you can see, it’s not just setting triggers and automating them when possible. Having support can really take these maintenance tasks and keep them from being overwhelming.
But if the assistant doesn’t know what to do and you assume all is well you’ll find a much bigger mess to clean up when you take back responsibility.
So create systems for these tasks, all the important things that you need to do on a regular basis to keep the business running smoothly:
Updating contacts in InfusionSoft
Responding to unsubscribe requests
Approving new members into a private forum
Answering basic customer service requests
Formatting your newsletter
Running reports
Updating and renewing web domains
Tracking business receipts and financials
You have to be willing to dig in, have clarity around what needs to be done, and teach your systems to someone on your team. If you find you don’t want to do it on your own then work with an Online Business Manager who gets it. Then your system will consist of checking in with your team and you can go on to build your business without the undone tasks weighing on your mind.
And for me, I can walk to the mailbox without dreading the day I finally unearth the lawn mower and tackle the jungle formerly known as my yard.