Quick tips to get your systems started

Often we assume that we need 10,000 hours or months of practice to make any meaningful change. This mindset goes far beyond business to any aspect of life: fitness, cleaning, animal training, learning a new skill…

In fact, the best thing you can do when you need to make big changes is to start small. You’ll avoid getting overwhelmed and, as a newbie, that’s easy to do. Getting small wins can also push you forward and make it easier to tackle the bigger projects.

Listen, if you want to be a marathon runner then jogging to the mailbox each morning isn’t going to suffice BUT start with the mailbox, then the corner, then go to the park and you’ll be on your way.

On our Facebook page and Twitter feed we’re sharing Quick System Tips because I know that you don’t have a ton of time but the sooner you start incorporating these easy changes, the smoother your business will run, the more money you’ll make and the faster you’ll grow.

Here are a couple of my favorites and why they work:

I love time blocking because, as everyone now knows, multi-tasking doesn’t actually result in increased productivity. So each week I block off time to talk with clients, work on admin, meet with my team and yes, write this blog. It’s one of the primary reasons why, in 4 years of publishing this blog, we’ve missed maybe two weeks.

Consistency starts with a predictable schedule for success.

When you’re scheduling your calendar to make time for what’s important those things will get done.

Want to know how those amazing networkers always seem to have the perfect introduction for any situation? Want to increase your reach and get to know new people? Make it a priority.

Combine this with the time blocking tip and make a point to reach out to someone once a week to connect. You don’t have to get coffee, exchange CVs, or even have a phone conversation. Short and sweet can be impactful.

In my system I decide if I want to connect with someone every 1, 3, or 6 months and add a reminder. Note: the reminder is automated, the outreach is personal. It defeats the purpose if autoresponders are doing the connecting.

This can also be applied to leads you’re courting, past clients you want to keep in touch with, editors for publications you want to write for and colleagues whose audiences you’d like to meet.

So there you have it, two little systems that, once implemented, should help you reach your goals.