As promised, this week we’re talking about setting up a simple system for your business. What this looks like in my life and business, how it might look for you and yours, as well as some helpful tips you can implement right away to get you away from the overwhelm and into a daily schedule that fits your desired lifestyle. While the system itself is simple, putting it into practice is always the hardest part. So take what we talk about today one step at a time and practice. 

We have systems set up all around us and most of the time for us. Think of your smartwatch, the carplay in your vehicle, Alexa, the timer on your coffee pot, curbside grocery delivery – all of these are ways in which we now make our daily life stuff more streamlined and efficient. We have tools and processes in place everywhere in our lives to help us live and work more efficiently and in ways that work better for us. So why not think of your daily workflow in the same way? What can we do to take all the things we want, need, and have to do and lay them out so we not only know what we are actually doing day to day but have a processes in place that allows us to get those things done and get back to living our lives.

Having a system, and a simple one at that, to help keep you focused and motivated is the key to unlocking your entrepreneurship mastery. The biggest thing to remember is whatever your system looks like, it’s got to work for you and how you work. Otherwise, you’ll be starting from scratch every day, which is where I believe the feeling of chaos and overwhelm is born for entrepreneurs.

In my business, I utilize a system Jeremy put together for how we work. We call it the Block Method and it focuses on priority projects and tasks. “Block” because instead of thinking of time as something linear and rigid, we see time in spurts, sections, or blocks. This allows us to work on a project or a certain task until it is complete rather than piece by piece for days or weeks on end. 

Here are the three steps I utilize to make this happen for my business every single day:

1. Determine output goals: 

Output goals focus on creating desirable behaviors regardless of the outcome. These are actionable things that we can do every day that are beneficial to our success and personal and business growth. For example, in my business: rather than create a goal of making $20k in a quarter, which I have no control over, I aim to create a goal/behavior of auditioning for at least five jobs a day. So we are still working with goals that can be measured but the focus is on my ability to take a project or task, focus only on that project or task and work on it until it is complete or I have reached a stopping point based on how I’m feeling, the project deadline, etc. This will look different for everyone but the takeaway here is to create goals that are measurable that you can control. 

2. Categorize daily necessities.

What are the things that NEED to be done each day for our businesses to run successfully and produce the kind of results we desire for our work and life. What do we need to do each day to help us achieve our output goals? Think critically of those tasks that NEED to be done to pay the bills. Not the pie in the sky items. It is the stuff that we know will support our family or get us to where we want to be in our careers faster. Once these tasks are accomplished each day, we can look to the additional items like creating a new product or asset OR once these tasks are accomplished, we can call it a day and do other things in our lives. For my business, this looks like: 1. Work on active projects. 2. Audition 3. Answer emails and other correspondence. When I have completed these three tasks in some form, I shut down work and spend time with my family, work on a hobby, etc.

3. Prioritize daily projects and tasks: 

We found that priorities in a work routine are essential. I can have 10 need to-dos each day, but if I don’t prioritize them, I may end up doing a bunch of work before I get to the items that are time-sensitive or longer or whatever. When I do this, I don’t have to think of what I need to do – I’ve already categorized the type of to-dos that I know will pay the bills and build my business. Then I prioritized them accordingly. Before, I would focus on the thing that was pounding at the door wanting attention–a new project, business idea—or the low-hanging fruit–social media, email, or research. We found daily prioritization incredibly helpful and freeing as it gave me time to work on those other projects and time with my family, rather than trying to cram a bunch of “work” into a “workday”. I mean, that’s one of the main reasons I don’t fit into office culture – busy work. 

You may be thinking, cool! Sounds easy enough… but what do I do now? 

I’ve put together a simple how-to guide with a practice activity in the show notes. Follow the tips in the download and begin thinking about how you could implement this into your business practice right away. You might be surprised at how quickly you can throw out some of the tasks you’re doing every day and how much more time you’ll have to give to necessary projects and to-dos.

If you end up doing this for your business, please let me know! I’d love to hear how you’re utilizing the tips in this episode.