There are many things that contribute to your overall success. When it comes to being productive there are some primary keys that you need in place to make it all happen. When people start their businesses, the one thing they don’t think about is the process and support for getting things done. They think about location if they are a brick and mortar establishment, or if they need office space; they think about funding, marketing and a laundry list of other things, but they don’t think about what they need to get things done. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to not have things in place to support your productivity.
Here I’m going to share with you a few primary things that you need to have in your productivity tool kit.
The first thing you want in your productivity tool kit is a list of your goals. If you don’t know where you’re going, how in the world are you getting there? How you create your goals is important. If you know me, you know that I don’t do things the “normal” way. Create your goals from a space of power by exploring the experiences you want to have and how you want to feel. Set your intentions and then create your SMART goals from there. Not having written goals with a plan to carry them out, and no action steps in your calendar to execute them is a great way to get nowhere fast.
The next thing you want in your productivity tool kit are systems! Create systems for your marketing, social media, accounting, sales, client and contact management, inventory if that’s applicable and don’t forget a time management system!
Habits will make or break you, so you’ve got to ensure that you have habits that support you. Don’t get into labeling your habits “good” or “bad”. They just are what they are and they either support you or they don’t.
You can’t get where you’re doing without help. We all need it whether it’s from time to time, with certain tasks or projects or ongoing. Get your team members in place. If your budget doesn’t allow for paid staff members or a VA, then look at setting up internships for college students who need the experience and time and have the talents that you’re looking for to get the job done.
This next tool might be something you may not associate with being productive, but I’m here to tell you that it most certainly is! There is absolutely no way you can serve others when you are not fully charged. That means stepping away from things and getting some regular down time; the me time that you so crave but never get. Stop giving to things and other people without first giving to yourself. You’ll notice that I said “first”. You have to come first. Period. End of story.
Finally, you have to have self-knowledge. Know how you personally relate to time. Time doesn’t even exist, so you’ve got to have an understanding of what it really is and how to deal with it based on your Productivity Persona™. That gives you the info you need to choose your personal productivity tool, how to set up your time management system and how to approach getting things done. Knowledge is power!