Managing Priorities in your Business

Today felt like a very frustrating day for me. It felt like I was running in place all day long. There was a lot of activity, but it seemed like there was no forward movement. We all have days like that, the ones where you wake up expecting to conquer the world and at the end of the day, you wonder if you completed any of the tasks planned for the day. As a small business owner, days like that can make you go crazy. The key is to be able to manage your priorities for your business. Sounds easy, but in real live it can be a real bear. Sometimes you wonder if you will ever work yourself free of that foggy feeling...

You have all probably taken some kind of time management course at one time or another in your business career. Those courses are great, but sometimes we can forget some of the basic learning points. One of those points is to not get too bogged down with the small stuff. Many times, that 'small stuff' seems extremely large, looming and problematic. Once you get past it, you realise that it really was 'small stuff' and not worth the effort and energy you put into fixing or resolving the problem. It is always a good idea to review your time management notes to refresh your memory. If you haven't kept your notes, or you are like me, you have them stored so efficiently and safely, you can't find them, you may want to take a gander on-line and find some time-saving tips.

One key thing I found that helps me focus my time and energy is to not have more than 5 priorities at one time. We all basically have a million things that always need to be done yesterday, but really, we should focus on no more than 5 priorities and keep focused on them. I write them down in my planner, and transfer those priorities to every new month page until that particular priority is no longer so important. Remember, in these volatile times, you can feel just as volatile. If money is tight, you tend to get a bit snappy with anyone needing to be paid. It comes with the territory, we have to be aware of that tendency and correct it before it gets out of hand. We may not be the only ones with problems, and getting snappy or yelling at someone will not solve the problem. Go back to your priorities, focus on what needs to be done and you should be able to diffuse some of that volatility.

Another item is to not exhaust yourself with unnecessary activities. Is there something simple that needs to be completed, that you can delegate to someone else? It doesn't have to be a major task, but something that may even take a few minutes of your time, delegate when you can. By doing all those little things that will 'only take a minute' you lose those minutes to work towards your goals and priorities. You may find that at the end of the day, you filled your day with completing 'minute' tasks and never worked towards the main priority. You will end the day exhausted and have nothing to show for it. There will always be little, niggling things to do, when possible delegate, or put them off until you have completed one of your major priorities/tasks.

Always remember to focus on your business and the priorities of your business. No matter how difficult some days may become, focusing on your business will keep you on track to succeed. Don't lose track of what your priorities are and what you want to achieve. Life will get in the way, but just roll with the punches, get up, dust yourself off and keep moving forward. Many people may get lost along the way because they forgot to focus on their priorities. Keep the priorities simple, and don't get too many of them. Most important, be specific about what your priorities are and how you plan on achieving them. If you stay focused, even though life may interrupt your path, you will succeed.

Until tomorrow...