Our most precious commodity we have as entrepreneurs is time. Many of us are working from home right now. So being able to focus is even more important.
Many small business owners set out to build a business they’re truly passionate about that will also afford them a healthier work-life balance.
In reality, without the financial security of a regular 9-5 job, it’s much tougher to ensure you have enough time for switching off and seeing family and friends.
Staying healthy and focused is even more important. Here are my 5 tips to help you stay focused, motivated and free up more of your time for fun activities (for me that’s scooting right now!)
CREATE A ROADMAP TO SUCCESS – WITH OOMPH!
It’s exciting when you launch a business, but full-on. You’re so busy in that first year, it’s easy to forget the bigger picture.
It’s important, however, to make time to plan where you want to be in 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years and 5 years. This is your roadmap to success – with oomph.
To make your roadmap to success work you need the oomph – incentives at every stage. So far, for me, these have included holidays in Ibiza, and next I have promised myself a virtual assistant. I also note down monthly and annual financial goals and remind myself of why I started Wunderstars in the first place.
Once you’ve found your entrepreneurial and content marketing ‘mojo’, new opportunities and ideas will come to light. A clear roadmap to success will help you identify which opportunities will help you reach your overall goals, and which ones can be put in a virtual waiting room.
WORK WITH A BUSINESS COACH OR MENTOR
Investing in your own personal development is so important.
I find the best things happen for my business when I operate outside of my comfort zone. Sometimes that is exhausting, but working with an expert in your field to help you set and review goals together is an incredible support.
Knowing I have a monthly coaching session coming up helps me overcome procrastination and gives me that welcome deadline pressure.
If you’re looking for a coach to help you stay focused, grow your business and visibility on social media with a stand-out personal brand, find out more about Wunderstars my popular 1:1 coaching programme, or WunderContent if you like to support with creating your content.
WORK WITH AN ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNER
Look for someone in your network you can work with to break down bigger projects into achievable tasks, and then keep each other on track to achieve them.
Very early on in my video-learning journey, I had fellow marketer Cathy Wassell as an accountability partner. We committed to a private Facebook group to work through assignments – and it worked because we didn’t want to let each other down.
There is something really enjoyable about seeing your accountability partner succeed and knowing that, in a small way, you have contributed to their success.
USE PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS
Productivity tools, such as Trello, help keep you on track and allow you to manage your priorities.
When I face a difficult project I create checklists in Trello, breaking down the task into smaller steps. It feels good to tick things off.
It’s also my superhero for capturing new ideas on the go, and a lifesaver in weeks when the best laid plans go awry. You can adjust priorities and visualise what needs to be done most urgently.
And it gets even better when you use it to coordinate projects for teams. I have used it to plan business launches, events and website refreshes.
JOIN A MEMBERSHIP WITH LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE
It’s lonely being an entrepreneur at times. Figure out what you need help with and seek out your tribe. Being surrounded by like-minded people who share similar challenges and motivations makes you braver.
WHAT’S NEXT?
What are your tips for staying focused? Please share them in the comments field below.
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