Most entrepreneurs are excellent multi-taskers. This is convenient because most entrepreneurs are multi-tasked. When you’re running the show, you have to make decisions on every aspect of your business, sometimes at an alarming speed. With a seemingly endless barrage of issues requiring attention, many business owners struggle to look up.
Choose one business issue – or theme – from your list of many that you believe you can focus on, and work to affect change in this area.
Most of us can swim along like this for quite some time. We feel busy, busy, busy, but somehow never manage to accomplish the big-ticket items – the issues underpinning the formation and growth of the business.
Related: From Arlene: Living With An Entrepreneur
How, then, should entrepreneurs manage to avoid endlessly reacting? There are lots of time-management techniques and products to draw upon. And, of course, we should delegate tasks and responsibilities. But we believe that setting a theme or a focus for a set period of time is the best way to simplify and limit time spent on decision-making while effectively creating change in your business.
What we mean is this: Choose one business issue – or theme – from your list of many that you believe you can focus on, and work to affect change in this area. Maybe you want your theme to be increased sales; perhaps innovation is key; maybe you need to invest in infrastructure and systems, or cost reduction, or hiring… You get the idea. Then, make that your theme, your primary focus as much as possible. For the issues, tasks, and opportunities that cross your path in this time period, simply decide whether they support your theme/focus or not and proceed accordingly.
We encourage our clients to set a theme quarterly or semi-annually, depending on the business. Depending on the rate of change in your business, you may need a shorter window. Imagine what you could get done if you even put your head down on one issue for a solid week. You won’t solve every problem or cross every item off your to-do list, but you’ll get yourself a whole lot closer with a little focus.
Related: Choosing to be an Entrepreneur
Tags: fix my biz, focus, multitasking, theme, time management, health, entrepreneur, productivity, stress, stress management
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