Can you pick up a package today before 5 p.m.? Can you pick up cookies for the kids’ party? Can we have lunch today? Can we do breakfast? Can we talk for a few minutes? On and on and on, it goes.
The problem is not the question, but the answer. “Yes, sure, okay”…that is the death of an entrepreneur.
Prior to starting my own law firm years ago, I had worked in corporate America. Aside from early morning meetings and some evening activities, I worked on a schedule during the day with fixed hours. No one called me during the day or expected me to be available for errands, meetings, conversations outside of work, etc.
Unfortunately, years later when I started my firm, family, friends, and associates began to have expectations that because I was in my own business, I could arrange my schedule to do whatever they wanted done during the day. I fell into the trap of being the go-to person because, after all, I had my own business and set my own schedule. I was also a people pleaser and always wanted to help. After a few months of low revenue, I quickly learned that being the “go-to girl” was killing my business.
I would say I had to re-establish boundaries, but the truth is I had never established boundaries with people in the first place. I learned that if didn’t set my own agenda and enforce boundaries, someone else would do it for me.
Reading Dr. Henry Cloud’s book, Boundaries, helped me say no without the need to have an explanation. I would simply say, “No,” or “No, I work during the day.”
Some people reacted like a deer in headlights. Some even had the nerve to say, “Well, you can fix your own schedule.”
My reply was, “Yes, I can, and I choose to work in my business during the day.”
This is something that can slip up on you, and you will find yourself attempting to work and run around doing ten things unrelated to your business. As an entrepreneur, managing your priorities and your schedule is critical to your success. Remember you can’t manage time; everyone gets 24 hours in a day.
Before you get in too deeply, or if you are in deep and need to make changes, these 7 steps will help:
- Determine the 3-4 critical activities you need to do in your business each day (the things that make money).
- Use a calendar, and block out time for each of the critical activities. This is non-negotiable except in an emergency.
- Identify your time busters and schedule appropriately. Some common time busters are emails, phone calls, and social media.
- Determine those things you must sacrifice now that you are an entrepreneur (TV, some social outings, social phone calls, web browsing, etc.)
- Communicate your schedule to family as you set boundaries. To other people, you are just unavailable.
- Say no to things that may be “good” things but not related to your business. For example, at one time, I was on too many boards.
- Schedule in your free or social time, and be vigilant about deciding how, when, and with whom you spend it.
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