How to Find the Time To Work On Your Business Whilst In Your 9-5
Ever had that feeling of time flying by and not making any progress on your goals?
You've wanted to get trraction on your business but in between the family, the day job, the kids, the to do list, its no wonder you're not getting anywhere.
And let's not forget the sleep. All the people talking about their 4.00 a.m. starts, but you need your 8 hours to even function.
Months pass and you're no further along with your biz dreams. You're wondering how you can possibly make progress with the limited time you have?
The great news is with a few tweaks to how you approach time, you can navigate your way out of the day job in no time. Here are a few quick tips to help you change the way you think about time.
1) Reframe how you think about time
Start with monitoring your self talk around time and it's availability. When you are building your biz, it can be easy to think of time as a scarce resource and one which you don't have much of.
That's when phrases like "not enough hours in the day", "times flying by" etc creep in and start taking over. This takes you straight into lack mindset when it comes to your time.
Instead start making your self talk more positive "time is on my side", "I always make time for what's important". "I always make the best use of the time I do have".
Remember your time is a resource that you have just like any other. If you are talking about its lack, you will feel it feel its lack even more.
2) Work in blocks of time.
Instead of trying to do bits and bobs here and there and not getting traction, try to dedicate a set amount of time to your business building activities e.g. 30 minutes a day in one go is better than 3 lots of 10 minutes or 5 minutes for a quick task here and there.
If you are really short of time, be super strategic and focused about the tasks that you do. Identify the highest value tasks in your business - those that will give you the most bang for your buck and focus on those. If you don't know what they are, get some help with this.
Make a list at the end of each session for what you want to achieve out of the next and then just concentrate on THOSE tasks. No chopping and changing. Block out all distractions, social media etc and use the Pomodoro app to help you stay on track.
3) Chunk like tasks together
Its best to tackle all like/similar tasks together to be most effective. For example, I do all my coaching calls on certain days as this ensures that my clients have my full focus.
If you have a number of calls to make, set aside an hour to just make those calls. If you have social media or blog posts to write, allocate a chunk of time to do that writing (whilst you are feeling creative), have a set time aside for admin ( I do mine on Friday).
Tackling like tasks together in this way saves time, keeps you focused and stops you from context switching (jumping from one task to another) which reduces productivity.
4) Be ruthless with the time you do have
There is no doubt about it, in the beginning, there is a lot of legwork involved in building your business. If you are totally new to business then there is a learning curve to navigate and this inevitably takes time.
This is the time to review how you are using your time.
Keep a time diary and identify any time vacuums or time sucks and remove them. For example I was a big football fan and before I started my business i watched several matches a week - at 90-100 minutes per match that was a lot of minutes. I stopped doing this for a while and reallocated that time. I loved football but it was more important for me to change my life and create a business I loved.
Also take a look at any obligations/commitments that are no longer a HELL YESS! Things you do out of obligation or because you feel you "should" or "have to" - both at work and personal.
If they don't serve you and your goals is it time to take a step back? Use this freed up time to spend on your business and to build your dream.
So, whilst it can seem like there are "not enough hours in the day" especially if your day job is taking up a large part of the day, you can use these tips to help you free up some time and get some serious traction on your biz.
Whilst the bad news is time flies. The good news is you're the pilot.
If you are ready to finally make traction on your business and want to know how to maximise the time you do have so that it’s spent on the right tasks together with the accountability to make quick and tangible progress then go ahead and book a complimentary Business Builder Session with me. During this powerful 30 minute session we will get clarity around your goals and desires, identify any challenges getting in your way and map out a strategy and action plan to help you reach your goals quicker.
Time well spent if you ask me :-)
Hey, I'm Tasmin! I'm a Mindset & Business Confidence Coach for new and aspiring female entrepreneurs. I help overcome their fears and ramp up their confidence so that they can escape the corporate drudgery and create a life and business on their terms.
Want to chat about how I can help you? Apply for a Free Session with me here. I'm excited to talk to you :-)
Sharing is caring!