My Top 10 Efficiency Habits
Can we talk about Efficiency?
How do you describe efficiency?
The term efficiency can be defined as the ability to achieve an end goal with little to no waste, effort, or energy. ... Put simply, something is efficient if nothing is wasted and all processes are optimized.
So as a business owner, how can we work on efficiency? How can we find balance in such an unbalanced world? We all have dings, chimes, rings, email alerts, door knocks, not to mention this little handheld screen that has us all addicted to checking it 5000 times a day. How can we become not only more efficient but disciplined too? Well here is what I have learned and do but I am also ever-changing as demands for my attention continue to get pulled in new directions.
I make a to-do list EVERY SINGLE DAY! Focus on the most important tasks first. I usually limit myself to no more than 7 things for the whole day.
I try to stop multitasking and just cross off one thing at a time.
Time Activities: I take 5 min breaks (I work from home most days) where I can knock out a few chores throughout the day.
I have turned off ALL sounding alerts except for text and phone calls on my phone. I have moved all distracting apps to the very last page of my phone ever since 3 years ago. I never looked back!
Committing to Downtime: I keep myself accountable by writing my next day's to-do list at the end of each day. Whatever I don’t get done, either it will cut into my downtime or I know that I will have to work on tomorrow taking away from something else important.
Find repeatable systems. How do you think McDonald’s is so efficient? They have found a system that works and they repeat it with slight modifications to become even more efficient. Do this with your business! For example, I use the same template for sending welcome emails, I just change the person's name and maybe a line or two about their business and what benefits I can bring them specifically.
Work before you get motivated or inspired. This one gets me some days but never for work, but working out, YES! I want to work out when I feel good and am mentally ready, that to be honest is like never. But I think about how I will feel after I go and remember my WHY!
Lastly, I like to use this Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize my time on what matters most to me and to my business. Now since I don’t have anyone yet to share my workload I usually don’t get the luxury of delegating but hopefully one day in the future I can.
Being busy is not the same as being productive. Your bank account will let you know that in no time at all which is why it is important to analyze the things that can be done not in peak productivity hours. Bookkeeping for example can be done after hours or on weekends, not during your high contact times where clients or prospects need your attention. The busy work = $0 the productive work will make you a living. Knowing the difference is important.
My last tool is the recharge! I am a firm believer that one can and will burn out working their life away. We must recharge, get away from the office, travel the world, meet new people and become better humans. We not only come back refreshed, but we also collect new stories and information which then gives us a new perspective and appreciation for what we do and why we work as hard as we do.
Efficiency is accomplishing your goals & objectives even when faced with daily stresses.
I know for me and my business, I don’t have another choice.