Read Time: 3 mins

“I don’t have time …” is the most stated reason why biz owners don’t see progress in their business. 

Unfortunately, this is the kicker. They don’t realise that their ‘lack of time’ mindset is the real reason they stay the same and get the same results. 

Often it’s blamed on things like “I don’t have the strategy, or I don’t know enough”.

But buying into this idea that you ‘don’t have time’ is exactly why you don’t have time. 

And it’s costly.

One quality hour of working on your business per week = 52 quality hours/year = RESULTS.

In today’s Gold Mind Issue, I’m going to share with you one of the most potent ways to increase your business productivity, growth, profitability and ultimately your sanity.

I have worked with business owners, coaches and service providers for a decade. Countless times, I have heard the cry, “I don’t have time to work on my business.”  

“I’m so busy, I’m too in it, I can’t afford to take 3 hours to do XYZ”

It’s no surprise that these business owners are also the ones who are on the verge of burnout. They’re chasing their tails, have a to-do list a mile long, and are struggling to grow financially. 

No one gets into operating a business because they want to be burnt out. Most start a business for the promise of freedom and flexibility.

Sadly, reality couldn’t be further from the truth.  

More often than not they are a slave to their business.  It’s running them.  Or as I heard described the other day they’ve become  ‘the worst paid employee’. 

(Being a Slave To You by Brittany is sexy. Being a slave to your business is not)

Operating a business shouldn’t be that stressful.

Honestly.  And it doesn’t have to be.

Provided you learn how to optimise your energy, productivity and yes, time.

I’ll use me as an example. I went from being the classic “I don’t have time” type of business owner (who was also addicted to work, but that’s for another story). Now, I work less than 22 hours per week. I schedule my entire month’s work around my menstrual cycle. I also take every single first Monday for a Fresh Start day.

This isn’t a result of luck

It is the result of making tough decisions, being super clear on my goals and holding myself to a high standard.

Allow me to introduce you to the ….

FRESH START DAY

What is it?

Simply, I dedicate the first Monday of every month to a Fresh Start day. 

It’s locked in on all my calendars. It’s a sacred time.  Nothing gets in the way of it. 

Here’s what I do on a Fresh Start Day:

The key items are:

  1. My one-page monthly report. This is where I review the previous month’s goals, intentions and ideas and report on whether I hit them or not. I document this in a Google Document inside my Fresh Start Google Folder.
  2. At the end of this report, I write my goals for the following month, using my yearly goals as the measuring stick.
  3. I fill out my success metrics table. This is a simple month-to-month comparison of key metrics I’ve decided to focus on. For example, my current quarterly goals are to increase newsletter subscriber growth and Genius To Gold Mini Members. These success metrics need to be important to you, no one else.
  4. I fill in my monthly income and expenses spreadsheet – and analyse the data.
  5. Cancel any subscriptions that I’m not using.
  6. Clean up my desktop! (This is the bane of my life, but I spend time deleting or moving files so my desktop is pretty again).

(Entering my following month like ….)

I also use the time to schedule those annoying mossie appointments. You know, things that you keep putting off like going to the GP, or heading to the dentist).

Once I’ve completed the above items, I transfer any relevant information to my paper diary. I’m old school like that.

Before closing out the day, I make sure I am crystal clear on the 2-3 key goals for the upcoming month. These are my north stars. They are the priority, and this helps me to make good decisions in my business.

By drilling down into these specifics I can drop 80% of the fluff in my business (aka ‘pretending to be productive but I’m fluffing around being busy’).

I’m prone to shiny object syndrome and use work as an excuse to feel worthy and useful (yep, this is a work in progress). So culling 80% of my ‘busy’ work is goddam scary.

But, I love this way of operating now.

My productivity has skyrocketed. I’m in control of my schedule. I’m proactive rather than reactive. I have way less anxiety. I don’t feel I’m playing catch-up anymore. 

Oh, I should note; that I’ve got more time available. 

Imagine what could happen to your business and life if you gifted yourself 12 whole days of high-quality focus each year.

Over to you.

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