Take a Breather Can't seem to cut that monstrous to-do list down to size? Maybe it's time to relax, step back and regroup.
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When you run your own business, December is usually the monthyou close your books and promise to establish positive habits forthe new year. Unfortunately, it's also the time of year whenyou're likely to join the ranks of the overwhelmed. You startthe day with good intentions to grow your business and attend toyour personal obligations, but at day's end, you may find youhave accomplished very little.
To stop becoming overwhelmed, first congratulate yourself onyour achievements. Then forgive yourself for what you haven'tfinished. Balance comes from not letting the magnitude of the workget the best of you.
To achieve success, planning is the ultimate tool for increasingproductivity and reducing stress. Move forward positively byworking smart with these steps:
1. Remember happiness is your end game. Of all theretirees I've met, the happiest are those who have treatedtheir lives and businesses like a journey of discovery. Instead ofstopping when you become frustrated, simply decide on the bestaction you can take, and take it. Your willingness to deal with allobstacles, no matter what, gives you the confidence and strengthyou need to achieve success.
2. Create specific short-term goals. So much changes soquickly in today's world that your long-term goals will have tobe modified as you learn what works and what doesn't. Breakyour larger goals into realistic short-term goals. If you want toget a book published, for instance, start by writing articles onyour area of expertise.
3. Develop a nightly to-do list. Keep yourself on trackby breaking short-term goals into realistic steps you can takeimmediately. In a to-do notebook, focus your intentions by writingdown the tasks you want to achieve the next day. Don't setyourself up for failure by putting too many items on your list.Break major tasks into even smaller components that are easy toaccomplish.
4. Prioritize your to-do list. Order each item on yourlist from most to least important according to how each one helpsyou accomplish your goal. You may or may not complete all the tasksin a single day, but at least you can recognize that you'reaccomplishing the most pertinent ones.
5. Accomplish each task in its order of importance. Asyou approach action items on your list, make a decision about howto accomplish the task, and act on it. Check these tasks off yourlist as you accomplish them. Take action, and your frequentsuccesses will motivate you to push forward.
6. Evaluate and learn from your actions. At the end ofthe day, congratulate yourself for what you've accomplished,and let go of what you have not. Review what you have learned, anddecide on the next best action to take to reach your short-termgoals. Develop a new to-do list every night by transferring yourunfinished items and prioritizing the new list.
7. Realize you don't have to do this alone. As yougrow your business, many tasks become routine (such as creating anewsletter and bil-ling) and can be accomplished by someone else.Develop a list of these tasks, and delegate them. Hire anadministrative person or a family member-even if it's just oncea week-so you can concentrate more on growing your business.
You can also partner with other entrepreneurs. If you have agoal and aren't certain about the best action to take, reachout to your colleagues. One of them has likely been there beforeand will often recommend a simple action you can take to moveforward.
Speaker and consultant Romanus Wolter, aka "The KickStart Guy," is author of Kick Start Your Dream Business.Write to him at romanus@kickstartguy.com.
