Time Efficiency
Man’s tried to manage and control time ever since we’ve acknowledged it’s existence. And, I’m probably not breaking new ground when I say you and I can’t control time, but we can control what we do with the time we have!
I’ve become fascinated with the idea of finding ways to be more efficient. You’re probably a lot like me, willing to work LOTS of hours, that’s almost a universal trait amongst entrepreneurs. Often a badge of honor, but the badge was pinned to our chest in a manner leaving a bloody mess underneath the badge.
You’ve probably heard of Tim Ferris, the author of the 4-Hour Work Week - a book that every business owner should read. Whether you incorporate everything he writes about, or none of it, the concepts he teaches expand how you look at work.
While we are on the topic of time and work, let me put this out there, every hugely successful company has harnessed the talents and input of multiple people. An easy concept to accept… but a lot harder to accomplish.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever thought about having someone who works for you do something new, but you’ve stopped and thought, it’s quicker if I just do it myself….
I had to lower my hand to keep typing.
Hears an uncomfortable truth I’ve had to accept about myself. In situations like that, I was my worst enemy!
As a member here on this site I’m going to share with you my efforts to do this better. I promise to show you my victories and my humble defeats. But, if you’re like me, and when it comes to your business you’re ready, willing and able to charge forward, knowing you can’t be outworked, and that your level of insight and caring makes you the perfect person for every task.
The sad truth is, this would only be true if you’re able to clone yourself. But, if you take the time to classify all the tasks in your business. Based on their value to the bottom line, their difficulty and importance now you can make educated decisions. Tasks that tick all three of those boxes, they have a huge impact on the bottom line, they are difficult to preform and extremely important, well I’d agree, you are the best person to preform those tasks.
Conversely, if a task has little direct effect on the bottom line, and it’s a simple task to complete, you need to find a way to take that off your plate.
You’re nodding your head because it make sense in theory. But, you might be like me and find implementing the removal of them from your duties more difficult than you can imagine.
So, let me share with you why you need to stop doing these tasks, your involvement is detrimental to your business. Remember at the top of the page when we acknowledged the sad truth that we can not control time? Well, here’s the reality of this, you can either focus on doing tasks that directly dictate how successful your business will be, or the menial things that do little more than keep your business on life support. Tasks that don’t really give you a business, but just a job.
As an added bonus, if you do things right you will make someone very happy to regularly preform those simple tasks. I can tell, you’re a good person. They will like working with you, and they need that paycheck you deliver. They will NEVER be as invested in your business to the level you are. Why should they, they’re not going to reap the same rewards. But, they if you take the time to make sure they’re happily and gainfully employed you will often have a great employee, who will benefit by your focus on the important stuff!