How do some people accomplish in one year what takes other people three years?
The answer: personal productivity and a drive for results.
Today, I want to share 9 things I do (in my personal life and business) that allow me to accomplish more as a CEO.
Read on…
1) Focus on the 5% of needle-moving activities.
You’ve probably heard of the Pareto Principle, which says that 80% of your results come from 20% of your effort.
My friend James Wedmore, 7-figure digital entrepreneur, disagrees with this. He believes that it’s really only 5% of activities that create the overwhelming majority of results in your business — and I agree!
The fastest way to accomplish more in your business? Identify these 5% activities (for most of us, they are activities that focus on marketing and sales) and spend more time doing them!
2) Set fewer goals.
The overachiever in us has lots of big, lofty ideas and goals. But if you want to accomplish more, you actually need to set fewer goals that you actually hit.
I personally set 2 – 3 major business goals every 90 days…that’s it! My primary goals this quarter are inviting more amazing entrepreneurs into my year-long mastermind and getting ready for my 3-week trip to Europe in September, while making sure the business runs smoothly without me.
3) Get lots of sleep.
I typically sleep 8 – 9 hours a night, and recently started going to bed at 9:30pm. Without ample sleep, I can’t function as my best self, so this is non-negotiable for me.
Plus, the early morning start allows me to focus on my most important tasks while I’m free of any distractions.
4) Learn to say no with grace.
If you’re a people pleaser like me, your default response to every request is yes. But I’ve learned that regularly saying no is absolutely essential to your well-being and professional success.
Today, I say no to many generous and amazing offers in order to stay focused on my most important goals. Sometimes, there is a fear of missing out. But then I remember how miserable I am when I’m feeling overextended and my heart just isn’t into something.
5) Use your calendar like a pro.
I use my Google calendar to run my business and life. If there’s something I need to do, like write a set of emails, I block out a chunk of time on my calendar for it. I don’t just assume it’ll get done. This also prevents me from overextending myself, because I can look at my calendar and see that there literally aren’t enough hours to add another thing to my plate.
To make the most of my time, I also attach documents to my calendar entries (with notes, research, handy links), so I can dive into a working session with everything I need at my fingertips.
6) Simplify meal planning.
Figuring out what to eat every day, and then preparing those meals, can be very time-consuming. There are tons of ways to save time on meals — from batch cooking to using a meal delivery service to hiring a personal chef.
Now that I live in Puerto Rico, I miss the options for easy food delivery that I had in New York. Fortunately, I found an amazing personal chef who delivers mouth-watering, gluten-free meals to my home.
7) Hire support to free up your time.
If you’re generating revenue in your business, you should absolutely have an assistant (or two!) to take time-consuming or draining tasks off your plate. Today I’m grateful to have a rockstar team that helps run our business — including a senior project manager, sales manager, and affiliate partnerships manager.
8) Create a self-care plan.
I make sure to get a massage a couple times a month. Not only is it incredibly relaxing, but I find that I get my very best business ideas on the massage table (making it a very profitable activity)!
During my big Impacting Millions launch, I doubled-down on self care. I worked with a personal trainer 3 times a week during my launch, in addition to 1 – 2 exercise classes per week (my favorites are Orange Theory Fitness and Flywheel). I also scheduled a weekly massage at Massage Envy. All of this allowed me to stay high-energy and rejuvenated during the most important time of the year for my business.
9) Lean on your network.
This could include a mentor, mastermind group, your business besties, and friends. It’s smart to ask for help when you’re feeling stuck. If you struggle with this, know that letting others help us can deepen vs. weaken relationships. Knowing how to lean on your network is also one of the key skills that resourceful, smart entrepreneurs have.
Now I would love to hear from you! Join me on my Facebook page and let me know your favorite productivity tip, from the list above or one of your own.
I look forward to hearing from you!
