[[:encoded, "Today we are going to talk about Stop Wasting Time and Stay Laser Focused.\n\nMost entrepreneurs have a difficult time understanding exactly how to stop wasting time. When you’re self employed, it’s easy to take a “short break” to surf the internet, check email, return a call, talk to a peer who stops by your office, or read blogs, but those “short breaks” can easily turn into hours of wasted time each day. This includes unnecessary chats with colleagues, long lunches, or non-focused or misguided meetings that do not accomplish goals and resolve issues.\n\nThe success of your business venture depends on your ability to buckle down and learn how to stay focused. We are going to talk about 3 essential steps to help you stop wasting time, stay focused and have productive work days so you can be on the path of achieving your goals. Enjoy the podcast.\n\nTake advantage of the complimentary special report on Keys to Working Less, Making More Money, and Having a More Balanced Life by going to www.AccountabilityCoach.com. Join the Silver Inner Circle (IT’S FREE) and receive 10% off on all products and services in addition to having access to many assessments and complimentary resources so you can begin achieving your goals in the timeframe you want, so you can have the life you desire. Get started today by going to www.AccountabilityCoach.com and Join the FREE Silver Inner Circle. \n\nAim for what you want each and every day! \nAnne Bachrach\nThe Accountability Coach™\nAuthor of Excuses Don’t Count; Results Rule and Live Life with No Regrets. Get your copies today. \n\nEnjoy 3 FREE gifts right now by going to: http://www.accountabilitycoach.com/landing/"]]
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I’m the author of many books, including, Excuses Don’t Count; Results Rule, Live Life with No Regrets, No Excuses, The Guide to Stopping Procrastination, The Power of Visualization, My Gratitude Journal, the Work Life Balance Emergency Kit, and The Roadmap To Success with Stephen Covey and Ken Blanchard, and more.
Aim for what you want each and every day!
Anne Bachrach
The Accountability Coach™
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(upbeat music) - Hello and welcome to the Accountability Coach podcast. We will discuss topics, ideas, questions and issues relating to having a totally balanced and successful life. This is Anne Bakrak. Today we're going to talk about what to do to stop wasting time and stay focused. Most entrepreneurs and small business owners have a difficult time understanding exactly how to stop wasting time. When you're self-employed, it's easy to take a short break or surf the internet, check email, return a call, talk to a peer who stops by your office, read those blogs, but those short breaks can easily turn into hours of wasted time every day. This includes unnecessary chats with colleagues, long lunches or non-focused or misguided meetings that do not accomplish goals and resolve issues. The success of your business venture depends on your ability to buckle down and learn how to stay focused. Here are three essential steps to help you stop wasting time, stay focused and have productive work days so you can be on the path of achieving all of your goals. First thing, always prioritize. Complete tasks by their level of priority. If completing a specific task won't raise your bottom line, you need to delegate it or delay it if you can't delegate it. If it raises your bottom line minimally, don't put it at the top of your list, do it later or delegate it. Well, this is certainly the most difficult step in learning how to stop wasting time and understanding how to stay focused. It's one of the most effective. Divide your prioritized action list into three sections. Do it now, do it later, delegate it or drop it all together. Place your daily tasks in corresponding sections. Do it now, it's high impact producing activities. Do it later, low impact but still producing activities. Delegated, indirect impact, indirect income producing activities. And drop it, yay, it wasn't that important anyway or the direction has changed possibly. Learning how to stop wasting time isn't so difficult once you prioritize your tasks. Now, let's clarify what exactly qualifies as a high impact or high payoff producing task. Following up with a potential client, of course, is a high impact producing task. Building your client base, of course, is another high impact producing task. Marketing your business is another high impact and high payoff producing task. On the other hand, spending lots of time on things such as perhaps Twitter or Facebook or any other social networking website certainly classifies as possibly low impact. It might still have an impact but it might not be as a high impact producing activity. Social networking task, while impactful, in that it increases your online relationship with potential clients and prospects should always be delegated to an assistant where possible. If you use them as a marketing strategy for your business, budget a certain amount of time for them each day. Two minutes sound sufficient to update your community on the happenings of your business. Ideally, an assistant can do most of these marketing related tasks. If you truly want to understand how to stay focused throughout the day, you'll have to minimize the mind sucking tasks like tweeting, beating blogs and chatting. Number two, get organized. Effective organization is the best asset to an entrepreneur, small business owner who's trying to realize how to stop wasting time. Organization allows you to identify unnecessary tasks and helps you get a firsthand look at what it means to truly understand how to stay focused. Creating a schedule and sticking to it is the most effective way to organize your work life, while learning how to stop wasting time and recognizing how to stay focused. Create a schedule with the necessary work tasks based on your prioritized to-do list. For an example, to call prospects, follow up on pending projects with the team members, personal reply to red flag emails, meeting with business partners, preparing for sales presentations, et cetera. As an entrepreneur, you need to put in full-time hours to realize a full-time income. If your business is a part-time venture for now, because you already have a full-time job, it's even more important that you master how to stop wasting time and learn how to stay laser focused. With a full plate, it's vital that you organize a schedule that aligns with your situation. If this is your full-time business venture, put in at least 40 to 50 hours each week. If it's your part-time business venture, put in at least 15 to 20 hours each week. Number three, delegate. If you're truly serious about learning how to stay laser focused, consider delegating low priority or non-income driving tasks to an assistant or a virtual assistant. A virtual assistant or VA works remotely and often comes at a fraction of the cost of a traditional employee. Tasks such as updating your Twitter account, your Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo and all those social media and networking websites, sending email inquiries, scheduling appointments with clients and prospects, doing some research for you, perhaps marketing activities and responding to blog comments are among some of the tasks that can and should be delegated to an assistant or virtual assistant. You may be a bit skeptical of spending money for someone to perform non-income driving tasks, but I can assure you, in order to build your business, an assistant or virtual assistant is an essential part of helping you stay focused on your highest payoff activities so you can achieve the goals that you've set in the time frame that you desire. Here's a few action steps to help you get started on what to do next. Action step number one, start using the 4D process with your to-do schedule. Every task should be designed, I'm sorry, designated as, do it now, do it later, delegate it or delete it. Everything, if you delegate it and or delete it, it should no longer be on your list. Focus on your high payoff tasks only. Action step number two, get organized. Use a daily calendar to keep yourself on track. Each night, your to-do list or action list should be put into the schedule for the next day and follow the schedule. This includes everything, things like taking showers, lunchtime, drive time, pre-meeting time, post-meeting time. Number three, get better at delegating. Learn to loosen the reins a bit and let go of the I must control everything attitude. This will get much easier when you have solid team members or an assistant you can rely on. My hope for our time together is that you got value and an idea or two that will help you be even more successful, personally and professionally. Take advantage of the complimentary special report called keys to working less, making more money and having a more balanced life by going to www.accountabilitycoach.com. Join the silver inner circle, it's free and receive 10% off on all products and services in addition to having access to many complimentary assessments and resources so you can begin achieving your goals in the timeframe that you want so you can have the kind of life you truly desire. Get started today by going to www.accountabilitycoach.com and join the free silver inner circle. Aim for what you want each and every day. Until next time, make it a great day. Today and every day. Thanks for listening. (upbeat music) Let me remind you that this recording is protected by copyright law and unauthorized distribution and copying is prohibited. (upbeat music) (upbeat music)
[[:encoded, "Today we are going to talk about Stop Wasting Time and Stay Laser Focused.\n\nMost entrepreneurs have a difficult time understanding exactly how to stop wasting time. When you’re self employed, it’s easy to take a “short break” to surf the internet, check email, return a call, talk to a peer who stops by your office, or read blogs, but those “short breaks” can easily turn into hours of wasted time each day. This includes unnecessary chats with colleagues, long lunches, or non-f...
