Why time management and motivation are so important for a new small business.
CAN YOU WORK ENTIRELY WITHOUT SUPERVISION?
Yes, Ill do it later...
A couple of years ago I was approached by a sole entrepreneur who felt that hed gone off the boil. He wasnt wrong - he was spending all day playing Sudoku...
Fortunately, hed picked the right woman with appropriately pointy shoes to get him back on track, since I recognised the symptoms as an unusually virulent form of something we all experience from time to time - procrastination. Yep, his duvet day had turned into a duvet month!
Did you know that only 2% of people can work entirely without supervision? Not great news for those of us who work alone, because, of course, we get increasingly devious about avoiding the things we love to hate because no-one is going to dob us in. Over the years, I have worked with clients who hate writing letters, going networking, completing forms and of course the well loved cold calling. They avoid these things by walking the dog; tidying the desk; playing FreeCell, making coffee; answering e-mails; or - heaven help us – by ironing. (Strange how one persons hate is anothers pleasant distraction)
So, if you would prefer to avoid the woman with pointy shoes treatment, here are a few self help suggestions.
Firstly identify what you do and when. Look closely at HOW you procrastinate. If you recognise those hard-to-get-over stumbling blocks then you can begin to do something about it - and this go something like this:
Create a plan for your business - use a list, writing down bite size chunks.
From that list, set a goal against certain activities – make it realistic - dont set it too high or you will lose heart almost immediately.
Set a deadline for those goals and learn to manage your time – this might mean limiting your telephone conversations or reducing your travel time by having two appointments in the same area on the same afternoon instead of at opposite ends of the motorway! Find ways to get and stay motivated – perhaps break up a day of drudge and grind with one nice thing. There are also some great straight-from-the-shoulder sayings that might help.
How about:
"Most people get ahead during the time that others waste" ( Henry Ford) or "Failures do what is tension relieving whilst winners do what is goal achieving"
Dennis Wheatley – motivational speaker
Delegate – if you hate doing accounts, writing copy or mailing your clients get someone else to do it or your business may suffer.
Enlist a friend – but make sure they challenge your lack of progress as well as cheering you on!
Stay in control – learning to say no is a good start with this one!
Understand self talk – this is that tape you run inside your head and it has a huge positive and negative effect on your emotions. It is your version of events that motivates and energises you or not. So make your version a winning one...
...and stay out from under that duvet
Known as Hampshires Business Mum, Jane Buswell works as a marketing mentor to businesses which recognise that they need help to effect marketing as part of their day to day business procedures.
Jane Buswell
Business Fulcrum
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