Being ‘busy’ is over celebrated and glorified in our culture because we think busyness equates to hard work. And as creative entrepreneurs, it already seems like there’s never enough hours in a day. From keeping up with client communications to social media upkeep, our to-do lists get longer by the day. But being mindlessly busy will inevitably cause you to burn out instead of the success you long for.
It’s time to change your mindset.
1. Rather than wasting time on low-value tasks, shift your focus to areas where you can create the biggest impact.
You don’t have to do EVERYTHING yourself. Let go of the old, comfortable way you do things and find new ways to simplify and streamline your processes. The first step to becoming more productive is by determining which tasks are low-value versus high-value, as well as their dollar value.
For example:
Low-value task:
Designing a wedding album that’s already been paid for
High-value task:
Selling more albums by promoting them via Instagram and your website
Assigning a dollar value: If your VA can design your client’s wedding album in an hour and you pay them $40 per hour, then that task is only worth $40.
You can also use the impact/ effort matrix to help you prioritise your tasks.
For example:
High impact + Low effort = Tasks that you can do now (e.g. setting up an ad campaign)
High impact + High effort = Schedule these tasks (e.g. creating a new lead magnet)
Low impact + Low effort = Tasks to fill your spare time (e.g. scheduling a few social media posts)
Low impact + High effort = Eliminate these tasks (e.g. cold-calling prospective clients)
Here’s a practical challenge for you:
- Write down a list of daily tasks you do within your business.
- Assign a dollar value to each task.
- Separate the high-value tasks from the low-value tasks.
- Prioritise the impactful tasks and outsource the low-value tasks accordingly.
2. Work smarter and harder for short amounts of time to skip the risk of burnout.
Don’t be ‘busy’ or force yourself to work a 9-5 day just for the sake of it. Before you start each day, write down a list of tasks that need to be completed. Whether it takes you 2 hours or 6 hours to complete the list, once you’re finished, you’re FINISHED for the day. Go for a walk and enjoy some fresh air, or do something that makes you feel happy.
The road to becoming more productive also begins with having a clear end goal. By spending a little bit of time beforehand to figure out the fastest route to your destination, it’ll save you a huge amount of time over the whole journey. And with the time you do have, focus on making an IMPACT!
Use the 80/20 rule:
80% of your output (reward) comes from 20% of your input (effort).
By using the 80/20 rule, you can move the needle quicker and closer to your end goal. The same concept also applies to your clients – 20% of your clients (dream clients) will make up 80% of your income. They’re the ones that don’t waste your time, spend more and spread the word about your business. Start saying no to the 80% of clients who are detracting your time and energy from the 20% dream clients.
Bonus tip: Spend 5 minutes writing down your goals every day.
Don’t wait for New Year’s to write down your goals! Your goals are what keep you accountable to your dreams, so you stay on track and make consistent focus. Take 5 minutes each day to write down your goals, think about the moves you need to make, and reflect on how you’re going.
This easy hack will give you clarity and remind you of what your mission is every day. Motivating you and adding momentum, you’ll stop doing the things that distract you from your goals and will focus on taking goal-oriented action instead.
Too busy to write personalised email responses to every enquiry that lands in your inbox?
Start setting up canned responses so you can reply on the go!
Streamlining your workflow, check out our ‘done for you’ email templates for wedding photographers: https://learn.jailong.co/email-templates-for-wedding-photographers
