Tips to Trigger Motivation Through Activity
As a solopreneur or an entrepreneur generally we have a lot on our plates that many business people who are employed don’t. Part of that is due to the fact that as a small business, you may not have the finances to be able to afford a lot of help at the beginning. Although delegation is important, in many cases you have to work for awhile to be able to afford the extra help. There are a number of VAs online and websites where you can hire help inexpensively.
One of the best ways to stay focused on the most important tasks is by using Stephen R. Covey’s four quadrants from his book, First Things First. Quadrant 1 contains the urgent and important tasks, which means that you are putting out fires because you have not handled Quadrant 2 tasks. Quadrant 2 contains the important tasks which are not urgent. They are proactive items that create growth in your business. You are building relationships with customers, getting systems in place. You are promoting your business, networking, writing articles, and doing the things that will bring sales into your into your company. Quadrant 3 is the urgent but not important category. Interruptions and distractions fall into this quadrant. You need to return that phone call but not this minute. Every time you break your focus, you require extra time to remember what you were doing and what to do next. Return phone calls at a specific time during the day. Quadrant 4 contains time wasters like TV. In this quadrant you’re not going to make any profits and you’re not advancing your business in any way.
Stay focused on Quadrant 2, generating business for your company by strategizing, strengthen relationships with clients, and by creating proactive movement towards your larger goal. Creating lists for different tasks or projects keeps me focused and on track. You can’t keep everything in your head. I’ve tried. It does not work. I always forget something. Recently a friend of mine told me about Evernote and I’m absolutely loving that because it’s it easy to use. You can email snippets from the web when you come across a great idea directly to your file and keep everything in one place. Accessible and synchronizable through the cloud, on your laptop, phone or iPad, it makes sure you are always up to date. The times where I did not have physical files I needed and because I kept important documents in Evernote, I was able to access the data. I am totally hooked on it now because I’ve seen the difference in my day since I can get to information that I need, easily. The six most important things list is my staple every day and is taken from my A priorities from the projects that are at the top of my multiple lists. Be particular about the things that you choose based on the day or the timing of a situation. Tackled first, they don’t become urgent and important so that you’re putting out fires again. Prioritize, and make sure that you allow enough time to complete your 6 for the day.
A “Power Hour” first thing in the morning creates momentum. Work for one hour solidly towards something that will advance your major goal. After that, you feel like you’ve accomplished a great deal and you mood is generally much better. It’s about keeping the energy high and your attitude positive because as long as we’re feeling good, generally we do accomplish more than if we are dragging around trying to figure out what comes next. Motivation comes, I believe, from action, by keeping us on track and it will totally re-energize your business. Stay in quadrant two, make lists, make sure you prioritize, stay focused with a “Power Hour” and I’m sure you’ll see so much success that you will be convert for life. Have a wonderful week.
Article originally appeared on YourPinkFriend.com
