A Simple & Effective Time Management Tool For Your Health Business
By: Karen Pattock
Another day has passed you by. You’re crawling into bed asking yourself, “Where in the world did my day go? Why can’t I ever get the things done in my business that I planned to when I got up this morning?” If this sounds familiar I can tell you that you’re not alone. Time management and overwhelm are two things everyone deals with from time to time in their lives, especially when they own their own business.
A while ago I was listening to a podcast and the woman being interviewed said that systems are crucial to your business and that having a schedule is a system. I had to think about that for a minute because I had never considered my schedule, (or calendar), a system for my business. But after some thought I believe she is right.
I had always thought that systems were basically like checklists. You refer to the same checklist each time you do this one particular task and if you follow the items on the list you’ll end up with a successful result. For instance, I have a master travel checklist that I use every single time I travel. I may not need every single item on the list each time but I know overall this checklist encompasses everything I’ll ever need when traveling. It takes all the stress out of the equation wondering if I have everything I need.
When I started analyzing whether my schedule was a system I initially thought to myself that it couldn’t be a system since each day I wanted a different result based on what was scheduled. However, I wasn’t thinking of it from the right perspective.
My schedule changes from day-to-day, as I’m sure yours does as well. What I realized is that it isn’t necessarily what is being done each day that is the system, it’s the act of referring to the schedule and doing what’s scheduled that is the system.
So how can you use this process in your business? Here’s an example…
Let’s say you have a program you want to launch. You’ve done your homework, know exactly what your audience wants and you’re ready to deliver. Currently you wake up every morning telling yourself that you are going to work on your launch. The next thing you know it’s time for bed and you didn’t accomplish one thing.
Tomorrow, instead of just telling yourself that you’re going to “work on your launch” sit down with a pen and paper and do a ‘brain dump’. List every single thing you can think of to get your launch ready to go. I mean every single little detail.
Once you have your list completed, grab your calendar and starting with the day you want to launch, work backward plugging in every single task from your list. Be sure to allow the appropriate number of days to complete each thing to its fullest.
When you complete your schedule you’ll know if you need to adjust your launch date or if you’ve left enough time to get everything done. Effectively what you’ve created is a system with your schedule for your business. You now have a schedule that incorporates solid time management skills that will lead your launch to a success.
You can use this technique in everything you do. You will be amazed how effective this time management system really is. By doing this you eliminate the enormity of your project by breaking it down into smaller chunks. You eliminate wondering if you can get it all done because it’s scheduled on your calendar. Lastly you know exactly what you need to accomplish each day to have a successful launch.
I have been testing this technique and it has worked remarkably well for me. I have some pretty big goals this year and it has taken this style of systematized time management to stay on track. I encourage you to implement this system in your business. Try it with one project first and I’ll bet the next thing you know you’ll be using it in every part of your life.
With love and support,
Karen Pattock
How would you like 14 days of free coaching to learn more about newsletters, website design, creating your free offer, public speaking and much more? You can join over 800 other health practitioners that have profited tremendously by taking advantage of this offer. Don’t wait… Register now: http://www.https://karenpattock.com/free-14day-marketing
Hi Karen, I’m wondering if you could list in order of priority, first things first, what I need to do to get my business to the point of making money. I’ve been reading, watching and following your posts but feel overwhelmed. It seems to me like trying to paint a house without ever having painted a house. An expert says, buy the paint but first pick out a color. But before you pick out a color, get samples of carpet, drapery, furniture and make sure they coordinate. The get the right amount and kind of paint. Don’t forget to do all the preparation. Get drop cloths, spackle, caulk, putty, and don’t forget the putty knife, caulk gun, brush and roller. Get the right ones, I use these but there are many different kinds; each one of these phases have to be done the right way but don’t worry, just get started because if you don’t start you’ll never get the house painted.
Now, as a professional house painter I know that is a formula for disaster for a beginner painter to tackle painting a complete house. That’s how I feel about setting up a website, using hash tags, Pinterest, business Facebook, Instagram, etc. I know a lot of people, especially us older ones not as fimiliar with social media and Computor stuff feel this way.
I really admire your style and simplicity (I think it takes a gift and greater intelligence to make things simple and understandable) and if anyone could do what I’m asking I think you could.
So what I’m asking if you could list in order of importance what needs to be done starting with #1 then going with number 2 etc. I think your explanations of everything are perfect. I’m just at a loss as to where to start and which area to go to once I’ve finished # number 1.
I could tell you where to start if you wanted to paint a house and each suceeding step and every detail of each step but I’m overwhelmed at all this Internet, social media, make money stuff. Well I’ve rambled on so much I’d be surprised if your still reading this. Thanks if you are.
An older guy that wants to help others learn how to take care of their bodies, minds, spirits while loving life, Dave
PS AND MAKE MONEY DOING IT
Hi David!
You have no idea how many people are experiencing all of the same things you are. In fact, I can relate to how you feel. I felt that exact same way in the beginning. The truth is David that there isn’t one exact path that each person should take. That said, there are some foundational things that you should have in place in the beginning such as: website, free offer, email management system and know who you’re targeting.
Have you signed up for my free 14-day marketing course yet? That’s a great place to start and was designed to specifically answer many of the questions you asked in your post. Here is the link to get you started: http://makeadifferencemakealiving.com/free-14day-marketing
Please stay in touch to let me know how you’re doing. As always I’m happy to answer any questions you have along the way.
P.S. …. yes, I read all the way to the end. 🙂