How to structure your day, now that you own the office

Given that twice as many entrepreneurs start their business after age 50 as before age 25, it’s likely you have already had experience in an office setting.  You have had a boss, supervisor, management team, human resources, finance department, and the full support of being part of a larger company.  But now, YOU are the boss. YOU own the office and the only support or structure that exists came from your brain (or you delegated it). In the end the catalyst was YOU!

How do you structure your day when there is no one else directing what you do and when you do it?  This is what I have seen:

• You open your email and simply read, respond and react.  At the end of the day, you wonder why you did not get anything accomplished on your list.
• You are a wonder of checklists, you do your morning routine, you have a to-do list in front of you and check, check, check!  But the to-do list never seems to end the BIG goals never seem to get off the ground.
• Your phone rings, you respond, there are fires to put out and you fly from task to task.  You have a busy day, you serve your clients but you yet feel unsatisfied.

Does one of these types sound familiar to you, or something else?

So, how do you jump off of the crazy train.  Put the CEO hat squarely on your head and define a structure that balances what you need, what your clients need and what your business needs?

1. Julie Morgenstern was right, Never Check Email in the Morning. Or, at least don’t do it first.  Start first with yourself, centering yourself and caring for your body.  Food, water, movement, meditation. If you are looking for a great morning routine.  Try out Hal Elrod’s Miracle Morning.
2. Before you can decide what to do you need to know where you are going.  Every day, keep your vision for your month, year and the next 5 years in front of you.  To ensure that you are completing the activities that will grow your business and keep you focused, you need to see this destination every.single.day.
3. Select 4 focus areas every month to put your attention to that will lead you to your vision.  You can choose one or two of these every day to plan your activities around. You will always be making progress towards your goals.
4. Plan for deep work.  If you cannot dedicate 2 hours every day to block out for focused energy on a project and thinking, then set aside 1 day a week or even 4 hours a week to turn off the phones, step off of social media and email, and turn on your brain to focus on a project.   
5. The majority of the population has the most energy in the morning and this energy diminishes over the work day such that by the end of the day you are operating at no more than 30%!  Ack. Use this knowledge and focus on energy intensive work and projects in the morning. Save email, coffee meetings, phone calls, etc for the end of the day.
6. Focus on one task at a time.  The more you switch gears the less focused you will be and you will train your brain to be unfocused.  Not what you were hoping for, right?
7. Change it up.  Have a plan for the week that keeps ensures you cover all the bases over five days but don’t feel the need to do the same tasks every day.  You may wish to have one day for deep work, two-three days for client appointments and one day for networking. I have seen entrepreneurs be successful planning for client work at the beginning of the month and networking at the end.  A plan does not have to be static, nor should it be, in order to be successful. Go with the flow and your flow.
8. Do more of what you love.  The more you can focus on the activities that you are best at the more productive you will be.

Sometimes, even when you do all of these things, you may still wonder why it is not working for you.  Sometimes, you are just too close to see what is getting in the way. If that is happening to you, I’d love to chat and help you sort it out. Grab a time on my schedule by clicking here:

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