Time management Archives - Big Sky Virtual Services

7 Strategies Guaranteed to Increase Your Productivity

Feb 15, 2021 | Time management

Have you ever felt exhausted at the end of the day, knowing you worked your butt off and yet wondering what the heck you actually accomplished or, worse yet, wondering why nothing has been crossed off your “to-do” list? It’s frustrating, to say the least. What was your productivity? Did you get the important things done at least?

Here are seven strategies guaranteed to increase your productivity…and I don’t use the word “guaranteed” lightly!

1. Most “To-Do” lists are useless.

There, I’ve said it, and those time management companies who insist we make lists and put pretty-colored “A”, “B”, and “C” identifiers after tasks, will have to deal with it.

The reason why, quite simply, is that tasks have start times, but no end times. If you make just one change, do this: Put a start and an end time for everything you do and watch how much you get done! An even better way is to use a time management system like Asana.

2. The right “tools”

You need to have a schedule – one where YOU purposefully script out those things that are your priorities for the day and you ensure that nothing “bumps” them. I have a schedule for each day, week, and for the year, so if a client asks me to attend a call or visit his office, I know what I’m doing and I’m prepared for productivity.

Your schedule should include those things that you need to do every day until you have built a routine around them. I prospect every day. Not some days, not most days, but every day and it was only by having it on my schedule that it got done. It’s now a routine that I rarely miss. Again, I use Asana to keep track of it.

Another critical tool is Evernote. When I have something I want to discuss with a client, I start a note with the client’s name and date on it. That way when we do have a meeting, I’m ready. I just open it up…..and I take notes ON that note. That way all my information is right there. And when I’m ready I can put it into Asana and map it out time-wise.

3. Ask this question.

What is the most effective use of your time RIGHT NOW? How can you increase your productivity?

For those rare times when you haven’t scheduled your time, ask yourself the above question and then follow through with working on the answer. You will dramatically increase the quality of the work you do.

4. Know your worth.

How much money do you want to make this year? If we assume that you work 8-hour workdays and you will earn $50,000 this year, then each hour is worth $25.61 and every minute is worth $0.427.

Do you intend on making $100,000 this year? Then double the above figures: every hour is worth $51.23 and every minute is worth $0.852.

So for every workday hour that you waste, you have lost $6,250 on a $50,000 income and $12,500 on a $100,000 income.

5. Delegate, don’t bow out.

As an entrepreneur (or aspiring entrepreneur) who now knows the value of his time, you recognize that it is worthwhile to delegate those activities that you either aren’t good at or dislike.

While delegating is critical to the most optimal use of your time and energies, be sure not to rfuse responsibility for those items. Keep a running list of the tasks you’ve delegated and check in with that person. You can put it on your calendar…or again, use Evernote or Asana.

6. Post your goals.

Having your goals posted provides consistent motivation on why you are doing the things you are doing.

Want an extra kick in the pants? Post a picture of that new car, new home, or dream vacation. Seeing the reason you are working to meet your goals will provide your subconscious with extra motivation to get the job done. This helps increase your productivity.

7. Keep a success journal

Success “journals” can be done in several ways. You can simply keep a written record of all your successes or, you can follow Arnold Palmer’s method: he had a table wherein he inlaid his golf medals and, when he placed one medal in the table, he had a new hole grouted for the next, as-yet-to-be-won medal. Always looking ahead, always anticipating the next success.

Remember this: time can not be replaced. You can replace money, you can replace clients or projects. You can not replace time. Use it wisely.

If you are looking to outsource any tasks, be sure to reach out and see how my team and I can support you!

Increasing Productivity

Jan 12, 2021 | Outsourcing, Time management, Virtual Services

Studies show that when people think of productivity in the things that they do, this will help them a lot because they don’t only motivate themselves but also inspires others as well. When they know the concept of productivity, he or she will be able to learn or acquire the necessary skills needed to make decisions that would affect his or her life in the future.

To be able to increase one’s productivity, the first thing that needs to be done is to develop a positive outlook in life. This is very important because if one keeps an open and positive outlook towards life in general, he or she will be able to overcome the everyday struggle that would come along the way. Also, if one has a positive outlook in life, he or she will be able to turn failures into successes by seizing each opportunity that knocks on the door.

This might be simple but many people are still having difficulties in achieving this because of so many factors such as personality, upbringing, and ways of managing stress as well as failure. Experts say that for one to develop a positive outlook in life, he or she must be able to keep a positive attitude first. Once a positive attitude is set, it is easier to look at things in an orderly way.

For one to develop a positive attitude, he or she must undergo self-reassessment to find out what are his or her strengths as well as weaknesses. Once all of these have been identified, it will be easier to turn the bad ones into good ones and there would also be greater chances of making the positive ones better.

Small steps

Being productive is not an easy task. It would require so much self-assessment as well as a constant reflection over one’s self, on his or her environment, the people that surround him or her, and the overall condition of life that he or she is in.

Studies show that once each of these has been thoroughly assessed, it will be easier to pave the way for continuous productivity. The following are just some of the steps that people can do in order for them to increase their productivity on a daily basis:

– Start small. This is one of the easiest ways to start with being productive. By starting small and simple, you are not putting too much pressure on yourself about the things that you need to do and what are you supposed to accomplish in a specific period of time. By starting small, you will be able to accomplish easier tasks and you can move on to bigger challenges ahead knowing that you have gone through the entire process.

– Stay in good company. To attain continuous productivity, it is very important for one to veer away from people who have negative vibes. It is a must for somebody to find a good company of people who are all enthusiastic, encouraging, and have a positive outlook in life so he or she would somehow feel a positive aura.

10 Things You Can Do in the Holiday Lull

Dec 20, 2020 | Time management, Virtual Services

I’m sure you’ve seen it happen every year: your business slows down during predictable times, like the summer vacation months or year-end holidays. For the self-employed who rely upon steady cash flow, this can be a disconcerting time. Should you just take a vacation until things naturally pick up again? Or should you try to find the needle-in-the-haystack business that might be out there during slow times?

This year, vow to be different! Instead of languishing in no-business-never-land, get off your butt and do something to build the foundation of your business so that natural business cycles don’t affect you too deeply:

Clean your office. Go through all the piles of papers and magazines that have been sitting around and get rid of them once and for all. Remember the office organizing mantra: do it, ditch it, or delegate it. File all your papers, dust, and vacuum your office. Reorganize your desk and your office so that you can find everything you need in 60 seconds or less.
Take a mini-vacation from work. Walk away from your office and enjoy a day or two of renewal and relaxation. Go to a day spa. Take a weekend retreat. Go for a walk in the local park. Breathe.
Get ready for tax season. If your business slows down during December, no worries! Use that time to prepare your tax files so that you can whiz through tax season (it’s coming sooner than you expect!). Tally business-related mileage for the year. Estimate your last tax payment for the current year (many self-employed people make quarterly estimated tax payments; the final payment is usually due on January 15). Send your final invoices for the current year.
If the slow time falls around the holidays, use them to your advantage. Get into the holiday spirit with your clients by mailing holiday cards and gifts to them. Make specially-discounted holiday offers to clients/customers. Offer them gift certificates that they can give to their family and friends for your services and products.
Do your accounting. Enter all revenue and expenses into your recordkeeping system. Balance your checkbook.
Become goal-oriented. Take this down-time to look at your current goals, to see how you’re doing so far, and to write some new goals for the next 12 months. Create an updated marketing plan and budget. Make sure your budget includes a cash reserve to cover you during slow business times. Even if this business slow time falls mid-year, you can still spend time planning for the next 12-24 months.
Go back to school. List the topics you’d like to study, the classes you’d like to take, or the books you’d like to read, to keep you up-to-date with your industry and business skills. Use your quiet business times to read, study, and add to your intelligence pool.
Get some personal chores done. Slow business times are ideal to schedule your annual dental and eye exams. It’s also a great time to clean out the attic, garage, or basement. Remember, a strong personal foundation helps to propel your business forward.
Go shopping. No, not for personal items (though that’s always fun!), but for business items. Have you been putting off buying a new PC? Now is the time to research what’s out there and determine your next computer purchase. Is your office chair uncomfortable? Spend some time at office furniture stores butt-testing for a quality office chair that will support you properly. Stock up your office supplies. Buy some music CDs to play in your office to inspire you.
Spend time with family and friends. When business is busy, it’s easy to sequester yourself away to get all that work done. Now that business is slow, come out of your cocoon and visit with family and friends. They’ve been wondering where you’ve disappeared to!

As you can see, slow business times can be used productively to prepare you for the next burst of business coming your way. Renew your business, your office, your Self, and create a firm foundation for the busy business days ahead! Always ask yourself, “How can I use these days wisely?” Share how you get through it!

Why I became a VA and more about ME!

Aug 27, 2018 | Email Marketing, Outsourcing, Telesummit, Time management, Virtual Services

Over the weekend I decided to make a list of topics for blog posts for my business. While doing so, I thought it might be nice for people to really know who I am, outside of business as well as inside. To be honest, I’m an open book. But this will be fun! And if I fail to mention something you are curious about, PLEASE ask me in the comments!!! xoxo

A little background. I grew up in a small town in Eastern Montana. It is a farming/ranching community. And I only THOUGHT it was small. Fast forward through school years and I moved to an even SMALLER town. I would say we have MAYBE 150 people. I joke that I think that number includes cats and dogs…..maybe even chickens? Who knows.

Our daughter is in high school, and she has 5 other students in her Junior Class. We have NO second graders this year. We know pretty much everyone who lives here. Our nearest Wal-Mart is 90 miles away one direction, 120 the other. And we love it! Wouldn’t trade it for the world…(not now anyway….years ago……that’s a whole other story…lol….live and learn!)

This is one of the few years we only have one child in our home. I’ve only given birth once, but we have had several kids in and out of our home. First, we raised two nephews for 5 years. Before the second one graduated, we decided to do foster care. And you know how they say, we don’t really know how long you’ll have these two little boys(ages 2 and 3) but it shouldn’t be too long. Two years later, we ended up giving them back to their mom. (side note….2 years later they are back in foster care in a different town….) After that we’ve had a few other foster kiddos. Most very temporary. One for 5 months who was just a baby, 3 months old. A charmer, I tell ya! We would have kept him forever. But of course, he went back to his mama, too. And from what I understand, she’s doing very well with him! A blessing for sure! Last year we added an exchange student from Turkey. We had her for 10 months and every one of us enjoyed her! We miss her every single day. So enough about kids…..even if they’ve never lived with me, I “claim” quite a few:-)

So onto the “interview”…..:-)

What do I love about where I live?

It is a small and close-knit town and it is safer than the bigger towns!

How did I end up where I am today:

Necessity. I live in a small town and there are very few jobs, and I love having the flexibility of working from home to be more available for my family. Before that, I ran a local cafe. It wasn’t something I loved, so I looked for something else to do. A friend I had made years before online had extra work and needed help, so I started there, and just started learning more and trying more things. Now, I have been in my business for 9 years and can’t imagine another way of life! I love helping small businesses grow and succeed!

What do I enjoy doing, outside of work?

Reading, watching tv with my family, cooking. We found out my daughter and I have Celiac Disease so cooking has taken a big, new, adventurous turn! It is getting better, but it was pretty depressing to start out with!!!

What type of work am I best at?

This is a hard one….I love doing almost everything I do, so if I had to choose a few, one would be working with blog posts, working with coaches and telesummits.

What is my favorite way to communicate?

Emails are the best. But I also love Slack!

I hope this post shows that I love what I do. I love my clients. I love learning new skills. If you sign on as a client of mine, you are signing on also, as a new friend! Your business means a lot to me. If YOU aren’t successful, I am not successful.

You can see more about me on my LinkedIn profile.

If you want to book a chat with me click here!

8 Tips on Staying Focused in Today’s Busy World

Jun 9, 2017 | Time management, Virtual Services

Staying focused in your business is extremely important. Whether your business is a coaching business, virtual assistant business, e-commerce business…whatever it is! You MUST stay focused. Here are 8 tips I found helpful for my own virtual assistant business. I hope you find them helpful as well!

1. Have the RIGHT systems and processes in place. This will save you so much time and even energy! Efficient systems and processes for each task saves time and helps you stay on track to meet your goals.

2. Organize your emails. Use your folders, filters and rules to keep track of everything! If you aren’t going to read that newsletter that comes in….trash it! Don’t keep unneeded or unwanted emails. Even better…UNSUBSCRIBE to them! Have you ever used unroll.me? It is AWESOME! LOVE it!

3. Declutter. If your desk has piles of papers, books, whatever all over it….that makes it hard to stay focused. Have a clean working area at all times! Every night when you’re done…put things where they go! File them. Trash them. Whatever needs done, don’t stop your day until it is done!

4. Review your processes on a regular basis. If something isn’t working as smooth as you want, change it! Maybe talk to your mentor or coach….they may have a better way of doing some things!

5. Invoice regularly. If you don’t invoice the clients regularly, they can’t pay you regularly. If they don’t know what they owe, it’s not their fault! Get organized!

6. Make daily to-do lists. This helps your brain stay focused and what an amazing feeling when you have everything crossed off that list!

7. Take breaks. At least 2-3 a day! NOT counting your lunch break. Don’t eat lunch at your desk. (I know…sometimes you’re in the middle of a launch and have no choice) BUT for the most part…take those breaks! Stretch. Take a walk. Take a nap! Get your mind refreshed so that you are thinking clearly at all times!

8. Hire Help! Virtual Assistants can help you get the things that take your mind away from your main goal, DONE! And in less time, usually, than it will take you!

How do you stay focused? Share below in the comments! I would love to hear YOUR tips!

Is Time Management a Struggle For You?

Nov 22, 2011 | Outsourcing, Time management

You hear this all the time: everyone is given the same exact minutes every single day. It doesn’t matter how we slice it, every day is the same. It is what we do with that time that is important. Do you manage your time efficiently? Time management is extremely important.

- - - - What takes the most of your time?
        Do you have a system in place?
        Are your goals readily available to help you stay on track?
        Are your tasks prioritized?
        Do you outsource or delegate?

7 ways to take control of your own time management:

Take the first 30 minutes of your day and get your schedule organized. Your day will be more productive if you know what is coming up next.
Check your emails only when necessary and never while in the middle of a project. Checking emails and surfing the internet are huge time bandits!
Be sure to have your emails organized into folders so you are not spending a lot of extra time looking for certain emails.
If you use Facebook, Twitter or any other kinds of social media platforms, be sure to have those scheduled in your day and use a kitchen timer so you don’t get caught up and let time slip away from you. Ideally, engaging three times each day for 15-20 minutes each time is sufficient.
Don’t over-commit yourself. When you are trying to do too much, you tend to get less done!
Get the worst task out of the way first. That makes the rest of the day seem smoother.
Set deadlines for your goals. This way you will have less time to procrastinate.

A virtual assistant can really help you with time management. If you have any questions about what a virtual assistant can do for you and your business, please contact me! The first fifteen-minute consultation is free!