QA002 How Do I Find Time For My Business

Today’s question is….

I really want to be successful in my business, but how do I find the time? I’m so busy.

ANSWER

Well, I have to say, I love this question and I hear it A LOT!

Here is the thing - EVERYONE is busy. Seriously - you are not unique there. Sorry to say!

You will never FIND the time, you must make the time! PERIOD.

We all have the same 24 hours in the day, and we all choose what our priorities are. We do that, even if we aren’t thinking about it. Just look where you spend your time - THAT’s where your priorities are. Don’t like it? Change it!

Here are some ways to make your time count.

First decide your commitment - REALLY decide. Stop fooling yourself - DECIDE, COMMIT, PRIORITIZE.

CALENDAR everything - work, play, church, housework, and business time.

If it’s not on the calendar, it doesn’t get done.

Sit down with your family, share your WHY and what you are working to accomplish. Avoid hype and money claims. Ask what they would like to do/have when you reach certain successes.

Small kids - Use language appropriate for their age range. Ask for their help and support.

Set up a business plan and schedule it on the calendar as best you can and stick to it. Then, you can show it as a reference point to the family and they know when you are working and when you are available.

Create a family calendar,

Involve the children in your business wherever possible. Whether it's lickin' and stickin' stamps and envelopes, putting up fliers, passing out business cards to parents of playmates, or whatever else you can afterwards. Sometimes my kids would beg to help! Get them involved in age appropriate tasks

I have an entire podcast show dedicated to working the business as a mom - JU.com/011

Balance is a myth. You will be in balance in some areas and out of balance in others and this is an ongoing thing.

Set reasonable goals for yourself and DON'T compare yourself to others. This is dangerous. No two people have the same life situation.

Be the best that you can be and commit to those income producing activities first, and avoid email except for specific times during the day.

Don’t fall victim to all or nothing. You don’t need big blocks of 1-2 hours or more at a time to work your business.

Schedule chunks of time - 15 min morning, noon lunch hour in car, stop at starbucks on the way home for an extra 30 minutes.

Get VERY organized with meal planning - engage family for help, use your crock pot.

Look at extra curricular activities and decide what you are willing to give up for the short term, to have it all for the long term!

Use technology - Today, with the internet and all of the tools out there, keeping in touch: delivering timely information to your prospects; training to your team and even putting yourself out there so that people who are ready and looking for a business NOW can find you through the search engines. Do NOT let technology scare you. I had moderate success in MLM doing it the “old fashioned” way. I created a full time income, but not “obscene money.” Today, using the internet a lot in my business, I’m a VERY HAPPY MLM WAHM working about 30 hours a week. I’m able to work fewer hours than the “typical networker” because I let technology be my sales force and “PR People!”

Use smartphone apps to post to social media sites during blank times - in school pick up line, line at grocery store, waiting in a doctors office, at gymnastics practice or wherever you find yourself with stuck time and nothing productive to do with it.

At the same time, social media and technology can be a time sucker if you let it - FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, EMAIL - email is just someone else’s agenda for you.

YOU control the times.

Do all income producing activities as soon as you can, earliest in the day. Then, you have the important stuff covered.

Remember, we all have priorities. They are already evident by where we spend or give away our time, YOU control your calendar and your destiny. You really do.

When the why is strong enough, the rest shows up.

Good luck!