As a creative entrepreneur you probably struggle with a never ending to-do list. I know I do. Even as your business grows and you have assistance, it can still seem overwhelming to get everything done in the allotted time you have. The goal of your business is to make money. Otherwise you have a hobby.
The key is to put money generating activities (MGAs) at the top of the list.
If you look at the last five things you did in your business, how many were related to sales or marketing in your business? You need to prioritize those activities if you are going to bring income into your business. Remember that money flows where your attention goes. Here are some tips to do that.
Capture all the things that you need to get done in one place. No more sticky notes or little pieces of paper. You can create one master to-do list or one for each project. Just the act of getting the tasks out of your head frees up thinking and working energy. I like to use a sheet of paper per project in a three-ring binder.
Go back and decide what you need to do today. You will probably have other tasks to add each day that may not be on your master list. Rank the activities so you can see how many are really money generating activities. You can use A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, C, etc., ranking system to prioritize them. “A” tasks are those which will make you money.
Get going and finish your A1 task before moving to your A2 task. It will take disciple to stay focused on those A tasks, and that’s what you need to do to generate an income.
Look at the tasks you are doing with the thought that maybe someone else can do them. Consider taking one of these and train someone else to do it. You’ll be able to spend your time on MGA’s while your team can handle other work. You’ll actually be happier and more productive.
Watch getting sidetracked by little tasks. It’s easy to look at the list and think you can winnow the list down by doing some quick items, e.g., the phone call, answering email, checking your Instagram page. I’ve tried that and what happens is that I don’t get to the big stuff because I did the little stuff.
Use my reminder card. I suggest to my clients that they put a 3 x 5 card in front of the computer that says, “What am I doing today to bring money into my business?” If this is the first thing you see in the morning, it’s a great reminder to focus on the MGAs.
At the end of the day, look at what you accomplished. Ta-da!
How are you going to focus on MGAs? If you made a reminder card, share in the comments below.