Are you working smart or are you working hard?
I'm still working harder than I need to, but over time I've found ways to be smarter too.
How about you?
We get so wrapped up in what we do from day to day in order to grow our business, that we forget to stop and take a look at what we’re actually doing – and how it relates to our goals.
Think about everything you’ve done today that’s been work related. Get out a piece of paper or open a word document and write it all down.
Now that it’s in front of you in black and white, read through it and ask yourself: Was this the best use of my time?
It’s an eye-opening exercise. If you’d like, go back to what you did yesterday or keep a log for an entire work week and then come back and take a look at it from a different perspective.
There are a couple of different questions you may want to ask yourself as you look through your list. Here are a few of them to get you started:
Is This The Best Use Of My Time?
Now I'll be the first to say that I'm a creature of habit. And it's much simpler to keep doing things the way I've always done them. But, if you keep going through your regular routine, it might be worth stepping back and reevaluating it from time to time.
If you’re tracking your numbers, you know what activities will get you the most visitors to your website, the most subscribers to your list and the most sales. Look at each item on your list and ask yourself if that was the best use of your time or if you would have seen better results doing something differently?
Do you get more traffic from YouTube videos than articles? Then focus on video production instead of article writing.
Does This Give Me The Biggest Bang For My Buck?
Do the same for your spending. Is that $500 you are spending to send out a press release each month getting you the results you’re looking for? Or how about the Yellow Pages listing? Would that money be better spent in well targeted Facebook ads? Try it and track your results. Then allocate according to your best ROI (Return on Investment).
Is There A Way To Make This Faster or Easier?
Look into tools to automate processes in your business. I’d much rather spend a little extra cash or some time setting something up that will save me hours each month than doing things manually.
What Will Happen If I Stop Doing This?
Now that's an interesting question. What will happen if I stop publishing my weekly newsletter for example? Are sales dropping significantly? Give yourself permission to stop doing things that are no longer effective.
Can Someone Else Do This For Me?
We are all working with the same finite amount of hours in our day. Would your time be used better by outsourcing things like customer support, content creation, social media management etc.?
How About Taking Some Time Off?
Here's a great talk from Stefan Sagmeister about the power of taking time off:
Get Help Working Smarter
Making smart decisions in your business, especially when it comes to online activities, happens better when you're not stuck doing it alone. That's one reason I created the Social Marketing Mastermind, where leaders, mentors, coaches, and entrepreneurs can learn, share, and grow together. Learn more about joining our community today for just $1.