We’ve dropped an awful lot of information on you over the past lessons.
It’s time to use our crystal ball and look through the computer screen and make a prediction:
You’re having a hard time getting all of this done.
Are we clairvoyant? Nope, we just know business owners.
The reality is, running a business (part-time or full time) isn’t rocket science … but there’s a lot to think about. There are a million little pieces, and the trick is seeing how they all go together for your market and your offer.
Today we want to talk about 5 areas of focus that are particularly important for online entrepreneurs. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been running a business for 20 years or you’re just getting started … these are the cornerstones that will get you productive and keep you productive.
1. Know your priorities
You know about the 80/20 rule, right? If you don’t, let us introduce you. (Even if you do, trust us, we all need a refresher from time to time.)
Also known as the Pareto Principle, the 80/20 rule says that 80% of your results come from 20% of your activity.
(It’s often more like 90/10, in fact.)
You need to know what moves your business forward … and what’s just spinning your wheels.
Most of the time, creating high-value content makes up the bulk of your most-valued 20%. Content attracts a wider audience, builds rapport, makes the case for your product or service, overcomes objections, and establishes you as a go-to authority in your topic.
2. Manage your energy
You can’t really manage time (it just keeps marching along no matter what you do), but you can manage the energy you have available to devote to your 80/20 priority activities.
You can improve your energy levels by:
- Working in focused sessions of 30-50 minutes, followed by breaks of 10 minutes or so to relax and refresh yourself
- Getting enough sleep
- Getting some exercise into your life — even a few quick walks a day will help a lot
If you have a habit today that you know is sapping your energy (maybe staying up too late on Facebook? Working through instead of taking regular breaks?), spend a few minutes to sketch out a plan for how you’ll start to move in a better direction. In fact, improving your habits is our next area of focus.
(By the way, we have a more advanced session on this inside Authority — if you aren’t a member yet, perhaps you’d like to learn more about it?)
3. Improve your habits
Getting a lot done isn’t really a matter of will power — it’s a matter of developing a collection of habits that supports your goals.
The best way to improve your habits is to work on them one at a time and to start small.
So if you want to develop a daily writing habit (a very good choice for an online business owner), start by making a daily ritual of writing for just 10 minutes. Set a timer, and don’t let anything interrupt those 10 minutes — they’re just for your writing.
Once that’s rolling consistently, you can increase the time. You can increase it to just 11 minutes if you like. And if your time is truly at a premium, you might stay at 10 minutes for some time.
You might be surprised at the doors that 10 minutes a day can open for you.
4. Control your distractions
Being online means you’re subjected to the most distracting environment on the planet.
Make a plan for how you’ll handle distractions during your work time. For example, you might use a program like OmmWriter that helps you focus on what you’re writing. Or you can even use something like Freedom that turns off your internet access for a specified period of time.
5. Marshal your support
One of the smartest things you can do as an online business owner is to find some other smart business owners who have similar goals and values.
That’s why we built a thriving forum into Authority. It’s a natural spot to find like-minded people for accountability groups, joint ventures, or even just bartering skills. And it’s just good to have a place where everyone understands your tough days … and your victories.
Don’t let this lesson be pure theory!
Take a moment right now and mark down when you’re going to devote your first 10 minutes to implementing these productivity practices. You can start by defining the first easy habit you’re going to cultivate. Make it easier than you think it needs to be at first — you can always do more in a session if you feel like it. But make it daily.
– The Copyblogger Team