Small business owners have it so good. 

You also have it, well, not so good. Because I bet you (or at least some of you) push life off in the name of your business.

Here’s the deal. When it’s all down to us, we focus on our business more than the rest of our lives. We let go of boundaries, and do whatever it takes to create a legacy type of business. We are the owners, after all. 

But at what cost? 

I still like to, you know, see my family and friends, and work out, and travel for fun, and garden,and read, and, and and.

At some juncture, I don’t know when exactly, I heard myself say that I “didn’t have time”. Then I heard a similar voice (yep, mine again) turn something down because I was “so busy”.

Crap. I’d become that guy. You know him. The So Important Very Busy Guy, the Give Me My Tiny Trophy For Being So Busy Guy. Who was this martyr? Yich.

I would open my calendar each day and see it neatly packed with all the illustrious aforementioned duties. There were days though, that I would skip events like writing, working out, and even lunch, because they weren’t in my calendar (oh, goodbye, self care). I’d let calls or meetings run over, or work through lunch.

Here’s the thing. We all have to hustle sometimes. But if you’re hustling so hard you can put your body or sanity first, you’re not hustling, you’re just unorganized. 

Yowch, Mike.

Hey I’m allowed to say that! Because I was that guy. The guy that lost sleep, ate crappy, drank tons of coffee, socialized less, skipped work outs, canceled dinners…you get the drift. 

All of that imbalance is not sustainable.

If this is you, you cannot go on like this. Even a little. Your business will not make itself successful, sure, but your business and your team also need a strong, healthy leader. So, you need to carve out some time to make yourself as strong as you want your business to be.

Uhm, Mike, are you feeling ok?

Yup! Lots better since getting a timer. 

Time Blocking: It’s such a simple thing, but we rarely stick to our calendars. We get distracted by calls or, let’s just admit, the black hole that is the internet. So I began time blocking. Not only did I stick to my calendar, but I have an actual timer that sounds when the allotted time is up for each task. The results came in within a few days:

• Reduced overwhelm and stress – You commit to that time on the timer, and push distractions aside. Finishing tasks diminishes that workload and helps you keep your finger on the pulse of your business. 
• Increased efficiency – Amazing that you can complete it in twenty minutes or an hour when you give yourself only that much time to accomplish a task.
• Organized priorities  – If you approach a task and feel something else is more important, simply switch time slots around. It helps you see what may not be needed that day.
• Helps avoid overcommitment – I used to have my day scheduled so tightly I didn’t eat or work out. My overcommitment wasn’t admirable, it was cutting into my health.
• Makes you feel in control – When you use a time block you become more efficient and productive, and it shifts your mindset into a more confident and “I got this” kind of human.

Combined, all of this allows you to be more productive, with less stress. My team time blocks as well, and I’ve noticed folks completing tasks in less time. There are a lot of alarms going off in our office some days. 

Do you time block or just use your calendar? I want to know! If you don’t give it a try and let me know how much time you recouped this week!

You’ve got this!

-Mike