One of the most frequent questions I get asked is "Can you help me figure out how to prioritize my tasks?"

Seeing endless tasks on your list day in and day out can certainly be overwhelming and not very motivating.  My quick answer is yes, it is possible to prioritize those tasks.  I'm going to walk you through the three methods I believe our the easiest to implement so grab a cup of coffee or your favorite tea, get comfortable, and read along.  I promise you that it is well worth the read and will help you begin to sort out those endless tasks that maybe don't even belong on your list.

The first box would be where you list your urgent and important tasks. These are activities that are emergencies, things left for the last minute, and now they’ve reached a crisis point.

• Tasks with a pending due date
• Client complaint
• Equipment breakdown

 
The above activities shouldn’t really pop up all that often for you on an everyday basis. If they are, then they need to be looked at so you can develop systems around them and do more planning in advance.

Box two is for those tasks, often recurring ones, that are zapping your time and energy without contributing to the longer-term benefits. They keep you busy, but they don’t really have value. Phone calls, emails, meetings, and requests that other people make of you, but are not directly related to your goals.
 
This is where you should be spending most of your time. The urgent and important category will lesson for you as you develop systems and can plan more in advance.

The third box is for the activities that help you achieve your long-term goals. Tasks that fall into this category aren’t pressing for your attention, and you will often put them off so you can deal with the more urgent and important issues. This section will include activities like training, relationships with your clients, your team members, and vendors.
 

• Education and training
• Relationships with your clients, team members, and vendors

The last box is reserved for the not urgent and not important things that are not focused on making a profit, tasks that can be reduced by not spending a lot of time or effort on them, or they can be delegated to someone else to look at.

Most likely, you'll find many tasks that fall into this category.

Once you take a look at everything that falls into this category and begin to eliminate or delegate, you'll be amazed at the hours you'll have to devote to what you should be concentrating on.

This method is one of my favorites because it helps you start to see clear differences between different types of tasks.  Brian Tracy talks about this in his book entitled "Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done In Less Time".  The "frog" is your biggest, hardest, and most important task.  Here it is broken down in the ABCDE Method:

A-Category: Most Important
 
A is defined by something you must do, or there can be serious consequences. You will often hear this referred to as “these are the frogs in your life.
 
B-Category: Minor Consequences
 
These are like the tadpoles of your work life. That means someone might be unhappy or inconvenienced if you don’t do it but it’s nowhere as important as an A task.
 

• Returning the unimportant telephone message
• Reviewing email

 
The rule is to never do a B task when there is an undone A task. You should never be distracted by tadpoles when there’s a big frog sitting there waiting to be eaten.
  
C-Category: No Consequences
 
A task that falls under this category is something nice to do, but there’s not really a consequence whether you do it or not. This would be like phoning a friend, having coffee or lunch with a friend, or completing some kind of personal business during your work hours. As a rule, never complete a C task if there’s an A and B left undone.
 
D-Category: Delegate
 
Something you can definitely delegate. Essentially, the rule is you should delegate anything you possibly can to free up more time to be able to engage in your tasks that are under the A category. Completing your A tasks is what determines the course of your entire day.
  
E-Category: Eliminate
 
An E activity is an activity you should think about eliminating altogether. After all, you can only get your time under control if you stop doing things that are no longer necessary for you to do.
 
So the key to making the ABCDE method work for you is to discipline yourself to start immediately on that one single most important and then stay at it until it’s complete. In other words, eat the whole frog and don’t stop until it’s finished completely.

I've seen time and time again where business owners don't reach their goals because either their goals keep changing or they don't give themselves the space and grace to deliver excellence to themselves. 

When I hear things such as "there aren't enough hours in the day to get it all done"; "I tried that for a few days and it didn't catch on"; or "I don't know what happened.  I set great goals and sadly didn't reach them because I was busy doing XYZ instead."

Simply put, your daily task list should align with your overall goal list and you need to provide yourself a clear picture of where you're going and how you're going to get there.  If it doesn't, then you are moving in the wrong direction.

It involves clarity, consistency, determination, and willpower.  Here's how I break that all down:

1.  Thoughtful reflection and strategic planning time comes first.  Create a big picture goal list - one that aligns with where you want to be in and what you want your life to be like in 10 years.  Then reverse engineer that by breaking it out into individual 10, 5, 3, and 1 year goal lists.  

2.  Take your one year goal list and break that up into 90-day sprints.  This makes the year's worth of goals crystal clear and easier to design a road map to get you to your destination.

3.  Each of your goals within that 90-day sprint period become the projects you will focus on monthly and, from there, you can easily identify the tasks or smaller steps focused on completing those projects.

4.  When mapping out the 90-day sprints, remember to ask yourself questions such as:

• Have I created SMART goals around my thoughts?
• What is it that I need to add-in in order to achieve my goals and, alternatively, what do I need to stop doing in order to achieve my goals?
• Am I being realistic with the amount of goals I've chosen?

5.  Once you've got the smaller steps needed for each of the goals, those become tasks.  There are three important keys in ensuring that these steps are taken...

First, determine the priority of each of the tasks you've listed out.  If it gets a high-priority, it's a keeper.  If it doesn't, it comes off the list and put on a "for the future" list.

Second, determine if the task is a must-do by you or if it can be delegated or automated.

Lastly, allow yourself the time to focus on each step by mapping out focused time for the task in your calendar.  

Pro-tip:  Grab an accountability partner or join a group, like Solopreneur Success Sisterhood, where co-working, accountability, and resources are available to help keep you focused on successful completion of your goals, projects, and tasks.  Believe me, the quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily frameworks I provide as tools in the sisterhood are some of the most impactful resources you'll receive.  And having that sisterhood of other business owners to talk with is priceless.

I promised you that this would be lengthy but packed with three powerful methods that are absolutely do-able when you put your mind and energy into it.  Now it's time to go forth and create your ideal day, one where you'll be energized and ready to tackle what's on your plate with a positive attitude each day, knowing that what you're focused on is the most important task because it's what you chose to help you reach your big picture goals.

Want help in prioritizing, setting yourself up for success each day, and leaning into focus?  Sign-up to receive a free copy of my ultimate checklist to help you identify and break your bad productivity habits.

Want to know how much time you really have available for that new project? Try blocking off time in your calendar for all your existing projects. Fill in all your client calls, your business administrative tasks, time for meals and breaks, outside appointments, and everything else you’re committed to. What’s left might just shock you.  
When I first began doing this, I scheduled everything -- I mean everything including sleep time, personal time, etc.  This was so helpful to me in setting the basic foundation for how I was operating my business (as well as my personal life).  And, yes, it was very eye-opening!​

Make it a habit to block time in your calendar for every commitment, and you won't be tempted to over-promise or over-commit because everything will be clearly laid out for you.

Recently, I took some time to take a good hard look at my business, the plans I have, and the strategy I have in place.

Over the last few months, since my mom's health declined and her subsequent death in May, my number one focus has not been my business.  I was beating myself up about it, asking questions like "why haven't you been posting on social media"; "how can you expect to fill a program that you haven't promoted in the last four months"; and "girl, you need to get a handle on all of this".  

I decided to take a side step and used some time to focus on getting to the root cause of what was stopping me and how I was going to create a plan to get me through this brick wall spot in my business.

In doing my side step, I discovered a distinct parallel between business and life and decided that sometimes course correction is needed and sometimes you just need to apply grace and gratitude.
​

During my deep dive into finding out where my stumbling blocks were, I came across this post I had made on FB 5 years ago.

I was like "OMG, you have felt this where before and you made it through Pamela.  Now let's apply those same steps to this situation."  So here's what I found out --- some valuable learning lessons --- and I'm sharing them with you in hopes that you find them to be as helpful as I did if you ever find yourself in a place of being stuck and not sure how to move on.

​Looking back over the last 5 years, life has had its share of twists and turns.  I'm not always as graceful as I'd like to be with maneuvering through them.  And you know what?  That's okay.  When I notice myself getting a bit messy, that's when I need to stop and take a breath and do a quick check-in to see where the "mess" stems from.

This year, my mess simply wasn't acknowledging that traveling back and forth from South Carolina and Connecticut to spend time with my mom and then all the activities that stem around a death including allowing myself time to grieve over my loss, would take time.  Bottom line:  Giving myself grace for life's twists and turns and taking all the time I need to deal with them.

Lesson One Learned:  Give yourself space to check-in with yourself, see what you need, and make sure you give into the need for self-care.  Add a time block to your calendar for daily check-ins and stay flexible.  If you need to rearrange your plans, don't be derailed.

I have to admit that I've had my share of "big things" happen in the last 5 years and I'm convinced that you need to "stop and smell the roses" every single day.

1. --> Celebrated turning 50
2. --> Celebrated 20th wedding anniversary
3. --> Moved from Connecticut to South Carolina
4. --> Hubby had to get another heart surgery
5. --> Accepted a full-time role as Director of Operations for a NY-based marketing & branding company
6. --> Celebrated turning 55
7. --> Mourning the loss of my sweet mom

Those are the highlights of the big things and there were many smaller things in between where I paused and prioritized.

I've learned that I don't need to be everything to everyone all the time.  I will handle what I can when I need to.

Lesson Three Learned:  Build in the time you need to focus on each part of life -- good & bad; happy & sad.  Express what you need and dance like no one is watching.  You don't need to make an excuse for wanting to focus on what you need or feel in the moment.  Just be you and do the best you can with what you have and where you are.

Business can be tough.  It's often competitive, challenging, ​and unpredictable.  Yet business isn't your life.  It's a part of your life.  The part of your life that you want and you need but it isn't everything.  There is no way to ensure good balance at all times; however, you can ensure that you put into place all the helpful tools and resources to help you get through your own brick wall encounters.

By intentionally paying attention to these 5 time wasters, you can put a new routine into action that will ultimately help you gain precious time in your workday.

Need help with getting organized, accountability around your daily business action steps, or support with creating a schedule that works for you?  Let's talk.

2.  Focus Booster Pomodoro App
The Focus Booster app is based on the Pomodoro Technique, which is a long-standing productivity technique that uses a timer for focused work periods, usually 25 minutes, followed by a break of 3-5 minutes. After you complete 4 work periods, you get a break of 15-30 minutes. The idea is you stay completely focused on the task during the work period. 
There are a lot of apps that can help you execute the Pomodoro Technique, but you can check out Focus Booster. The app is free for up to 20 sessions per month or you can pay a reasonable yearly fee for unlimited sessions and extra features. 
The app keeps a time sheet for you and produces a report that allows you to track your productivity and identify ways to become even more productive. 

3.  Focus At Will
Now here's something very different, but scientifically proven to increase focus and productivity. And if you love music, this is going to be great news for you. 
Focus At Will uses human neuroscience and music to help you focus, limit distractions, get productive and retain more information. All you do is answer a few questions and the software will determine the right music to put your brain in a flow state that makes you super productive. 
There is a free 2 week trial, so you can see if it works for you.  I’m checking it out right now and so far, I’m loving it!  There's even special pricing for teams.

4.  Solopreneur Success Sisterhood
​I might super partial to this one because I'm the founder but the members say it all.

Membership in the sisterhood is packed with goodies to help you focus including printables to map out your tasks and weekly co-working sessions filled with 90-minutes of focused time so you can work on things that will move the needle forward in your business.

1.  I made a schedule, with deadlines, for my tasks.  I assigned each task a priority number and I put that schedule right in front of me so I could refer to it all day long.  The best method for me is using my Tools4Wisdom Planner* and Schedule all-in-one book.  As I completed a task, I crossed it off the list (yay for me!) and put that accomplishment in my Success Jar.
2. I began learning the power of "No".  That one two-letter word is so powerful.  Instead of just routinely saying "Yes" to whatever was asked of me, I began to say "No".  I have to tell you, it was very freeing.  The more I said "No", the more I could see a positive change in my entire attitude and outlook.
3.  I chose to delegate.  Yes, I finally reached out and asked for help.  I started with one team member and have built up to three.  All of these people are invaluable to my business.  They save me time, money, support me, and are truly backbones of my successful business.

Are you planning to make New Year’s Resolutions? Why not ditch the resolutions this year and make some SMART goals you want to reach instead. There are a couple of reasons why resolutions may not work well for you. If they do, great. Keep doing what you’re doing, but if they don’t, then read on. ​

​Resolutions tend to be pretty vague. We want to gain more visibility, start a podcast or make more money. None of that is very specific.  When do you want to start gaining visibility and how are you going to go about doing it? What does it mean to you to start a podcast? How much money do you want to have in the bank, are you looking at gross or net profit, and what specifically will you use your money for?   Asking yourself questions like these will help you cut through the vagueness of resolutions to create SMART goals out of them.

Here are five suggestions for helping you to set SMART goals and stay on track with them:

1.  Join a goal setting workshop or work with a coach to create your goals and give yourself the gift of working on those goals.  This will help you not only to create those SMART goals but, a the workshop like the one I offer each January, will help you create the smaller steps too!  You can check out the details HERE.

2.  Join a peer group specifically designed for keeping you and your business moving forward.  If you're serious about wanting accountability, support, and guidance while working on your goals to grow your business, I have a new program launching soon.  Sign up here to be added to the waitlist for more information and I'll email you a free copy of my business success planning workbook.

3.  Get an accountability partner or join an accountability group.  This is super helpful for keeping you on track and honest about your progress. You can partner with me for weekly 1:1 accountability or you can join my free Facebook group, Business Growth for Service Providers, and be surrounded by like-minded people.

4.  Use a planner to help clearly outline your goals and their steps.  My favorite is the one offered by Tools 4 Wisdom.  I love the size, the graphics, and it contains all the things I'm looking for in a planner.  Check out the variety of planners that I recommend on my resources page.

5.  Check out my free resources for business planning and more by visiting Free Resources.

Who couldn't use a few tips on creating more clarity in their business?
  
Being able to see everything through a different lens is so helpful and so I'm sharing some practical tactics that I practice and would be easy to implement in your own business life.

If you're anything like me, I'm sure there's been plenty of times where you've sat down to catch your breath and wondered "Did I accomplish what I set out to do today?"

Our list can be endless and sometimes we find ourselves running  from one thing to another, only stopping to refuel with yet another cup of coffee or collapse into bed at night. 

Does your life feel a bit like running a marathon?

My friend, if it does, here's the perfect opportunity to take a break and spend a few minutes reading so put your feet up, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and join me as I share some of my very favorite tips.

Sometimes I get lost in the day to day activities of running a business, and find myself wading through emails, getting lost in social media or having long phone conversations.

Those are not my big picture goals.

If it's not what I set out to do then I need to recognize that fast.  Otherwise, I'd end up with getting nothing done that day except for drinking coffee, sharing really cool photos of my cat and chatting with a friend. 

Spending two minutes each morning listing out my top three business priorities along with my top three personal priorities for the day helps me stay more focused.

I also keep an organized list of daily but easy tasks that I make sure to make the time for by blocking out time on my calendar.  Emails & social media -- 60 minutes tops -- and I set a timer.  When it goes off, I move onto another task.

Sometimes I just need to make some space, take some time, and revisit my why. 

This really helps me to wade through those million steps I'm doing, and helps me to put my tasks back in alignment with what my big goals are. 

For me, it's usually on a Saturday when I'm already relaxed and ready to spend some deep diving into feelings, habits, routines, and remembering why I began my business in the first place.

Envisioning the why always put me in a much better frame of mind.  It also helps me to recognize the growth and changes I've made along the way.  And, of course, it helps me to stay on track towards the larger goals.

​It always makes me feel so much better when I take the time to do those check-ins and I highly recommend doing them at least monthly.

It's super easy to set a bunch of goals, and then you get really frustrated because you're not reaching them.

The cause for this can include:

• Focusing on too much of one thing
• Getting lost in the weeds
• Hopping from project to project but never seeing one through to the end

A great way to stay on track is to keep your goals front and center, track your progress, and make a pact with yourself to revisit them often because life has a way of changing and that impacts our goals and desires. 

If your expectations are unrealistic, such as trying to work on ten big goals within three months, it's time to go back to the drawing board and create a do-able plan so you'll see success each step along the way to reaching each goal.