Take the Busy-ness Out of Your Business

Time management strategies for the real world.

Time management is a myth.  

We all have the same 24 hours, and I haven’t yet encountered the business leader who has found a way to slow time down or speed it up, according to their plan for the day ahead.  

We can’t manage time itself, but we can exert a level of self-discipline (for ourselves) and accountability (for our teams) that unlocks productivity.  

In my “Chart Your Course for 2025” webinar, I’ll be covering 8 strategies that successful entrepreneurs use to get more done, so they can invest their time in high-value activities instead of busy work more often.

Here are 3 of my favourites:  

1. Do a time audit

If you were trying to lose weight, you’d track your diet. If you were trying to save money, you’d track your spending. If you’re trying to make more time for family, friends, hobbies, and rest, of course you need to track your time.  

The best way to do this is by tracking your actual activities, in real time, for a week. You’ll notice where things take longer than expected, and how frequently you’re off task. You can use the data to start to craft a more ideal version of your typical work week.  

We always make time for our priorities, and your time audit will show you in black and white what your real priorities are. Once you have that information, you might choose to adjust them in order to get different results in your business.  

2. Highlight of the day 

This tip is from Make Time by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. Before you do anything else, they suggest you ask yourself, “What’s going to be the highlight of my day?” The highlight could be something really important, something you’re looking forward to, or the satisfaction of tackling a tough task or conversation. Once you know what your priority is, put it in your calendar so you can make sure there’s time each day to focus on what matters to you, rather than someone else’s priorities.  

3. Say no to good ideas  

There’s a famous Warren Buffet quote: “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” And here’s Steve Jobs: “People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully.” 

It's easy to say no to bad ideas – things that have an obviously low probability of success. It’s much harder to say no to good ideas, like that client who’s asking you to offer something new to suit their needs. But the ability to stay focused and say no more often is crucial to getting more of the stuff that really matters done.  

Before saying yes, just remember that the most profitable businesses are the ones that get the boring stuff right through systems, training, and repetition.  

This Week’s Takeaway

90% of distraction is internal – we allow ourselves to be pulled away from what we know we should be doing. Discipline is required to stay on track.  

One surefire way to increase your level of self-discipline is to plan in advance what your most important priorities and actions will be for the quarter ahead. I’ll be guiding local business leaders through that process at GrowthCLUB on Dec 6. Care to join us?  

Free Webinar - Chart Your Course for 2025

Join Coach Caitlin on November 27th at 12:00pm EST for a free, 1-hour webinar and start charting your course to the business you’ve always dreamt of. You’ll learn practical, real-world strategies that will kickstart your growth in the New Year.

Click here to join us, for free!

GrowthCLUB - Annual and Quarterly Success

Happening on December 6th from 9:30am to 5:00pm, join a one-day coaching program to help you achieve more in 90 days than most businesses do in a year! GrowthCLUB is a quarterly workshop that makes creating tactical plans for your business both educational and fun. Learn and plan alongside other local leaders and entrepreneurs this December!

Click here to learn more and register!

Good Strategy Bad Strategy: by Richard Rumelt

This book is perfect for leaders who want a clear, practical framework to create meaningful progress without falling for the common traps of "bad strategy." Rumelt breaks down what truly makes a strategy effective, cutting through the fluff to show how real, actionable strategies can overcome obstacles and drive impact. With clear examples from companies and challenges across industries, he introduces nine "sources of power" that you can apply immediately to your business.

Check it out!

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