If you’re struggling to get everything done, then these productivity tips for CEO’s are for you. However, they are not your average productivity tips.
Focussing on your productivity with your CEO hat, means you have to be more discerning, and SMARTER about the way you work. Normal productivity tips are usually designed to help you get more done, but if you’re the CEO of your service business, and working on your own, then chances are you’re trapped doing #allthethings already.
Getting more done is not the answer!
I use the conscious focus of putting my CEO hat to make CEO decisions – and that allows me to have better focus, work smarter, and get the important things done in my business.
This is much different to just ticking things off on my to do list, because there will ALWAYS be more to do on the to do list, and it’s not always the smartest way to work, nor is it efficient or effective if you’re not able to balance that time by working ON your business or taking better care of yourself.
If you’re working on #allthethings, frog hopping from one thing to another, and struggling to get part the day to day of running your business, then you might be feeling overwhelmed, overstretched and over it!
Here’s the thing: there will always be more work to do, so you must work smarter not harder.
3 Productivity Tips for CEO’s
These productivity tips for CEO’s are to help you transition from doing #allthethings to growing your business without burning out, to help you review the WAY you are working – because if you’re feeling trapped and exhausted from working 24/7, then something has to change!
1 Get your business out of your head
If you are remembering all the things you have to do in your business, then it’s time to get it out of your head. Decide on one place to keep all of the tasks, recurring tasks, processes etc, and start to develop a stronger process than relying on your memory. Running your business from memory is fraught with danger, and no doubt means you’re scanning the next day late at night to check if you’ve forgotten anything!
Put your CEO hat on and start a system for managing your tasks.
ASIDE: The reason I think this is such an important tip is because when everything is in your head then YOU have to do everything. That makes outsourcing and improving your snugness really difficult, because all the tasks are stuck with you. Until you start to get it all out, and review WHAT you’re spending your time on, and if it can be handed over or systemised, then nothing will change and you’ll still be doing #allthethings which is not sustainable, and probably not leading you towards the vision you created your business for.
2 Design your day like a CEO so that you can prioritise
Focus on working on priority work first. This may look like working ON your business before you get stuck working IN your business, before you get stuck in your inbox, before you get stuck in Facebook.
Create before you consume!
I allocate and a power hour every morning so that I can work on my business, and I build in meditation break and reflection breaks after coaching sessions.
3 Be effective in your time by batching….but it’s more than that!
Now batching is a great strategy, however, if needs some organisation and planning to be able to achieve this successfully.
Having a bird’s eye view of your business and all the things that you do, and are coming up is essential, so that you can plan ahead. This means that you probably need some structure built into your business for your goals, your content, your client management, your marketing and your operations…and for that you need to get your business out of your head!
Your Next Steps
So if you had to start somewhere, I would start with #1. Creating a place to ‘keep’ your business tasks, plans, and processes is key to supporting your productivity, and helping you transition from doing #allthethings to being the CEO.
The joy of having these strong foundations and productivity tips for CEO’s in place is that it then allows you to
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Outsource
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Plan ahead and batch
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Work efficiently and feel more in control
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Create a clear and strategic message in your marketing and content – and have time and energy to implement it effectively #hellogrowth
If these tips sparked some inspiration, then join my five day challenge
How to master your To Do list like a ~pro~ actually like a CEO.
Take a look at your To Do list with your CEO hat on, and see that this perspective is key to helping your working smarter, not just getting more of the same done.
That’s just going to leave you frazzled, and with less time to plan your next holiday, or your next launch! 😉
Aerlie Wildy is a systems strategist & CEO Mentor. She guides business owners to transition from doing #allthethings to being supported by their business, and having more freedom and flexibility to make a bigger impact. You can connect with me on Facebook, join my Chief Executive Entrepreneurs Facebook Group, check out my Youtube Channel or Pin with me on Pinterest.
