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Hi there.
Speaker:It's Sue.
Speaker:And thanks for joining me for tips and talk day.
Speaker:These are bite-sized topics that I pull from community questions and
Speaker:things that I'm observing in the world of handmade small business.
Speaker:If you'd like to submit a topic,
Speaker:DME over on Instagram at gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped time is a funny thing.
Speaker:Sometimes it passes quickly and other times it drags on and
Speaker:on. I meet with a special group of girlfriends on Friday
Speaker:nights. Sometimes we go to one of our homes and other
Speaker:times we go out to a restaurant.
Speaker:Each get together is slightly different,
Speaker:but there have been times,
Speaker:particularly in my friend Debbie's backyard where one minute it's 10
Speaker:30. And I swear a second later,
Speaker:it's two in the morning,
Speaker:where did all that time go?
Speaker:Then there are other times when I'm anxiously awaiting a test
Speaker:result or anticipating a delayed flight arrival,
Speaker:that's bringing home one of my children.
Speaker:And in those times,
Speaker:minutes pass like hours and it seems to take forever.
Speaker:How can that be?
Speaker:I mean,
Speaker:every minute is really the same amount of time,
Speaker:right? And here's another super aggravating thing.
Speaker:How is it that some people get so much accomplished and
Speaker:others struggle to do one simple project?
Speaker:Obviously there can be extenuating circumstances like interruptions and emergencies,
Speaker:or simply the lack of interest or desire to do whatever
Speaker:the project is that you're laboring over,
Speaker:but that doesn't erase the fact that it still needs to
Speaker:get done.
Speaker:This happens to me all the time,
Speaker:even though one of my superpowers is productivity.
Speaker:I know it's one of my strengths for real,
Speaker:because I'm classified as a follow-through on the Colby personality profile.
Speaker:And people recognize this in me too,
Speaker:because I get asked a lot how I accomplished so much.
Speaker:Now the truth is,
Speaker:as my business has grown,
Speaker:of course,
Speaker:I'm not doing everything myself anymore.
Speaker:I have an amazing team that helps me out.
Speaker:Perhaps that's a topic for another tips and talk episode now
Speaker:that I think of it.
Speaker:But even when it was just me,
Speaker:I got a lot done.
Speaker:So I thought it might be helpful to share with you
Speaker:my secret strategy.
Speaker:It's not supposed to be secret.
Speaker:In fact,
Speaker:I've talked about it before in a couple of my longer
Speaker:podcast episodes,
Speaker:but it can easily get buried as a minor point within
Speaker:a bigger conversation.
Speaker:So today I thought I'd bring it front and center and
Speaker:specifically highlight what I believe to be my single most valuable
Speaker:method of managing through my days to get as much done
Speaker:as possible.
Speaker:Even the things I don't particularly enjoy,
Speaker:because here's the thing it's so easy to stray off.
Speaker:Course. Let me give you an example.
Speaker:Let's say you're writing a newsletter and you're struggling with that
Speaker:next sentence.
Speaker:So as you try and figure it out your mind wanders,
Speaker:then you decide to take a break and go and get
Speaker:another cup of coffee.
Speaker:When you get back to your desk,
Speaker:it's probably time to check those emails.
Speaker:What you're doing here is avoiding a painful activity and rationalizing,
Speaker:putting it off by replacing the hard task with other things
Speaker:that you're more comfortable doing,
Speaker:then an order comes in.
Speaker:And of course,
Speaker:you're going to fill that afterwards.
Speaker:You look at your bookshelf and decide it needs straightening.
Speaker:Now, time for lunch.
Speaker:After that yummy tuna sandwich,
Speaker:you have a few calls to make and on and on.
Speaker:Eventually it gets to the end of the day.
Speaker:And that newsletter gets bumped to tomorrow,
Speaker:too many days like this.
Speaker:And the newsletter is completely forgotten,
Speaker:substitute in whatever project you'd like,
Speaker:but I bet you can admit you've done this too.
Speaker:We all do.
Speaker:I catch myself trying to do it every day,
Speaker:but just because it's a natural human tendency,
Speaker:doesn't help get the work done.
Speaker:So here's the,
Speaker:what's not supposed to be a secret secret tip.
Speaker:The first thing I do before I start each day is
Speaker:to decide the top three things I need to get done
Speaker:that day.
Speaker:They can't be just anything they need to be forward moving
Speaker:projects. In other words,
Speaker:they're significant enough to bring me a step ahead with whatever
Speaker:overall goal I'm working on.
Speaker:To give you an example.
Speaker:If I'm trying to attract new customers projects like recording a
Speaker:podcast, posting on social media or having a strategy call with
Speaker:my business coach would be projects appropriate for that list.
Speaker:What's not on the list.
Speaker:Redesigning previously finished graphics because just maybe I'll be able to
Speaker:find something I like a little better or adding new products
Speaker:to my new gift biz on wrapped Mertz shops.
Speaker:So that there'll be more selection that just went up by
Speaker:the way,
Speaker:you can see it at gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped.com forward slash shop.
Speaker:Oh, the thing's not on the important task list are watering
Speaker:the plants,
Speaker:buying new candles for my home office or reading through all
Speaker:my less important emails.
Speaker:These things can still be done,
Speaker:but they can also be put off for another day and
Speaker:it will be fine.
Speaker:However, if I delay the other important projects,
Speaker:my top three list qualifying projects,
Speaker:my business stays stagnant.
Speaker:You see what I mean?
Speaker:So once I have the three most important things,
Speaker:oh, and I should say here that they don't always have
Speaker:to be business either.
Speaker:Like maybe there's a day when you need to schedule your
Speaker:annual physical or something like that.
Speaker:But for simplicity,
Speaker:let me just stick with business things here.
Speaker:So once you have the three things,
Speaker:the trick is to stay conscious of what you're doing and
Speaker:attuned to whether you're staying on task and not allow yourself
Speaker:to get distracted.
Speaker:When it gets hard,
Speaker:I try to get my daily three done as early in
Speaker:the day as possible.
Speaker:Then I can move on with easier and more fun projects.
Speaker:My brain is best in the morning.
Speaker:You may be a night person.
Speaker:So your best time for focusing could be totally different.
Speaker:When I find myself going off track,
Speaker:I catch it.
Speaker:And I shift back to the project at hand.
Speaker:Sometimes I'll set a milestone for myself,
Speaker:like I'll say,
Speaker:okay, Sue,
Speaker:stay on this one thing until you figured it out.
Speaker:Or until you've gotten two more pages written or something like
Speaker:that. And then Sue,
Speaker:you can go take a break or I'll dedicate 30 minutes
Speaker:of uninterrupted time to getting something done.
Speaker:Meaning no breaks,
Speaker:no distractions,
Speaker:single focus.
Speaker:And guess what?
Speaker:By being strict with myself and setting limits,
Speaker:miraculously projects get completed.
Speaker:It's such a relief to get past those barriers.
Speaker:I feel accomplished and I can reward myself by moving on
Speaker:to things that require less effort and are more fun for
Speaker:me and my business advances at the same time,
Speaker:hearing the strategy probably sounds really easy,
Speaker:but in reality,
Speaker:it's hard.
Speaker:Try it.
Speaker:You'll see that staying on task when it's something new or
Speaker:uncomfortable or simply something you've been putting off is difficult.
Speaker:But by applying the method I just described,
Speaker:you can get it done and then guess what?
Speaker:It's not hovering over you anymore.
Speaker:It is off your desk.
Speaker:Completed book closed.
Speaker:Remember the feeling of finally handing in a term paper that
Speaker:deep sigh of relief that it's over.
Speaker:You can experience that weekly when you follow this productivity method,
Speaker:because this has worked so well for me,
Speaker:I decided to name and document how I do this.
Speaker:It's called the power of purpose,
Speaker:and I also turned it into a physical tool.
Speaker:If you'd like to dive deeper into my process,
Speaker:there's a video describing that you can watch for free at
Speaker:gift biz,
Speaker:unwrapped.com forward slash inspired.
Speaker:And the tool I'm referencing is the inspired daily planner would,
Speaker:you can read more about on that same link gift biz
Speaker:on wrapped.com
Speaker:forward slash inspired through the end of the year.
Speaker:There's also a special on the planner.
Speaker:Get 40% off when you enter the code sale.
Speaker:When placing an order,
Speaker:whether you're interested in checking out the video or the planner,
Speaker:I encourage you to try this technique,
Speaker:defining the most important three things that you should do each
Speaker:day, not want to do,
Speaker:but should do.
Speaker:And then self checking regularly that you're staying on task and
Speaker:getting them done.
Speaker:This will release you from the guilt of not completing those
Speaker:difficult projects.
Speaker:You'll have a sense of accomplishment and pride and to see
Speaker:real results because you're getting done the right work,
Speaker:go for it,
Speaker:accomplished great things and know I'm here supporting you all the
Speaker:way. Okay?
Speaker:Now that this is recorded,
Speaker:I can go grab myself some coffee,
Speaker:see how this works.
Speaker:That's a wrap.
Speaker:I'm a get to the point kind of girl.
Speaker:And this is what you can expect from these quick midweek
Speaker:sessions. Now it's your turn go out and fulfill that dream
Speaker:of yours.
Speaker:Share your handmade products with us.
