Are you Confusing Being Busy with Being Productive?

Being busy and being productive are not the same things. Having children and a home-based business make for a very busy day (as I’m sure you can relate to). There are lunches to pack, carpools to run, e-mails to answer, and calls to make. While all these tasks are necessary to run a household, and care for the children, they do not lead to the growth of your business.

In order to move your direct sales businesses forward and achieve your professional goals, you have to intentionally set aside dedicated time and focus on activities that directly impact your bottom line.

What Key Activities Must You Include?

• Expanding your contact list
• Scheduling appointments
• Doing business presentations
• Following-up with current customers and partners.

From a CEO’s business perspective (which is what you are as a business owner) if you’re not focusing on revenue-generating activities you’re wasting your time (as far as your business is concerned).

It’s too easy, and we’re all guilty, of getting caught up in activities that take your time but get you nowhere in your business. I call these “time vampires” because they literally take the life out of your business.

Some examples of time vampires during business hours:

• Checking emails constantly throughout the day
• Answering your personal phone line (except if it’s an emergency)
• Doing household chores and errands

What Can You Do to Be More Productive?

• Be honest with yourself about how you’re spending your time.  If you’ve got 10 hours per week to work on your business, spend those 10 hours doing activities that serve to grow your business and generate revenue. Do your other tasks at another time!
• Chunk out times of the day for particular revenue-generating activities.
• Focus on only one task at a time.
• Close applications on your computer to prevent distraction.
• Determine your priorities and keeping your focus will allow you to be much more productive. By using your work time more efficiently you’ll be able to enjoy your personal time—knowing you’ve already engaged in activities that are moving your business forward.
• Be “present” in all that you do. This means giving your complete focus to the activity of the moment, whether it’s helping your children with their homework, being fully engaged in a business appointment or setting aside blocks of time for business calls.

It would be helpful to keep a journal for a week and see how you are honestly spending your time.  You’ll see where you need to create clear boundaries of what is revenue generating time and what is personal or family time and how much time “time vampires” eat up.  Make the necessary shift in your activities so that you can achieve a productive and healthy schedule that will fit your business and your life. Remember that making a few small changes can make big differences.