My clients are always interested in productivity. They want to be sure they're doing the right things at the right time so they can get their work done and still have energy for the rest of their lives, too. To get some good tips on the subject, I reached out to productivity expert Mimi Bishop to get her take on it. She lays out three steps to take to make sure you're doing the right work.
You’ve been working harder than ever. Putting all your energy into your creativity and checking tons off the to-do list. You’ve been in the flow, that elusive and magical state of “being in the zone”. Yet, you don’t seem to be progressing toward your goal as quickly as you’d like and it’s starting to feel confusing and frustrating.
What is going on? You are clear on what you want, super committed and really passionate about it. Even your peers agree; you are a whiz at being super productive and they continue to encourage you along. On paper and even in your gut, the work you’re doing looks and feels like it aligns with your goal but you’re just not achieving the results you want.
Here’s the thing. It can be really hard to figure out what's really the right work. The work you are doing may be sneaky in that it really feels like the right thing to get you to your goal… but it may not be.
For example, you want to take your one-of-a-kind handmade crystal jewelry business online. So you create a website and then work on making more of your beautiful jewelry. The website is there -- so customers will start to come to you, right? It’s important that you put all of your energy into your merchandise. After all, this is what you are selling.
Yes. You are right, it is so important to create your merchandise, but to have a sustainable business, the marketing is just as important. So to obtain your goal, the marketing is the right work. Perhaps you need to spend more time connecting with your customers in real life and doing a trunk show live and in person. You get to see what pieces they fall in love with and why. Hear their stories. Really get to know them. This is the right work.
So are you doing the right work?
Only you will know for sure. It’s easy to overlook. It’s easy to trick yourself too. Very often it will be the thing you just don’t want to do. The thing that you’ve been resisting because it feels too overwhelming or takes you away from what you love to do. But when you do the right work, it will start to propel you to where you really want to be. It’s so worth it.
3 steps to making sure you’re doing the right work.
Step 1: Set a clear goal.
This is where your S.M.A.R.T. goal comes in play. Write down your goal and be as specific as possible. Make sure it is measurable and something that you can quantify. Consider if it is achievable and reasonable. Be sure to add a time frame to it.
Before we move to step 2, let’s take a look at the difference between a regular goal and a S.M.A.R.T. goal:
Regular Goal: I want to sell my handmade crystal jewelry online.
S.M.A.R.T.: I want sell my handmade crystal jewelry online and increase revenue by $15,000 dollars by December 2018. To hit this target I need to sell an additional $1,200 worth of merchandise per month. I will create that revenue by driving traffic to my site by increasing my social media presence, creating awareness about my business with 1 local event per month, and growing my email list.
Step 2: Write down every task.
Make a list of all the things you think could help you reach your goal. Brainstorm and get super detailed. Then take a step back. Since you know your business better than anyone else, you will be able to make the connections between the tasks that will really move you closer to achieving your goal and the tasks that are purely to-dos. It’s not that the to-dos aren’t important, they are, but they are not necessarily the right work. This is where it will get tricky, because you are going to have to make the hard decisions on what to focus on.
Without a doubt this is the toughest step. As you start to make these decisions:
- Think about what results the task will bring. Can you quantify the task and measure it against how it will help you achieve your S.M.A.R.T. goal?
Prioritize what needs to be done. What are the real critical tasks to meet you goal? Think in must dos, everything else can become a lower priority.
Simplify things. If you were only able to do one thing, what would it be and why?
Now that you have a clear vision on the priority of your tasks, pick the one to three tasks that you feel are truly the right work.
Step 3: Track and tweak.
The hard truth is there is no guarantees. But the good news is you are pretty clear on what you want to achieve and how to do it. Now we are going to put a system in place to track your results and then make tweaks as necessary. By collecting this kind of data we gain the valuable insights into what is the right work. Tracking will keep you honest. If you really note both your input and output you be able to quickly identify where you need to adjust.
Setting out to achieve big goals is not for the faint of heart. It is hard work but you have proven you are up to the task! By taking the time to get extra clear on your goal, identifying the most critical tasks and then tracking your results you will undoubtedly move closer to your goal.
Mimi Bishop is a time-management coach who works with busy, ambitious women who feel overwhelmed by everything that needs to get done. She helps them get organized, set clear goals, prioritize and create a solid plan of action.
Mimi is a former NYC-based marketing executive who had a wake up call in 1998 that made her realize “life is too short to be too busy”. She is passionate about laughing as much as possible, chocolate, red lipstick, having great adventures (Paris!, Skydiving!) and mostly helping women live full and fun lives. She can be found at www.mimibishop.com.
Want to find an extra 8 hours (at least) per week? Grab her 10 Simple Ways to Take Back Your Time here: