Progress in 25 minutes?

Every day, as entrepreneurs, we face the pressure of a daily, weekly, and monthly checklist. Plus, all the stuff that you wish you could do but don't have time for. You're in the middle of a forest where it feels like the only way out is to touch every tree. It can be frustrating, it's overwhelming, and the pressure is very real.

There is always something to do. Always.

The truth is, you don't want the checklist to end or the trees to disappear because that would mean you no longer have a business. The goal isn't really to get rid of the checklist but to A. Manage it so everything gets done when it needs to get done. and B. Feel like that's exactly what's happening.

Here's what’s helped me:

Change the way you look at this.

Again, you don't want the forest cut down. The forest is a good thing. What you need is a better system of getting to all the trees.

Limit the number of tasks you have to do every day.

There are 20 things you need to get done this week. But they don't all have to get done TODAY. What works for me is picking four tasks a day that absolutely, positively have to get done to reach my goals for the week or month. FOUR. Today, for example, those four are finishing this email, blogging on Elizabeth Coopersmith Consulting, setting up a Welcome kit for a client on Honeybook and posting about my Efficient Creative Challenge on Instagram. Be realistic about what you can get done in a day, and take it day by day. Your big list is still there; you're cutting it into bite-sized pieces.

Use the Pomodoro method or the Mary Poppins method, whatever you feel better calling it.

Set a timer for 25 minutes and get as much done on a specific task as you can. Turn it into a game, and give yourself an award. One of the reasons I'm trying to keep each task in the Efficient Creative Challenge down to 25 minutes is that it's short and doable. You can make a lot of progress in 25 minutes. Sign up and find out!

Once a week, put something from your big wishlist in the list of 4.

They say if you want to do something, you can't wait to have time; you have to make the time. This is it - put "wishlist day" in your calendar. This is that time, and it can include just taking the first step of figuring out how to do it. Or even something as simple as never having time to post on Instagram or Facebook. Now you do.

Finally, you should automate as many of your repetitive business tasks as possible with Honeybook or whatever CRM you have.

Invoices, inquiry replies, and client reminders can be set on autopilot and off your list. Schedule a consult with me, and let’s discuss how to make that happen with your CRM.

Recognize the progress you've already made. You've done so much so far. You have a business that's continuing to grow because of what you've already accomplished. I think you've got some dirt on your shoulder there. You should brush it off.

Use any or all of these tips to relieve the pressure. You've got a system. You've got a plan. And that means you have progress.

I’ll talk to you soon,

Liz Coopersmith