Businesses are made up of many moving parts, so running them can often be a complex undertaking. Without a plan or strategy for keeping all these moving parts in line, it can be easy to fall into stress, overwhelm and a general sense of unhappiness during your workday.
For the members of Council for Young Entrepreneurs, it has been an ongoing process to find out which methods work for them. Here they each discuss a specific strategy that they believe works well to simplify their day and allow them to complete their tasks without added stress and overwhelm.
Members of the Young Entrepreneur Council share their strategies to simplify their workdays.
Photos courtesy of individual members.
1. I block time for distraction-free work
As our team has grown exponentially over the past year, we’ve had to spend some time creating and organizing Slack channels. Now we have more than 30 channels, which means that messages are constantly coming in from team members around the world. Our business is always changing and improving, so we don’t want to ignore those important moving parts, but we also don’t want those messages to interrupt our day-to-day activities. To simplify my day and tasks as a co-founder, I usually block certain hours of my day to work without any distractions. I have found this increases my productivity and makes me a more effective leader. – Simon Bacher, Ling app
2. I use the ‘bundling’ method
For us, staying productive and getting work done without stress can only be achieved if we focus on one task at a time and eliminate all distractions during our productive hours. We try to control all distractions and tackle all non-essential tasks at specifically assigned times. What works well for our team is using the “bundling” method to group all similar tasks together so we can work on them at the same time. For example, we only check and answer emails during “communication hours” and not immediately after receipt. To implement this structure, our team is trained to work in 90 minute increments, prioritize deep work and effectively manage distractions by allocating specific times throughout the day (usually between 3-5pm) to address them. to grab. – Feruza Djamalova, Law firm Sobirovs
3. I focus on one activity that improves my life
Every quarter I let myself do an exercise that helps me clarify an activity that will improve my life in various areas, both professionally and personally. For business, that one activity can be broken down into monthly, weekly, and daily parts, and I’ve made a habit of focusing each day on what comes first. When the rest of my day goes sideways or is filled with requests from other people, I can bear the satisfaction of moving my one activity forward. This has helped me manage stress and overwhelm, while also making it easy to track my goal and share it with my team. – Kris Garlewicz, ProsperiFi
4. I minimize how often I sit in meetings
As entrepreneurs, we deal with multiple things every day. If we try to take everything as it comes, we let situations control us and not the other way around. The rule for “two plus one” meetings has worked well for me. Hold two scheduled meetings in a day that cover ongoing projects, client meetings, or department reviews. Schedule different departments on different days of the week so you can give each department quality time. Set aside an hour of optional meeting time each day to put out fires or take immediate action. With this method, I stay focused by devoting my mind and time only to the day’s task during the meeting and before and after for preparatory work and follow-up. Vinay Indresh, Joy of space
5. I think about what keeps me up at night
I use the nighttime planning strategy to make sure I focus on the most impactful aspects of my business. Instead of getting overwhelmed by everyday things, I brainstorm the most important things that keep me up at night and put them at the top of my list when planning work, every week or every day. – James Simpson, GoldFire Studios
6. I delegate as much as possible
I keep a list of everything that needs to be done in the company. At least once a day I go through that list and see which projects I can hand over to an employee. I’ve noticed that I can’t do everything, and usually someone is there to help. They will often do better than me, in less time and with more pride. By being able to delegate, I can only keep my list true to the things I can set in motion. This gives me laser focus and an action plan to accomplish those tasks, while the other tasks are completed by another team member. – Mary Harcourt, CosmoGlo
7. I plan my days and weeks in advance
While it may sound simple, planning is all about maintaining peace of mind and gaining the focus needed for constant progress. While planning for the next day the night before is a very important habit of mine, that I staunchly set aside time for each night, I also plan every Sunday for the week ahead, no matter what. With a solid plan for the next day, I’m ready to hit the ground running as soon as I wake up – literally and figuratively – because clarity about the day’s tasks means I can focus on other things while I wake up in the morning and spend the rest. of the day, ticking off my to-do list, without taking the time to think about planning during my most productive hours of the day. – David Henzel, Job station
8. I find a way to keep my tasks organized
You should try a few organizational methods to see what works for you specifically. For some people, it helps to keep a list of tasks. For others, having visual workflow boards is what keeps them organized. You need to find a method that works best for you and the way you work. Some people are more visual learners; therefore, visual charts and images help them stay calm in the chaos, knowing that nothing will slip through the cracks. I like using Miro boards to keep projects organized and updated for my team and me. – Roman Smolevskiy, A+ Build Pro
9. I trust my team follows documented processes
I work in various functions of the company, from sales and marketing to operations and project management. In every position I have smart people who provide input or take my input and execute it. I don’t run any part of the business alone; I mostly oversee them. We’ve also created playbooks and templates for each function, so it’s easier to work with, even for newbies. When I started the company, I had no scripts for my team members and it was difficult to train them or hold them accountable. I understood the value a little later and 90% of the tasks have become easier. I also involve my team more in any decision-making processes. So ultimately simplify the complex effort in functions and processes. – Piyush Jain, Simpalm
10. I’m doing a daily ‘clean up’
Simplifying my day is a process, not a one-time event. For me it starts with what I call a ‘clearance’. Every morning I take a few minutes to review my schedule for the day and see where I can free up time. This usually means getting rid of small tasks like answering emails or phone calls that aren’t urgent or important. Once I’ve done that, I make sure to clear some space in my calendar so I can focus on the big projects coming up that week. This sounds simple, but for me it’s one of the best ways to keep my priorities straight and stay focused on what matters most. – Brian Greenberg, Insurer