OK! Are you still with me for Step 5 of 7 Steps to Save Time and be Free from Overwhelm?
We've set up our systems so we always have quick and easy access to our information and our schedule.
Now we need to make sure we're set up to make the best use of our time when we are getting things done.
To do this we need to do some planning…
If you're dreading getting ready for your accountant, then it's extra reason to check out the tips I have for you today.
The new financial year is a great chance to review your P&L for the year gone and plan how you'll get a jump on the new one. But I also want to remind you to make a fresh start of your filing. So you can cruise through the next 12 months knowing exactly where to put anything tax related. AND you can feel super clever and calm when it comes to tax time next year.
We all start a new year with the best intentions to be more organised and do great work and help more people, don't we? But then you get back in to the office and everything has piled up .... It can be very overwhelming and you feel like you're falling behind before you even begin.
So today I'm share my steps for starting the new working year on the right foot!
I've been walking around lately like the shoemaker with crappy, worn out shoes. Not so much with physical clutter (though there are plenty of toys around the house). But my head has been overflowing with ideas and wishes for how I want my biz and life to look in the future. I just haven't been able to put the pieces together or known where to start or how I would find time to do it all!
I've been playing with trying to plan and set goals for weeks and was just overwhelmed. But this morning something changed...
This is the time of year when a lot of us are about to take some time off work to spend with family for Christmas. Whether you are self employed or work for someone else, there are a few things you can do to prepare for time off to so you can relax properly, not let anyone down and not be even more stressed when you get back to work.
Well can you believe we are officially one quarter of the way through the year 2013 already?
It's a good time to stop and check in with yourself, how are you going with your New Years resolutions? Have you lost focus? Is there still something that you want to achieve for 2013? Now is the time to take stock, when you still have 9 months of the year left to make a difference on the goal, project or habit you want to work on.
If you have made some headway, give yourself a pat on the back (or your reward of choice), check where you can make improvements and make sure you're still on course, then keep going!
If you haven't made much of a dent, that's ok! Don't beat yourself up, it doesn't help. Have a think, what's the thing that's holding you up? Think about all those excuses you've made, are they realistic obstacles that you need to overcome or are they just excuses? What's the Real obstacle? Is this goal even important to you anymore? no? thats ok too! Stop feeling guilty about it and take it off your to-do list.
The first step to get you on your way is answering all these questions and figuring out how to beat that obstacle. Is it lack of funding, lack of time, lack of knowledge? Then make a budget, set a schedule, do some research or ask for help. Just work on the one thing that will help you get started. Making those first steps might just give you the momentum you need to keep going.
With smartphones so popular, there are literally hundreds of apps available to keep track of lists, tasks and appointments. And because you always have your phone with you, it's perfect for capturing notes or to-dos when you think of them, and to always be able to access your to-do list when you are ready to tackle it.
This week I want to look at the types of lists you can keep, more specifically the paper based methods.
There's plenty of technology around that can be used for tasks and just as much talk about "going paperless". But I find just as many people are still more comfortable writing with pen and paper. It's usually quicker, and some say that you think differently when you write the "old fashioned way".
We're all busy, with information and demands coming at us constantly. It's impossible to effectively manage all this stuff in your head, and whether you're a paper person or a gadget person, it pays to be a list person.
Some people only need a single to-do list but what if it gets too long? Or you write it on scraps of paper and keep losing them? Or you don't have it with you when you need it?
