Sometimes staying focused can be a challenge. As an entrepreneur, you are likely balancing a complex work and personal life. The most important areas to master are organization, focus, motivation, and rewarding yourself. If one of these areas becomes neglected it is difficult to maintain a consistent workflow. Everyone works differently, and that is okay. Here’s some ideas to get you started if you are struggling with keeping up with everything.

Organization

Do you have too much to do?

If there’s too much on your plate, and you feel overwhelmed or you don’t want to do anything than let’s explore some options to tackle that. Anything that resonates with you in this article feel free to keep, and ignore the rest.

Make a List

This seems obvious, but there’s a particular method to it to make your lists effective. The first step is to write down absolutely everything that needs to be done. Walk the dog, call that client that wants the big quote, do the laundry, call the dentist, and so on. Put each item into the appropriate categories. You will need to decide what works for you, but here’s a sample of what my categories are:

  • Personal: Things I do for me (such as self-care, or relaxation), and daily things (such as chores or exercise)
  • Business (I have three, but they all go into the same category)
  • Social: Things you need to do to maintain your relationships

I’m introverted, so ‘social’ has its own category because it has it’s own type of energy that goes into it. For you this may look different.

Picture of notepad, pencil, and sharpener.

For each item I colour coordinate based on category so that I can quickly see how balanced I am between my work and personal life, since the two often start early and run late. I want to see a good balance of things I do for myself, chores I do to help the household, and tasks to progress the business. Beware – colour coordination is not for everyone, and some people even find it demotivating. Just remember that there’s no wrong way to organize yourself, and as you practice your own natural organizing your skills will develop over time.

Write your list on the same media that you make your schedule on. If you keep a calendar journal in your day bag, then write the list on paper. If your calendar is on a cloud-based provider such as Google calendar then create your list on your phone in a note taking app, or on your computer on a program such as notepad. If you do this it will make the transfer of information to your schedule more fluid. Jot down tasks before you forget them. This will keep you focused and ease your mind.

It’s important to take the time to figure out what needs to be done now, later today, tomorrow, this week, and so forth. Then go ahead and put these items into your calendar or journal in order, and if it suites you go ahead and colour coordinate the items at this point. If you use a large paper calendar try writing down each task on small post-it notes, so you can move around your tasks as the priority changes.

If you are really rushed for time only sort what you need done today, and start with the most important task first. Be gracious to yourself and understand that anything near the bottom of the list might be the first thing you do tomorrow if your day is really busy. Depending on the task, you may need to give yourself an hour or two in the schedule to complete it.

I never book myself for less than 1 hour for a task, unless the task is something that I have already done all the preparation for, and just need to finalize it. An example would be an email that I prepared earlier in the week, and I just need to attach a file and send it. For something like that a half-hour in the schedule is fine. I also use half-hour appointments to remind myself to respond to a quick email if I cannot respond immediately.

My personal preference is to use Google calendar on my phone. As I go, I shorten the task in my calendar. For example, if the task is booked for 1 hour, and it took 20 minutes to complete, I will adjust the appointment to 30 minutes, and then move the next task forward. If you finish everything in your calendar early this is the time to book your tasks for tomorrow. In the evening I pick out the workout I want to do in the morning, and I put the link to the video in my calendar. This process usually takes me 10 minutes to complete. Those 10 minutes are really precious to me in the morning, and I’d rather use them to prepare for my day. Some people will put out their clothing the night before so it’s easier to get out the door.

It’s okay to take a break if you are feeling overwhelmed. A ten minute break to refocus can save you a couple of hours later. If you are starting your own company, than you don’t need to work with the mentality of absolute productivity, because this can lead to burnout later. Think about the values you want to establish for yourself, because when you hire staff these values with inherently be a part of the workplace culture.

When you complete a task take a moment to be mindful. Acknowledge that you finished the task, and that you did the task well, or consider what you can do better next time.

Prioritize

It’s important to take the time to figure out what needs to be done now, later today, tomorrow, this week, and so forth. Then go ahead and put these items into your calendar or journal in order, and if it suites you go ahead and colour coordinate the items at this point. If you use a large paper calendar try writing down each task on small post-it notes, so you can move around your tasks as the priority changes.

If you are really rushed for time only sort what you need done today, and start with the most important task first. Be gracious to yourself and understand that anything near the bottom of the list might be the first thing you do tomorrow if your day is really busy. Depending on the task, you may need to give yourself an hour or two in the schedule to complete it.

I never book myself for less than 1 hour for a task, unless the task is something that I have already done all the preparation for, and just need to finalize it. An example would be an email that I prepared earlier in the week, and I just need to attach a file and send it. For something like that a half-hour in the schedule is fine. I also use half-hour appointments to remind myself to respond to a quick email if I cannot respond immediately.

My personal preference is to use Google calendar on my phone. As I go, I shorten the task in my calendar. For example, if the task is booked for 1 hour, and it took 20 minutes to complete, I will adjust the appointment to 30 minutes, and then move the next task forward. If you finish everything in your calendar early this is the time to book your tasks for tomorrow. In the evening I pick out the workout I want to do in the morning, and I put the link to the video in my calendar. This process usually takes me 10 minutes to complete. Those 10 minutes are precious to me in the morning, and I’d rather use them to prepare for my day. Some people will put out their clothing the night before so it’s easier to get out the door.

It’s okay to take a break if you are feeling overwhelmed. A ten-minute break to refocus can save you a couple of hours later. If you are just starting your own company, then you don’t need to work with the mentality of absolute productivity, because this can lead to burnout later. Think about the values you want to establish for yourself, because when you hire staff these values with inherently be a part of the workplace culture.

When you complete a task take a moment to be mindful. Acknowledge that you finished the task, and that you did the task well, or consider what you can do better next time.

Ideas to Stay Focused

If you are like me, you might find yourself wandering away from your desk or getting distracted. Here’s a few things to try to stay on track:

  • Make your desk a relaxing area. Declutter if you need to. Add some small decorations. Invest in a comfortable chair.
  • Keep something in your desk to touch that is small to play with. A fidget spinner works for me so I can move while I think, without walking away from what I’m doing.
  • Keep a small snack in your desk if you get the mid day munchies.
  • If possible, keep your workspace quiet. Music is okay but save videos and chatting for when you are on break. This will save you a ton of time – especially by the end of the year!
  • An aromatherapy diffuser can brighten your mood and increase your focus. Try a couple drops of eucalyptus to clear your mind, or peppermint to revitalize.
  • If you need to work on your computer, try making a separate user account so that you can keep your fun online personal life detached from your work life.
  • If you find yourself wandering around anyways, take that time to relax or think about the project you are working on. It’s okay to “do nothing” and think over the project.

Staying motivated and keeping your passion isn’t always easy. Sometimes the stuff that kept you motivated before doesn’t do the trick anymore. That’s okay, that’s life, and that’s normal. Don’t worry I have some tricks to get you back on track.

Create a Vision Board

Or maybe a vision list. What is it that made you want to work for yourself? Make a list of everything that you want to do with your business. What skills you want to learn? What excites you and sparks your creativity? Write it down, put together some cool photos if you want to get creative.

Don’t expect a vision board to be done all at once. Vision boards tend to evolve and grow – just like you! It’s generally good to re-evaluate your vision board yearly and get rid of things that no longer serve your goals.

Be Realistic with Yourself

Nobody wants to work for a boss that expects more out of you than what you can realistically achieve. Don’t ask yourself to get up at 6, work out, shower, journal, read, catch up on the news, and make breakfast for your family in an hour. If you expect more out of yourself than you can realistically deliver than you may find your motivation is decreased and your mood might drop.

Set Boundaries

This is something everyone should take some time to seriously reflect on. How many times do we not stand up for ourselves, and put ourselves into situations that make us feel bad?

For me, there’s certain clients I will never meet alone. I don’t feel comfortable with them, and I won’t put myself into a situation where I don’t feel comfortable or safe. I also know that running is a boundary my body can’t tolerate right now, so I stick to things like yoga and lower-impact cardio. Maybe your boundary will be giving a toxic person less of your time, or not staying up past a certain time.

Keep in mind when you are setting your boundaries that sometimes those boundaries are flexible, and other boundaries that you will never feel comfortable crossing. Respect your limits and you will experience personal growth and become a stronger person.

Whatever your boundary is think about a plan to stick with it when the challenge arises. If someone crosses your boundaries, then take some time to consider how you would like to handle the situation next time. Be gentle with yourself and remember that we don’t always have the right answer on how to handle a situation properly the first time, but we can learn and grow from experience.

Follow Your Feelings

If your day goes downhill and you are having a hard time with productivity. Stop what you’re doing. This might sound counterintuitive, but it’s a great method to bring the joy and productivity back into your day. Our feelings can help guide us if we trust and respect them. If you’re feeling really frustrated and not following a joyful feeling, and you continue doing what is frustrating you, then you are going to bring more frustration into your day. But if you decide to respect how you are feeling and do the first thing you really want to do, then you are making a conscious choice to change the whole course of your day. After you get away from what’s frustrating you and refocus, you might find the motivation to tackle the problem from a new angle.

Reward Yourself!

But What is the Reward?

If you are not used to rewarding yourself for a job well done than figuring out what the reward for finishing the job is can seem a bit foreign.

Sometimes the reward is simple; if you make that sale then you will get the sum of money that you asked for. Other times it doesn’t seem as obvious. For example, setting up a filing system could give you more time to go out and get some new leads. Often you will need to make your own reward system to keep yourself motivated in the short-term to reap those long-term rewards. Consider rewards as something you want to do today, after you get a certain task done. It could be as simple as making yourself a coffee after a project, or maybe you want to go out and see a movie later that day. Remember to have fun and incorporate elements of play into your day if you don’t already.

Be Kind to Yourself

Don’t be so hard on yourself! Don’t say things to yourself that you wouldn’t say to other people. Take some time to reflect on the reasons that you wanted to be an entrepreneur. Remember where you were when you started, and the progress you’ve made along the way. You won’t always see the difference your work is making on a day-to-day basis, but when you are consistent you will be successful.

If you don’t finish everything today the best favour that you can do for yourself is to move those unfinished tasks to tomorrow’s schedule. You will be more motivated if you accept that you are finished for the day, prepare yourself for tomorrow, and most importantly RELAX.