9 More Tips To Get Back An Hour A Day
Simple strategies to get you out of overwhelm and back in control of yourself, your team and your RTO
In last week's blog, I provided 9 tips to getting back an hour a day.
And the feedback was 'are there any more please?'
So you've asked and I've delivered with 9 more tips to get back an hour of the day.
Just like the previous 9 tips, it is important to firstly determine what's going to work best for you.
Work on implementing just a couple of these tips initially, and then build on them so you are consistently applying them, each and every day.
And the feedback was 'are there any more please?'
So you've asked and I've delivered with 9 more tips to get back an hour of the day.
Just like the previous 9 tips, it is important to firstly determine what's going to work best for you.
Work on implementing just a couple of these tips initially, and then build on them so you are consistently applying them, each and every day.
FOCUS: Create Your TIME
9 More Tips To Get Back An Hour A Day
1. Watch out for shiny objects... those things which distract you from your key focus areas.
For many people, the biggest distraction is social media; the 'necessary evil' in businesses and our lives. If this is you, look at tools like Hootsuite and Buffer which can schedule your social media posts across multiple platforms rather than posting infrequently.
2. Use a timer to limit (or focus) your time on particularly activities and stop working on that task when it dings.
3. Look at alternatives to email to help you manage your tasks.
Utilise software like Asana, Slack, MeisterTask etc to manage tasks and communication within projects and teams rather than clogging up emails.
4. Use Post-It-Notes – virtual or paper – to manage the lists upon lists so you can visually see what actually needs to be done, by whom and by when.
This is often the best way to quickly and easily see the workload (and ensuing overwhelm) for you and your team.
5. Have a day without using your mobile phone, or even better yet, a Technology Free Day.
Be one of those businesses who have implemented an Email Free Day across their entire organisation to not only get people out of their chairs and talking to each other; but to help them become more proactive rather than reacting to every email or phone call.
Even though you may think it, the world will not end and your RTO won't collapse.
6. Spend an hour working somewhere else other than your office.
You'd be amazed at how much clarity and productivity comes with a simple change of scenery; be it beach, rainforest, coffee shop or local library.
7. Don't be out of the office every day.
Help educate yourself, your team and your students/clients to the times and days you take meetings so you're building an even more proactive RTO.
Of course, you need to be flexible to meet someone's needs if it doesn't fit into this schedule, but it should work at least 80% of the time. This simple change will help you to start running your RTO your way, rather than having everyone else dictating the terms.
8. Be the Tortoise and not the Hare
Don't always be in a rush to agree to everything (and sometimes everyone) especially when it comes to adding products and services to your core business, or to chase a tender/funding opportunity.
Instead, take a breath and see what saying yes actually means – for you and your RTO. Acting as the tortoise for even five minutes is better than always being the hare.
9. Implement the 4 Ds System
The four Ds are a simple way to remember how to deal with a task such as emailing:
• Do it.
• Diarise it.
• Delegate it.
• Delete it.
As you can see, there is no 'ignore it' because this strategy is all about making a decision about what to do next, even if that's just to diarise to deal with it in an hour's time.
1. Watch out for shiny objects... those things which distract you from your key focus areas.
For many people, the biggest distraction is social media; the 'necessary evil' in businesses and our lives. If this is you, look at tools like Hootsuite and Buffer which can schedule your social media posts across multiple platforms rather than posting infrequently.
2. Use a timer to limit (or focus) your time on particularly activities and stop working on that task when it dings.
3. Look at alternatives to email to help you manage your tasks.
Utilise software like Asana, Slack, MeisterTask etc to manage tasks and communication within projects and teams rather than clogging up emails.
4. Use Post-It-Notes – virtual or paper – to manage the lists upon lists so you can visually see what actually needs to be done, by whom and by when.
This is often the best way to quickly and easily see the workload (and ensuing overwhelm) for you and your team.
5. Have a day without using your mobile phone, or even better yet, a Technology Free Day.
Be one of those businesses who have implemented an Email Free Day across their entire organisation to not only get people out of their chairs and talking to each other; but to help them become more proactive rather than reacting to every email or phone call.
Even though you may think it, the world will not end and your RTO won't collapse.
6. Spend an hour working somewhere else other than your office.
You'd be amazed at how much clarity and productivity comes with a simple change of scenery; be it beach, rainforest, coffee shop or local library.
7. Don't be out of the office every day.
Help educate yourself, your team and your students/clients to the times and days you take meetings so you're building an even more proactive RTO.
Of course, you need to be flexible to meet someone's needs if it doesn't fit into this schedule, but it should work at least 80% of the time. This simple change will help you to start running your RTO your way, rather than having everyone else dictating the terms.
8. Be the Tortoise and not the Hare
Don't always be in a rush to agree to everything (and sometimes everyone) especially when it comes to adding products and services to your core business, or to chase a tender/funding opportunity.
Instead, take a breath and see what saying yes actually means – for you and your RTO. Acting as the tortoise for even five minutes is better than always being the hare.
9. Implement the 4 Ds System
The four Ds are a simple way to remember how to deal with a task such as emailing:
• Do it.
• Diarise it.
• Delegate it.
• Delete it.
As you can see, there is no 'ignore it' because this strategy is all about making a decision about what to do next, even if that's just to diarise to deal with it in an hour's time.
What's Next?
So which strategies will you embrace to regain the Power of an Hour?
How will you chunk down your day so you are always spending at least an hour a day; not only more productively, but working on your RTO, not just in it?
And here's my final thought:
The only way to get back an hour a day is to SPEND TIME (STOP) to CREATE TIME so you can FOCUS YOUR TIME on what's really important, not just what comes through your door or into your inbox.
By embracing the power of an hour, you will continue to build a simple, profitable RTO business you actually love.... one brick (aka 15 minute chunk) at a time.
P.S. If you want a successful 2021, then download 20 of my most popular RTO business blogs here.
Dedicated to helping you manage your growing RTO business
Tamara
How will you chunk down your day so you are always spending at least an hour a day; not only more productively, but working on your RTO, not just in it?
And here's my final thought:
The only way to get back an hour a day is to SPEND TIME (STOP) to CREATE TIME so you can FOCUS YOUR TIME on what's really important, not just what comes through your door or into your inbox.
By embracing the power of an hour, you will continue to build a simple, profitable RTO business you actually love.... one brick (aka 15 minute chunk) at a time.
P.S. If you want a successful 2021, then download 20 of my most popular RTO business blogs here.
Dedicated to helping you manage your growing RTO business
Tamara
Author: Tamara Simon
Tamara Simon is Australia's Only Dedicated RTO Business Coach who's driven to making your RTO life easier.
For over twenty years, she's been helping timepoor RTO Owners, CEOs and Managers get out of OVERWHELM so they can
- Get back in control and on track
- Grow their business... simply
- Reignite their passion for training
Find out more about Tamara Simon, her Coach In Your Corner RTO Membership Program and how she can take your RTO from Overwhelmed to Optimised here:
http://www.takeanotherlook.com.au
Want to know the 5 Strategies Essential to Growing Your RTO Business?
SImply request a copy of my RTO $uccess Blueprint to find out.
Inside, you'll discover the 5 proven strategies to go from feeling BURNTOUT to BACK in CONTROL.
Inside, you'll discover the 5 proven strategies to go from feeling BURNTOUT to BACK in CONTROL.