What to Focus on During Work Time?

You have a desire to start your own business or work from home. The Kids are occupied for the time being. You sit down to work… now what? Over the years I have had to learn how to ignore the “squirrel” running around and attempt to focus as best I can on the work tasks at hand. Here are some ideas to figure out What to Focus on During Work Time.

Set Quarterly Goals

What is your goal for the next 90 days? To learn about Pinterest and create pinnable graphics? Set up a Social Media account and start sharing your content there? Maybe create a new product for your clients that you want to have ready to launch by Quarter 4. Creating Quarterly Goals helps you stay focused on what will move your business forward. Being an Entrepreneur means there will ALWAYS be something new you want to learn or try. Be sure to keep a running list of those “Shiny Objects” so you aren’t distracted the moment they are waved in your face. Just write the idea, task, etc. down and know you can come back to it at a time that may be more convenient.

For example, I don’t want to be writing content for the Blog while also learning about Email Marketing and attempting to set up numerous Social Media accounts for the Blog with the assumption that I will be posting 5x or more a week. With where I am right now, I need to take small intentional steps and focus on one new thing at a time to grow my business and not get burnt out and ditch the whole endeavor. One day I will get around to doing all those things plus some. Hopefully by then I will have hired on some help. 🙂

Create Themed Work Days

I learned this valuable gem from Holly Marie Haynes of the Crush the Rush Podcast. She is a GREAT resource for creating and setting Themed Days that work for you. She also has a FREE 5-day CEO Week Challenge that will help you, “learn the exact schedule and toolkit to grow and scale your business in 8 hours a week.”

If you peak into my Themed Days you will see that Monday and Tuesday are Content Days where I work on writing Blog Posts. On Wednesday I listen to Podcasts. This looks like educating myself on whatever my Quarterly Goals are. Currently I am learning more about Pinterest and how to us it to benefit my Blog. Thursdays are Project Day where I work on implementing what I am learning. Sundays and Fridays I usually don’t do any work as those are Sam’s days off and we spend them together as a family. Saturday is my CEO Day where I finish anything left undone from the week and plan what to work on for the week to come.

Have a Plan Going into the Week

I keep a running list of what needs to be done and chip away at them on my Themed Work Days. This helps me know that every day I am working on something that is beneficial to growing my business and nothing that is busy work. This is where having your Themed Days comes in handy as it tells you exactly what to focus on during work time. On Content Day create Content… Blog Post, Podcast Episode, Social Media Posts, etc. On Project Day work on Business Projects… Opt- In Offers, setting up Social Media Accounts, Creating New Products, etc.

Creating a plan ahead of time not only helps me to know what I need to work on day to day. It helps me not to waste time trying to figure out what I should be working on when I sit down. Or piddle away on unimportant tasks during this valuable work time. Changing my site colors again because they just aren’t “right” is a waste of time and not something you will find on my running to-do list. My focused work time is very limited. I need to get in, do the work that needs to be done for the day, and get out when my time is up.

Remove Distractions when Working

Winners win, so what do I need to do to win during my Work Time? Set my Phone to Do Not Disturb.
Go to a Coffee Shop so you don’t see the mess around the house and choose to work on that rather than your business. Sometimes removing distractions is undoable… I see you Mama with Littles! If that is your reality, then just embrace the chaos and do the best you can.

My current scenario is hiding away in the office space I created in my closet while the Kids either Nap or have Quiet Time. I do the best I can with the time given. This is where having a plan going into the week is beneficial. Sometimes, I can only do the bare minimum on a given day. As long as it is moving the needle forward then I don’t have to beat myself up over the small steps I was able to complete.

What to Do with Extra Work Time?

IF you find yourself with this is “Problem” here are some ideas of what to focus on during your extra work time…

Work on the next thing on your Themed Day’s list. Maybe begin the next day’s work to get ahead. Read a chapter from a Business Book. Listen to content from Youtube OR a Podcast on the topic you are currently learning about. Ex. Time Management, Email Marking, Creating Digital Products, etc. Amy Porterfield’s The Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast and the Work Less Earn More Podcast with Gillian Perkins are wonderful resources that I turn to when looking to educate myself on business topics.

Check Out My FREE Resource for You…

If you are looking for more in-depth information on how to make the most of your time day to day then get your FREE copy of My Top 5 Time Management Book Recommendations for ALL Moms. Whether you work full or part time. Have one kid or many. Hire out help running your household or call it good enough most days. Married, single, or whatever your situation may be. These Time Management books offer ways for you to use your time wisely on what matters most.