Are you burning too much of your time and potential putting out ‘fires’ in your business every day? Here’s how to beat that…
How much time could you save if so much wasn’t taken up by battling emergencies? How much more could you do, accomplish, earn, and enjoy? Here are some practical ways to overcome this challenge, and get more of what you really want.
The Fire Issue
Too many entrepreneurs, business owners, and investors spend far too much time ‘putting out fires’. The burn hours every day dealing with minor ‘emergencies’. This eats up weeks, if not months of every year. That’s an incredible amount of time which could be used to push forward, earn more, and have more of a life, while enjoying everything they do more.
Unfortunately, we sometimes confuse this being busy or working furiously with doing something valuable, urgent, or important. Often these items should be anything but that. So how do you overcome this time thief, and extinguish this threat to your potential?
Get A Head Start
Getting up earlier can give you a great head start. If you really thrive on dealing with those fires then that hour can let you do it, without derailing the rest of what you should be doing. 1 extra hour a day, is 365 hours a year, or more than 2 weeks. You can use that time to work on a new project or take some much deserved vacation time.
Or if your recognize that busyness isn’t the best use of your time, then dedicate the first minutes of each day to getting your mind focused. Read your goals, get in your success mindset, and prioritize your day. Determine to live your day on your schedule, no one else’.
Limit Your Exposure
If you start a fire or run into a burning building you are going to have to deal with it. That’s exactly what most do, and then wonder why all of their time is going up in flames. At work this happens by constantly checking or leaving open browsers and cell phones on. Their whole day is eaten up by others directing their attention. Instead, try limiting this exposure to updates in the morning, and the end of the work day. Unless you need to be in your email or on the phone, turn those devices off.
Create a Firewall
If you are still bombarded by people stopping by your workspace, then install buffers to insulate you and what it most important. This might include a virtual assistant or receptionist who can field calls and emails, so that you are not interrupted, but customers and partners still get good service. You may even need multiple layers of protection, like a personal assistant or general manager, or separate personal email address, phone line, or Slack chat room.
Have a Strong Fire Fighting Team
‘Fires’ will happen. Yet, most of them really don’t need your personal attention. Not if you have a good team in place. Have your own fire fighting team. Nominate someone to deal with customer service issues, breakdowns in the funnel or the technology, and make sure they get alerted and know their role. It should only come to your attention if they can’t handle it. This can apply to home too. If your kids end up home sick from school, or your pipes freeze and break, or your spouse is having a breakdown over the mess – don’t let it sabotage your most important work. Have a pre-screened nanny, contractor, and cleaner ready to roll in.
Have a Good Fire Hydrant & Truck on Call
What the most successful get is that it doesn’t matter how big their little home office fire extinguisher is, if they have an awesome backup. What if you had your own fire hydrant in your backyard, or a helicopter on call to douse the flames instantly?
You can do this by having a coach or mastermind group on speed dial. One button and you can have a pro with a ton of experience and mastery in whatever crisis you are facing on the case.
Fireproof It
Of course, the number one reason fires become an issue is they aren’t preempted. If you know you are going to be running into fire for a living you’d have a fireproof suit or fireproof blankets. Rehabbers ground the electric to avoid house fires. Know our bed covers, carpets, etc. all have to be good at withstanding fire. So, when it comes to business; troubleshoot your processes in advance. Normally the issues are all coming at same points. Maybe it’s finance or failing to do inspections, certain types of tenants, or going over repair budgets. Preempt it by tweaking those systems in advance.
