tylie eaves

Everyone wants to get more done during the day, and there are precious few people in the world who actually want to spend every waking moment dedicated to a work-related task. The key to balance between work and other parts of life is productivity. The key is not necessarily to work more hours, but to simply make better use of the hours you are already working. Productivity is about more than just a determination to get things done as quickly as possible, it’s about changing daily habits in a way that makes a significant difference in how you get things done and how much you are able to accomplish. Consider the following productivity-increasing habits:

• Beat the rush. Do you sit in traffic every morning? Instead of spending that time in the car, consider leaving for work early enough to beat the rush. Use that extra time to get things done in the office instead of listening to the terrible morning radio hosts while stuck in a traffic jam. Developing the habit of leaving just 30 minutes earlier could lead to higher productivity levels over time.
• Plan ahead. Before you leave work for the day, jot down a list of the five or so things that you need to get done first thing the next morning. This will allow you to walk right into the office and get to work instead of spending 15 minutes trying to figure out where you left off the day before.
• Say no to distractions. It’s no secret that distractions play a huge role in our overall levels of productivity. It takes discipline, but getting rid of the things that steal your time may be the single-most important key to getting things done. Be honest with yourself: How many times per day do you check Facebook? What are other ways that you may be wasting time throughout the day?

Productivity is about more than what you do on just one day. It’s about changing and improving your daily habits in order to develop tendencies that lead to consistently getting more done and doing quality work. Your only competition is yourself–how can you be better than the person you were yesterday?

For many entrepreneurs, their career and small business is their baby. They dreamed of it long before it came into existence, they worked hard to prepare for it, they made it a reality and, for many, it requires an intense devotion and constant commitment to keep it alive and healthy. Despite the inclination to give it, literally, everything you’ve got, it’s important to realize this one thing: You must give yourself permission to care for yourself or ultimately, your business will suffer.

Owning a small business can take its toll, emotionally, financially and socially. You may miss dinners with friends, birthdays, soccer games and skip important events for the sake of your business. Over time, the long hours take their toll and you may experience burnout and mental fatigue. Self-care should not only be a habit, it should be an integral part of your business strategy. You are in no position to accomplish goals in a constant state of stress and exhaustion. Show yourself the patience and kindness that you may reserve for others—press “pause” when you need to, and be honest about your limits.

Self care means something different for everyone. From wellness retreats to bi-weekly book club meetings, self-care should provide you the opportunity to take a mental and physical break from your career obligations. Find out what self care means for you, then commit to implementing these habits into your life. These habits help you maintain a baseline of good mental and emotional health, even while navigating some of the more complex aspects of entrepreneurship.

A stewardess instructs airplane passengers to put their own oxygen masks on before they help others in the event of an emergency. Self care is like your oxygen mask–take care of yourself, and you will be in a much better position to care for your employees and business.

There is no shortage of blogs, opinion columns or websites that promise to provide you all the tools you need for success, touting headlines that proclaim things like, “5 Fool-Proof Tips for Business Owners” or “How To Start The Business of Your Dreams”. Well-meaning “experts” or even family members can overwhelm the young entrepreneur with scores of advice—and some, if not most of it, may not be useful. Some advice can even be harmful for the future of a small business. It is critical for every business owner to learn how to listen to the right people and discern the difference between good and bad advice.

“Follow your passion.” It’s a piece of advice that is often thrown around, but is based on a thought that is flawed and can be financially harmful. You may be passionate about a hobby or skill, but that does not necessarily mean that it will translate into a profitable business model. Your business venture should be a balance between practical and passion, offering something that is valuable to others. Otherwise, your passion may lead to a failed business—a lost investment.

“Just work hard.” Hard work is EVERYTHING in the business world. It is the foundation of the American Dream and the grease in the wheels of the economy–but it is not the only thing that you must do to find success as an entrepreneur. Hard work is good, but working smart is better. Delegation, personal growth and positive employee relationships are all things that come with time, experience and a willingness to learn from mistakes. Hard work is necessary, but it is not the only tool that you need.

“Trust your instincts.” There are certainly times when your gut instinct will be right, but is important to be smart when making critical decisions. Research and advice from trusted sources is invaluable, and seeing an outside perspective on your problem may provide vital insight. If your experience is limited in a certain area, don’t be afraid to seek advice from a mentor or colleague. Instinct is a powerful tool, so balance your gut feelings with data and numbers before taking an important step.

Be careful where you get your information and carefully filter any advice you receive. Limit the “noise” of outside voices by building a team of trusted advisors or seek the help of a professional business mentor to help you navigate the waters of the small business world. There is a difference between inspiration, practical insight and plain, ol’ bad advice. Learn the difference, and you may avoid unnecessary complications.

Success is not an easily obtained goal. You may only reach your level of desired success after years of hard work, personal sacrifice and sleepless nights. While the value of hard work should never be overlooked, there are certain parts of life that you should never lay down on the altar of your career.

At the end of your career or journey to the top, what will you say while looking back over your life? Was it all worth it? Was your success worth the sacrifice of the events, parties and milestones that you may have missed while in pursuit of your entrepreneurial or career-oriented dreams? Jon Acuff, motivational speaker and author, says, “If you build a great business, but lose your family along the way you haven’t built a great business.”

Let’s look at a few areas of life that are often tossed aside when people have work-related tunnel vision. Some of these may be different for you, but some of the things that most often suffer during pursuit of success include:

• Health
• Family
• Relationships
• Beliefs
• Interests

If your career or business goals demand that you sacrifice any of the above parts of your life, it may be time to revaluate. These are the things that add richness and beauty to life, and no matter how much money you may have in the bank, if you do not have quality relationships, miss your kids’ younger years or compromise your belief system, you truly do not have anything of worth. Your list may look a little different, and that is fine, but the five or so things that are on your list should be protected above all else.

Most of us need to work, and a lucky few of us are driven to work by a inner desire to chase dreams and offer the world something of value. Those are honorable motivations, but the key to true success does not lie in how many hours you work, but with the people and things that make life wonderful. Don’t sacrifice the best parts of your life in pursuit of your career goals.

Money is great, but people are better.

Instagram has become one of the most popular social media platforms, likely due to it’s strictly visual content and ease of use. Many businesses are now seeing the benefit of using Instagram to increase exposure, but often hit a “wall” when it comes to building explosive numbers of followers. In order to properly leverage Instagram for the benefit of your small business, try the following:

1. Post often. People won’t follow business accounts that only post sporadically. Daily posts capture attention, and they should be high-quality and personal. With Instagram’s relatively new video feature, it is now possible to SPEAK with potential followers and customers, which can be a critical step toward building a relationship. Frequent posts=more followers.
2. Stay on topic. You should be posting content that appeals to your particular market. If you own and operate a floral company, speak to what you know–flowers! That is not to say that there is never room for funny content or personal posts, but for the most part, stick to your niche and speak knowledgeably about this subject area in your captions.
3. Use hashtags and captions properly. Hashtags are a huge part of posting on Instagram, but they should be done well. Three to five hashtags per post are ideal, but do some research into what hashtags are optimal for your particular type of business.
4. Don’t annoy your followers. There is a fine line between frequent, relevant posts and over-posting. Don’t bombard people with 5-10 posts per day. Trial and error should determine how often you should be posting. Be consistent, be personal, be relevant to your market–but don’t let your posts become a turn-off to potential followers and customers.

Ultimately, Instagram provides the opportunity to build a community among your followers. Uplifting content is key, but also post content that encourages ongoing relationships between your business and your Insta-followers. Ban negative posts, encourage positivity and watch how Instagram can put your company’s exposure on the next level. Use it right, and Instagram can lead to Insta-growth.

It is estimated that workers spend approximately 9-10 hours every week either attending or preparing for business meetings. There is significant debate on whether meetings are actually effective or if they are just time wasters in disguise. The truth is that meetings will always be a part of business, but they certainly don’t have to be a waste of time.

With the right approach, meetings CAN be productive and useful. One of the most effective ways to make meetings better is to have an agenda and to stick to it. Agendas should be typed up beforehand by the person or team that will be leading the meeting, not an administrative assistant. Pick a start time, set a time for the meeting to end and stick to the schedule.

In addition to starting and ending the meeting on time, it is important to eliminate distractions. Materials and needed documents should be passed out before the meeting starts, and food, unless the meeting will run through lunch time, should be eliminated. Since phones can be a major distraction, meetings should begin with a reminder for people to keep their phones out of the meeting or on a do not disturb setting.

If issues can be discussed without calling a formal meeting, choose a one-on-one discussion or simply use email to handle matters at hand. When meetings are not called for unnecessary reasons, people tend to employ a more serious and business-like approach when they are scheduled.

Meetings may be a necessary part of your business structure, but you have the power to make them an effective tool for positive growth, not an organized way to waste time and frustrate your staff.

Contrary to what many people believe, success is not found overnight due to some dramatic endeavor, but rather, comes after months or even years of consistent effort. Small habits, refined over time, can make a huge difference in your future success. Consider implementing some of the following habits, as well as others, in an effort to ready yourself for what is ahead:

• Study your craft. Know it well, even better than anyone else. Knowledge is power, and studying, reading and asking questions allows you to act with authority and confidence.
• Set reasonable goals. “Become a millionaire by the end of the year” is a goal, but perhaps not necessarily an attainable one. Instead, set smaller goals, such as “Increase profits by 25% by the end of the year”. When your goals are actually attainable, you will be more motivated than you would be if you were chasing a pie-in-the-sky, undefined purpose.
• Plan and organize. If your business is still small, this is the right time to establish practices that will ensure smooth operating procedures and future growth. Organize now, avoid chaos later.
• Prioritize self-care and personal life. Most successful entrepreneurs put in a significant amount of work hours during the week, but they also take the time to care for their mental and emotional well being. Commit to an afternoon or evening off every week, make it a priority to attend your kid’s softball games or establish a routine of exercise. To be the best version of you that you can be, you must take care of yourself.
• Network and master social media. The way that all types of businesses attract new customers is always changing. To keep up, work with smart people, learn from their success and establish connections through networking. If you haven’t already grasped the importance of social media in terms of your business success, don’t waste another second.

You may not be in sight of your goals just yet, but that’s okay. The foundation of your future is built on what you do right now, today and tomorrow. Success is more than a great business idea or fabulous marketing plan–it is built on the unseen efforts and habits of those who are hungry for more.