5 ways to save time and maintain your sanity as a business owner

No one teaches us how to make the most of our time, yet most of us consider time the most precious asset we have. 

Since I started my coaching and consulting practice focused on supporting busy leaders and business owners I have had many demands on my time, and deciding what to do can be daunting. I have worked from home for about three years now, but I am always learning new ways to stay on top of my tasks and get things done. 

These five mind shifts have helped me stay on top of my work:‍

1. Clear boundaries‍

People will look at my calendar and tell me that ‘I seem busy.’ The truth is that I am not busy. I block off time to prepare myself for my day, for meals, and to have time to work on my business - I have priorities. I am clear with myself and others about what I want to focus on and have learned to not apologize for putting my mental, physical and emotional health first.‍

2. The word "no".

‍Saying ‘no’ is honestly the best skill I have developed since starting my business. 

I was good at saying ‘no’ when I was working for another organization, but when I first started my practice, I told myself I should try as many things as possible. I no longer do that, and my sanity and bank account are grateful.‍

3. A scheduling platform‍

I hate people calling me out of the blue - I have conversations for a living. I also don’t like keeping track of my calendar and have set up an entire system that helps clients book calls and stay in touch with me, so I hardly ever go back and forth with people to talk about when I’m available.‍

4. Intentional with social media‍

I connect with clients on social media. It is my primary way of doing business development, but it can also be a black hole.

Therefore, I try to schedule a few minutes each day to use my primary social media platforms. After my allotted time, I will close the tab and make sure all my notifications for my social media accounts are switched off. I have a checklist of things I do on my accounts to ensure I get through everything efficiently.‍

5. Keeping track of my outreach‍

I have saved so much time by investing in taking meeting notes and staying on top of my outreach. Using Streak as my main CRM tool has allowed me to send follow-up emails at the right time and not second guess how many opportunities are in my pipeline.

Keeping these five elements in mind has given me time, space, and clarity to be creative, coach with confidence, and show up when facilitating or speaking.

What are some of the things you have had to learn and implement to get things done?

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About the Author: Akua Nyame-Mensah works with leaders who are juggling a million responsibilities. She helps leaders clarify where they should focus their time and energy each day through her services and products.

Currently, she is focused on supporting overwhelmed, firefighting, and reluctant leaders to make the most of social media through her thought-leadership-focused program Uplevel for Thought Leaders. In Uplevel, she shows leaders step-by-step how to leverage LinkedIn to secure their next client or consulting gig in an efficient and stress-free way.

‍Learn more about her program by downloading her 15-minute LinkedIn Checklist (https://www.akuanm.com/li) and learn how to land clients and speaking opportunities in minutes without creating a single piece of content.