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When you work as a business coach as long as I have, you tend to see the common behaviors that entrepreneurs struggle with.  Time and priority management is a big one.

The ability to plan my work and work my plan is something I’ve been blessed with.  I never would have survived as the Festival Coordinator in charge of the largest, free outdoor festival in the Southeast if I hadn’t!

So, I want to share three project management skills that are essential to our success as business owners.  The third one might come as a bit of a surprise to you.

First, you have to have good time management tools that work for you.  Doesn’t matter whether you use fancy software to plan, track and automate your workflow or an old-fashioned “to do” list.

You have to find the best system that fits your style and personality and actually USE IT!

You have to take time for planning.  As a small business owner, there are so many different tasks you’re ultimately responsible for.  You’re the marketing department, finance department, customer service department … and on and on.  And you might be tempted to say you don’t have time to plan.

Benjamin Franklin was right when he said, “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail!”  Smart guy.  Look at all he accomplished in his life.

It doesn’t matter if you plan on Friday afternoons or Monday mornings, just be sure you’re making it a regular reoccurring time in your workweek.  Otherwise, you’ll suffer from the tyranny of the urgent and never get to what’s truly important.

Personally, I plan at least weekly, and every day my schedule is driven by the top three priorities I’ve identified.  Always.  Unless there’s an emergent task that trumps everything.

So far, these might not be earth shattering revelations to you.  But trust me when I tell you how many business owners don’t follow these first two basic steps!

Now, the third step is more subtle.  This is where managing your energy and managing your priorities intersect.

When I look at my list of top three priorities, I don’t always go for what “makes the most sense.”  Unless something has a hard deadline, I start with whatever I feel pulled toward.

Over time, I’ve realized my energy and my feelings are really good guides. When I listen to them, I’m naturally more aligned with what I choose to do and everything flows so much more easily. The work moves faster.  I’m more focused.  And I don’t have to push myself to get through it.

It’s not about skipping the hard stuff or only doing what feels fun.  It’s about trusting that there’s wisdom in what you’re drawn to in the moment.  When I follow that pull, I usually end up right where I need to be.  And what once felt like effort suddenly feels a lot more like flow.

Try it … for at least 21 days.  And let me know how it works out for you.

Best Wishes,

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Meet Denise: Denise Hedges is a Business Development Coach and Speaker Coach for small business owners who want to be more comfortable, confident, and successful with their sales and marketing efforts. She specializes in helping them use speaking as a way to dramatically improve their results

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