“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.”
~ Steve Jobs
Welcome to Episode 71: How Many Hours A Day Do You Waste?
Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t. So that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t. What has helped me succeed is creating a story around my business. Something people can relate to. It’s not all about fancy cars, lots of money, and endless trips to the spa. Even though all those things are pretty darn nice! It’s the human-side of things … making your passion come to life!
And beyond a good story (which helps make content creation oh so much easier!), is automation, automation, automation. And an endless list of helpful “untangling” tools and resources!
Ready for some tips and resources to keep your sanity with a virtual pep talk?
Then let’s get started!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
Are you ready?
Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.”
~ Steve Jobs
Welcome to Episode 71: How Many Hours A Day Do You Waste?
Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t. So that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t. What has helped me succeed is creating a story around my business. Something people can relate to. It’s not all about fancy cars, lots of money, and endless trips to the spa. Even though all those things are pretty darn nice! It’s the human-side of things … making your passion come to life!
And beyond a good story (which helps make content creation oh so much easier!), is automation, automation, automation. And an endless list of helpful “untangling” tools and resources!
Ready for some tips and resources to keep your sanity with a virtual pep talk?
Then let’s get started!
Here's what we will be untangling in this episode ...
Are you ready?
Pop in your awesome earbuds and let's dive in!
Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t. So that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t.
A firm statement, I know. But something I feel is needed. If you think about it, the ability to create success is the product of a unique combination of skills and mindset that you can tap into again and again and again to achieve your wildest dreams. Those ones you thought were never possible. It’s important to remember that because with each journey of success your life evolves. Not only as a person, but as a professional in the big bad world of business.
It’s been said that those who are truly successful never restrict themselves to one venture, but rather simultaneously manage multiple streams of such. So, whether you are looking to step into the entrepreneurial world for the very first time or you are already underway, here are some tips my team and I learned during own personal adventures …
Now before we dive into the whole shebang of today’s “untangling” episode, I’d like to start on a lighter note with some motivating words from Steve Jobs as his personal philosophy of pursuing one’s own dreams, regardless of the opinion of others, played a key role in why he was able to imagine, create and execute on such grand ideas!
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma -- which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become.”
Well folks, it’s time to start hustling. Entrepreneurship is all about the hustle -- even though we all have a very different definition of what that word actually means to us. Especially for those of you just starting out. You must hustle (mindfully of course) in order to succeed and survive!
What has helped me succeed is creating a story around my business. Something people can relate to. It’s not all about fancy cars, lots of money, and endless trips to the spa. Even though all those things are pretty darn nice! It’s the human-side of things … making your passion come to life!
People tend to be more receptive to storytelling and engagement as opposed to flipping through a traditional, boring brochure.
Ready for some tips to keep your sanity with a virtual pep talk?
Let’s get started …!
All the while working through these steps, don’t forget to take risks. Get out of your comfort zone. One of the most exciting parts of being an entrepreneur is the thrill you get from seeing if something works. And of course, how it worked.
There is no playbook on becoming an entrepreneur. There is no “one size fits all” answer. So, if anything, remember this … You are not alone.
If you want to grow as an entrepreneur and stop feeling stuck on all the things you’re wasting your hard earned time on … think of this episode and use it as a checklist, reach out and connect with others. You may be surprised by the invaluable connections that are right there at your fingertips!
Okay, so now that we have some of those entrepreneurial insights taken care of, it’s time to talk time savers, so … LET’S TALK AUTOMATIONS!
Automation, automation, automation -- you just can’t seem to escape this term.
So, let’s talk about how you can embrace it! But before we dive into automation, I want you to begin with a quick examination of your business.
Ask yourself things like …
So, you are probably now wondering how you can incorporate automation to address your answers to those questions?
Let’s be honest here… lately the word automation has ignited both excitement and fear in everyone. It suggests the loss of jobs for humans and the world being taken over by artificial intelligence (AI). Shaking that narrative and focusing on how technology can help your business grow is the best way for you to move forward. But in the end, whether you accept it or not, it is something that is already happening! And you need to get on board or your going to drown yourself in an endless list of mindless to-do’s.
As an entrepreneur, I don’t doubt that work-life balance is important to you, like it is to us, and that you value the concept of time management. Yet you still find yourself repeatedly running out of time and feeling burnt out. This is where (and why)you need to give automation some serious consideration!
So, why automation?
In reality, the first “rule” of any technology used in any business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency. It’s really that simple and an easy way to get yourself unstuck and onto bigger and better things!
Here’s what automation could look like in your business …
Now, to get started …
There's a lot of automation that can happen that isn't a replacement of humans but of mind-numbing behavior. Perhaps begin with breaking down all the tasks you feel take up your time. No matter how big or small. The goal here is to free up your time and precious brain energy-- that you use every single day -- for working on your business instead using it to work in your business.
Next …
Do some research into what sort of automations are there out there and for what (being specific to your personalized business needs). Taking time to really assess what automations would be worth your investment, and which ones to prioritize and integrate ASAHP (as soon as humanly possible).
Lastly …
Start with small changes, such as moving everything to the Cloud, which comes with its own set of built-in automations (e.g. Dropbox, GoogleDrive, OneNote, Evernote, etc.).This is a great way to wet your toes, experiment, have fun and gain some new skills all while implementing automation!
Not quite sure where to start with getting your toes wet?
Here’s an easy way … with a Peek Inside My Virtual Toolbox!
There are oh so many tools available to help you run your business. It’s so hard to choose which ones are best suited for what you need and according to your preference. My list is vast due to the nature of my business (creativity and organization) so besides good ol’ Adobe Creative Suite, here is a peek inside my resource toolbox.
I have put together a list of tools according to what I use, what I use for my clients (links included) along with a small handful of extra resources.
Now, let’s take a peek inside …
Now keep in mind that this list is just the brim of the barrel when it comes to running a business, whether it be virtual like VU or otherwise. (Also note, we shared others in last weeks “untangling” episode.) And we could go on … and on … and on … with all the cool resources and tools we use daily. But if we did that in an episode like today’s we’d be here forever, and today’s episode is to help you not waste any more time -- so we don’t want to be the culprit of that.
So, if you’re looking for an even larger selection of online resources, feel free to check out the list on the resources page; The Vault of Virtually Untangled’s website.
Which is about to have a major upgrade (stay tuned!) and happily, forever growing.
I truly hope today’s Digital Glue “untangling” episode was an exceptionally helpful reference for your business needs when it comes to learning how to lessen the time waste of your days. Oh, and if you have other toolbox resources you would like to share with me, my team, and our audience, please feel free to drop them into the comments. We would love to add them to our Vault!