How Do You Get It All Done?

The other day I casually mentioned to a friend that I really only get to work about 20 hours a week. Sometimes it's even less. To run a business, keep leads coming in, manage projects, make clients happy and oh yeah, close those leads so we have new projects too.

He looked at me like I had two heads. "No way. There is no way you're only working 20 hours a week."

It wasn't always that way. And sometimes I still have a crazy week where I have to put in some overtime. But life has forced me to find ways to be efficient with my time, keep tasks streamlined and repeatable and to depend on others to help get all the work done.

Here's just a few of the tricks I have up my sleeve to help me get everything done and keep the lights on.

I Don't Always

The simple truth is, I don't always get it all done. In fact, every week there are items on my to-do list that I simply never got around to finishing. This used to stress me out and make me feel like I was failing at business and life. But, changing the way I structure my days made all the difference.

Eat That Big Important Frog First

Every morning when I sit down to plan my day I always put the most important task first. This is also usually the thing I want to do least (funny how that works). I won't work on that task for any more than an hour, but I make big, significant progress on it -- usually finishing it completely. The rest of the day feels like a win and is simply a breeze to get through.

Time Block and Batch Tasks

I break my day into 25-minute increments with 5-minute breaks at the end. Every single thing I need to do for the day must fit into the 25-minute slots I have available or it just doesn't go on the list. I'll add it to my weekly list and either fit it in later in the week or delegate it to someone else. If it's not important enough to come first then it probably isn't something I need to personally finish anyway.

Beyond blocking my time, I'll batch similar tasks together. That means I sit down and handle social media posts once per week instead of peppering it throughout. I'll check Analytics or Ads performance for several clients back to back instead of doing them on various days of the week. I'll set time for checking emails once or twice a day and do my best to ignore the inbox the rest of the time.

Place Uncomfortable Deadlines

Ever heard of Parkinson's law? In short, it says that work will expand to fill the time available for it's completion. What's that mean, exactly? If you give yourself 2 hours to finish a task, it will take a full two hours. Give yourself only 25 minutes and LOOKOUT! You'll be amazed at how fast you can speed through it and get it done.

I try to place very uncomfortable time constraints on myself to see just how efficient I can be. For example, I gave myself 15 minutes to write this article. I have 3 minutes left. Let's see if I can make it!

Take Care of Yourself First-er

I know. I said eat the nasty, scary frog first. And when you sit down to work, you definitely should. But even first-er (that's not a word, but just go with it) you've got to take at least a few minutes to take care of you. Drink a big glass of water, and then drink another one. Listen to your favorite song or spend a few minutes meditating. Journal if that's your thing or do some quick exercises.

Whatever makes you feel good, take 5-10 minutes before you officially start your day to treat yo self. You can't pour from an empty vessel, and even taking just a few minutes to nurture yourself will have an amazingly restorative impact on your mind and body.

What About You?

What are some of your best techniques and secrets to getting it all done and managing your hectic day?