Time Warp: How to Slow Down When Everything's Speeding Up

There are lots of things happening at V-All. Some I share here, and some keep going on. From operation plans to reach the first 1,000 to a six-month technology plan, recruitment, and a two-to-three-year meta plan with a larger vision, there's a lot on my plate. Amidst all this, I've been staring at a pitch and wanting to kickstart fundraising again. The latter is the most important, but without the former, there's not much to show current or potential funders.

I'm sure this is a common dilemma for most entrepreneurs when it comes to prioritization and ensuring work gets done. I thought I wasn't giving it enough time, but in reality, I haven't taken days off and work weekends too. Yet, the last few months and years feel like they've slipped through my fingers.

Maybe the dynamic of work at V-All has changed, or perhaps it's the psychology of my time perception. When I started V-All, the first year felt like time had slowed down. Everything was new and exciting. But it doesn't feel the same now. As we're growing and moving from novelty to routine, time seems to speed up, and events blend into each other. I look back at my last week, and I can't recall specific highlights, but I know I was busy and barely had time for anything else.

Also, there's an information overload with emails, articles, meetings, and social media that makes me lose track of time. Packed schedules make days and weeks fly by. It's either the busy nature of modern life or my lack of awareness that prevents me from stopping, thinking, and processing everything.

Additionally, as an operations person, I'm not the biggest fan of meta-thinking. I like to get my hands dirty, so when everything's coming together, I'm in my element and thriving. From May to August, I was disconnected, sick, or talking to funders and other stakeholders. Now that I'm back in the thick of things, the illusion of time speeding up is even stronger.

Whatever it is, I have to ensure that time doesn't slip through my fingers and work gets done. I can't slow down time, but I can try to make the most of it. I need to fundraise, and if I don't allocate dedicated time, I'll be in trouble. So here's my attempt to refocus on my number one priority: getting funds.

1. Practice Mindfulness: I've started noting down everything I do each day. While we discuss it in morning meetings, writing it down helps me appreciate everything I'm doing. Last week, I attended a conference, networked with countless people, finished recruitment calls, worked on the six-month tech plan, brand doc, and meta idea, and now I'm working on the pitch and donor lists.
2. Time Management: I have started to block time in my calendar for meetings, funder work, and other tasks. Everything needs thought and merging, and multitasking doesn't do justice to anything. I need time to think, process and ideate on multiple different elements and can’t just rely on instinct.
3. Prioritization: Money is a priority because it drives everything. Regardless of other tasks, I have to focus on the pitch and returning to the market. Everything else will fall into place if the fundraising has a clear roadmap with money hitting the bank
4. Tools: The team uses ClickUp, but I need to use it more diligently and block out time in my calendar to avoid spontaneous calls and tasks.

These are basic things, but I need to keep reminding myself. There's a lot to do, and there's never enough time. Any thoughts from your experiences? Anything you've tried that I might be missing?