Time Saving Tips! Spring Clean Your Business 3-Part Series: PART 1
Spring Clean: Seven Shockingly Simple Time Saving Tips
I think it’s pretty common to Spring Clean our homes this time of year and that should be the same for us business owners. So, I asked my wonderful business coach, Lisa Van Reeuwyk of Bloom Lisa, to offer some tips on how to spring clean your business to help give you a boost of energy for the new season, and bloom like all the amazing flowers around!
This will be a 3-part series as Lisa has so much great info to share with all of us so I hope you’ll check in weekly this month to learn about all she has to offer us. What a wonderful gift she has for us! First up is Time Saving Tips!
Introducing Lisa!
I was honoured when Michele invited me to share some of my best time saving tips with her community. Harnessing the power of your time is one of those foundational pieces to living an incredible life.
No matter how successful or wealthy you are, there are no do-overs and we can’t buy more of it. In my work as a business coach, I’ve really come to see valuing our time as the foundational work of what we do is EVERYTHING.
Because distraction from devices is core to why we are distracted and overwhelmed, I’m sharing seven device damage control time saving tips that will reward you immediately with increased focus and you may find yourself salsa dancing through your office at the end of the work day too.
7 Time Saving Tips!!
Device Damage Control Tip #7 – Pick a platform to save time
Have your clients communicate with you on one platform. Receiving messages on Facebook, Text, email and IG … it’s a huge time suck. Set yourself up for success by communicating your communication process in the on-boarding phase on-boarding.
Device Damage Control Tip #6 – Give your screens a bedtime
Did you know that one hour of sleep before midnight is equal to two hours after midnight? Sleep really is the magic elixir of all good things in life. Ideally you don’t want to expose yourself to blue light for two hours before bed; put your devices to bed early so you can too.
Device Damage Control Tip #5 – Banish your devices from your bedside table
If you use your phone as an alarm clock, plugging it in your en-suite will also help you kick a snooze button habit. You can also go old school and purchase an actual alarm clock.
It’s too easy to pick up your phone and get sucked into the vortex of messages, while unconsciously creating a dopamine addiction which holds you in a loop of distraction & lacklustre productivity.
Device Damage Control Tip #4 – Placement is everything
Place your phone face down to avoid visual distraction or invest in a folio case.
Device Damage Control Tip #3 – Move it off your home screen
The apps on your home screen and your frequently used row tend to be the apps that you check habitually. Slide these apps over at least two screens. Take it one step further and group like apps in a folder like Social Media, Finance or Games.
Doing this allows your brain to disengage before diving into the rabbit hole!
Device Damage Control Tip #2 – Say NO to notifications
You know what you need to know about the second that message comes in and chances are that isn’t all that much; turn them off. Saying no to notifications on your phone and computer allows you to say yes to responding to life over simply reacting.
Device Damage Control Tip #1 – The Big Kahuna: Set up a Schedule for Message Checking
Be realistic that device checking is an addiction, like worrying …. and like any addiction it can be tough to kick the habit. Create a starter schedule that has you checking messages on the hour and set up a seven day challenge for yourself to take some pressure off.
Creating this habit will create a revolution in your life, trust me.
BONUS TIP – Update your Email Signature
Add a line to your email signature like: I don’t check work email after 6 pm or on weekends. This sets the expectation for your availability and you may just inspire someone else to improve their boundaries too.
Like Michele, I’m a life-long learner and love sharing my expertise with others. Follow me on Instagram @BloomLisa to join a community of purpose driven change makers.
Thank you so very much Lisa! These Time Saving Tips have been amazingly helpful and I’m going to implement all of these ideas immediately, especially the NO Notifications! Stay tuned everyone for next week’s Spring Cleaning Your Business blog featuring: Six tips to start your day ON purpose!
And if you’re ready for some fresh new Personal Branding images for your marketing platforms, please reach out to me!
Images shared with permission by Lisa.
Michele Mateus is an award winning Vancouver area Personal Branding Photographer & Portrait Photographer based in Coquitlam, BC. Hair & Makeup By Jenny Valla.
