Are you guilty of this? How to keep things simple

Are you guilty of this? How to keep things simple

Could you be guilty of making your business more complicated than it needs to be?

When you don’t have enough time in the day to get everything done, do you get out your time management strategies, start making numerous to do lists, drawing schedules, prioritising and re-prioritising tasks, go a bit crazy with coloured post-it notes, start surfing the net for a great organiser app you can download which will suddenly change your life??

Look, as you know if you read my blog, I’m a big fan of using ways to help you get organised and use your time effectively but there comes a point when you just need to get on with something and do it.

Not everything will need a strategy or a plan – sometimes keeping it simple and getting on with it will get you to your end point faster.

And I guess that’s what we should keep in mind when we have a lot on – ‘what will get me to my end point fastest?’

You know in your heart which are the things that you should be working on to grow your business. I understand how easy it can be to get distracted doing the things we enjoy doing instead, but don’t end up over complicating the things which are actually very straightforward.

I sometimes think as business owners we often seem to go with the harder option – maybe that’s because we think running a business should be hard work. Maybe it’s because we enjoy a challenge.

There’s a great metaphor for this I used to use in my previous life in process improvement – look for the low hanging fruit. If you want get some apples from a tree are you going to get a ladder and start picking the ones from the top or are you going to go for the easier option of grabbing the ones you can reach? Even easier, have a look at any that have already fallen and are lying on the ground.

Just because something is easy doesn’t mean it’s not effective.

Okay – 3 ways to keeping it simple in your business:

  1. What’s the one thing that’s going to make the biggest difference to my business right now? Having more time? Getting more customers?
  2. What do I need to do to achieve this? Do my Marketing plan? Get out there and connect with people? Stop doing everything else?
  3. When am I going to do it? Now if you’ve answered the 1st question and this is really going to make the biggest difference to your business I want you to start this right now, or at least today.

I think the Nike slogan may be my all time favourite. You know it don’t you without me saying it?

Oh go on then – Just Do It!

The following two tabs change content below.

Alison Bradford

Alison Bradford is a business coach who works with smart, ambitious business owners to get clarity about how they can grow their business and increase profit. Sign up here to learn 6 easy ways you can boost profit in your business today.
6 Comments
  • tiffany Outlet
    Posted at 07:23h, 05 January

    There is definately a lot to know about this topic.
    I love all the points you have made.

  • Elaine (Littlesheep Learning)
    Posted at 10:19h, 28 May

    A great post – thanks for submitting it to the business mums carnival http://www.littlesheep-learning.co.uk/blog/2012/mays-business-mums-blog-carnival/ I hope you enjoy reading it and some of the other entries.

    • Alison Bradford
      Posted at 10:43h, 28 May

      Thanks Elaine – and welcome to any new readers who’ve found their way here from the business mums blog carnival. I hope you enjoy!

  • Pingback:May’s Business Mums Blog Carnival | Littlesheep Learning
    Posted at 10:00h, 28 May

    […] have some tips with the post delegation’s all you need and Alison Bradford’s post about how to keep things simple might […]

  • Catherine Morgan
    Posted at 15:02h, 22 May

    Hi Alison, what a great post. Particularly the part about Mum’s going for the harder option!

    • Alison Bradford
      Posted at 20:26h, 22 May

      Thanks Catherine. I still catch myself doing this sometimes!