Get More Done With Time Blocking

by Michele | Planning-Organization-Productivity

Now, I know what you're thinking. Will time blocking help me get more done? Yes, it will!

As online entrepreneurs, you're trying to conquer so many things, and instead of feeling accomplished, you feel unproductive, stuck, and frustrated. At the end of most days, it seems as if the day ran away with a lack of focus, leaving you feeling overwhelmed.

Are you tired of feeling this way and ready to be clear about your day and what needs to be done to move your business forward?

First, jumping around from project to project isn't the secret sauce to success. It all boils down to getting laser-focused and completing essential tasks.

You must be wondering how this happens.

The solution is simple: it's with time blocking your day. Time blocking breaks your day into an achievable structure. What would it feel like to look back at your day and feel productive and efficient? You'd feel like you won the day, just saying.

No worries, friend, if you're not a planner. It's a life skill you can improve, I pinky swear. I'm guessing you're ready to let go of running your business like a disorganized, headless chicken.

Here’s how you’ll time block:

Power Hours

When are you in your power hours? Do you know the time of day when your productivity superpower comes out? You're about to find out this is different for everyone.

If you're not sure, start paying attention and simply jot down the time of day that you easily and effortlessly completed your work. This would indicate that you're in the power hours of productivity.

Let's make this your first official time block. During this time, use it for a creative project or a project you've been procrastinating on. For me, this is not the first hour of my day. I need a slow start in the first hour of my day. Otherwise, I'll find myself sitting and staring at my computer screen.

Here is an excellent post about Eating Frogs! https://misstask.com/eat-your-frogs/

What are Things to Time Block?

Let me break it down for you; you can time block hours or choose to have theme days.

But what does that mean? It's simple. You may want to select the days and times for your coaching calls and meetings with your team. You can also designate content creation days.

Perhaps you like to have variety in your day, so you sprinkle in a little bit of everything with themed time blocks. With theme days, you'd pick one primary day for all your meetings and coaching and a secondary day for any overflow meetings or coaching sessions.

In a similar fashion, if you conduct discovery calls in your online business, it would be nice to have a specific day for these calls. Could they possibly be on your overflow meeting day?

Now, this is important: your most productive day of the week should be for creative work only. Here's what I mean: no meetings or anything else that will drain your energy. I love the trend that corporate America is following with designated no-meeting days.

Let me clarify: You may want to divide your days into halves. The trick is to work with your personal power hours. If you find that you're very productive in the afternoons, you could schedule meetings in the mornings and plan your creative work in the afternoons.

During your creative block, you will record your podcast, write your blog, and create your course outline. Here's the big secret: time blocking goes hand in hand with batch creation. When you batch similar work, it will get you into the flow and keep you in the state of flow versus bouncing from one thing to another without completing it from start to finish.

This can be done in many different ways; finding when you feel like a productivity rock star is essential. When I ask a new client about time blocking or batch work, they usually don't do it very well.

Start Small

You must wonder how to start when this whole time blocking and batching is new to you.

Start small.

The answer? Begin with 45 minutes of dedicated time scheduled 2-3 times a week and see how it goes. What is something you're getting behind on that you find you're doing at the last minute EVERY SINGLE WEEK?

Do A Time Audit to Figure Out Your Time Blocks

Another great way to figure out time blocking is to do a time audit for one week. I understand even the thought of time tracking feels like a burden; I say this with love, suck it up, buttercup, it's only for a week.

Most people don't realize how much time they spend on tasks or how easily they are distracted and waste time.

Here's how it works: time tracking can be done on paper by jotting down the time along with what you're working on or by using time tracking software to track everything.

If you'd like to try tracking software, I suggest Toggl Track, a great tool offering a free task-tracking plan. https://toggl.com/track/

My Own Example From the Past

When client work began to fill my days, the creative work for my business went out the window. I was an inconsistent content creator.

Blah, all that time I'd spent building up an audience—well, y'all, that doesn't stay without being nurtured. Unfortunately, this was a business lesson I had to learn for myself.

Then it finally dawned on me that my power hours are in the morning, and my brain is done by 2 or 3 p.m. every day. Now, the first two hours of my workday are dedicated to creating content or the top priorities for my business—also known as the things I'll procrastinate on until the last minute.

Fortunately, there's a simple solution: I work in sprints of time; I set the timer for 50 minutes and pour out all the words. I take a quick break and complete another sprint. And during that time, some days I'll have it all done, others the struggle is real, and I start over a bazillion times.

When planning my day, I know client work does not begin until 9 am. Blocking this time and setting the boundary have also taught me not to say yes to all the things and projects.

With my people-pleasing, helpful personality, I must not overbook myself. Which was also another business lesson I had to learn for myself. If this is you, be sure to read “Yes to Everything” mindset. https://misstask.com/mindful-yes/

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My Time Blocks are Simple

You must be wondering how I schedule my day. I have a morning routine that was significantly simplified.

I don't know about you, but when I started my business, I heard people talk about 2-3 hour morning routines. What I found was that an extensive morning routine simply stressed me out.

For quite a while now, the first hours have been spent with Bible reading, meditation, journaling, and the daily Wordle, and then I go into the office for my priority work block.

Once I'm at my desk, every weekday is content-focused while I enjoy several cups of coffee. A bulk of my day is reserved for my done-for-you content repurposing clients, and coaching clients are in the afternoons or every other Friday.

Stay with me now; 98% of the time, the block is consistently scheduled at the same time every day. Keeping the schedule consistent has the added bonus of reducing the decisions I must make about what I'm working on.

Flexible Friday! This day is a wildcard for me. I may have coaching calls, podcast interviews, or a travel day. Fridays are the days that I enjoy the freedom that comes with entrepreneurship.

This is a typical Monday – Thursday Schedule
5:30-6:30: Morning Routine
6:30-8: Power Block: Top Priorities for the day
8-9: Eat, Get Ready, Walk With The Dogs
9-10: Client Block
10-11: Client Block
11-12: Client Block
12-1: Client Block
1-2: Client Block
2-3: Client Block
3-4:30: Walk With The Dogs, Strength Training
4:30-5:30: Wrap Up Work Day, Look Ahead to Tomorrow and Finish Anything Undone

Will this schedule stay the same for years to come? Nope, but it is what works right now in this season of my life.

It Is Time To Wrap This Up!

If you're ready to stop feeling overwhelmed and start making tangible progress in your business, now is the time to take action. With the power of time blocking and focused productivity strategies, you can transform your daily routine and achieve more than you ever thought possible. Don't let another day slip by feeling unproductive and frustrated.

By identifying your power hours, creating a structured schedule, and focusing on essential tasks, you can break free from the overwhelming cycle of unproductivity and take control of your business. Remember, it's okay to start small and make adjustments as you go. Embrace the journey of self-discovery and be patient with yourself as you develop these new habits. With consistency and dedication, you'll soon find yourself accomplishing more than you ever thought possible, all while enjoying the freedom and satisfaction that comes with a thriving online business. Once you take that first step with time blocking, you will be amazed at how much more productive you become.

Simple Process To Planning and Brainstorming Your Opt-In Freebie

by Michele | Planning-Organization-Productivity, Content Marketing

After a few years in the life coaching business and honing in on your niche, you've realized that your old opt-in isn't working. While it still gets a lot of downloads, it's no longer attracting the right people.

The dwindling number of subscribers converting to paid offers screams this to you. It's disappointing, right? Despite all the effort you put into your business, that essential tool for growing your email list—the lead magnet—has been quietly falling short, leading to lower-than-desired conversion rates.

We've all been there, putting off the creation of a new, more aligned opt-in because, honestly, the whole process feels daunting.

Where do you start? The first place I would begin is planning and brainstorming your opt-in. However, I'll give you the whole process.

How is that?

When the Problem You Solve Changes

As business owners grow, it is natural to focus on one specific problem; when that happens, it requires updating several marketing pieces. If your current opt-in is not producing the conversion rates you've had in the past, it's a clear sign that something needs to change. Likely, your free offer to grow your email list is no longer in alignment with your paid offer. This is a common sign of the bigger problem: mismatched opt-in content.

Focusing on the Solution

To fix the bigger problem, planning and brainstorming your opt-in is crucial. The longer you put it off, the bigger the effect it will have on your business. That's a stressful problem to have. Despite being overwhelming, it is necessary to come up with a strategy that engages and converts your audience. I'm guessing you already have a good understanding of the problem your audience is trying to solve. Now, it is time to plan an opt-in that leaves your paid offer irresistible.

Step One: Begin With The End In Mind

What most people do not realize is that the simplest way to plan is to start with the end in mind. What paid offer will your updated opt-in and email series lead them to? Your opt-in should solve one quick-fix problem. Then, your email sequence takes them down the path of getting to know you. Understanding what it is like to work with you.

As a result, we begin at the end, which is your paid offer. What free offer can you create that is easy to do and gives them a quick fix to the problem they are actively trying to solve?

Remember, it only needs to be one piece. Actually, it is better this way. Each email in your sequence should bring them one step closer to saying ‘yes' to your offer.

Step Two: Idea Generation with Conversion in Mind

At this point, you have a very clear picture of the problem you are solving. As I said at the beginning, you've overtime niche down from a general life coach or virtual assistant into a very specific market. This has come from working with a broad range of clients. Along the way, you've discovered what you love to do most.

Now is the time to write an exhaustive list of ideas. I want to mention this because it has been an ah-ha moment for more than one client.

What free content have you already created? Here's the thing: you can repurpose content with a proven track record of driving engagement and interest. This content can become your new opt-in. I know, right? Huge time saver!

It's funny how this previously created content can be overlooked. Are you one who likes to go live inside your Facebook Group or Instagram? I sure hope you have all those videos. Put them together into either a video or audio email series. You see your new opt-in doesn't need to be a PDF. It can be an educational email series.

Have you done a live challenge with your audience? This can be turned into an opt-in to your email list.

I sure hope that I have your wheels turning here.

Step Three: Decide On Your Email Opt-In and Create the Outlines

Map out an email journey that leads your subscribers to your paid offer. You're not for everyone, and it is the job of the email series to help them decide if you're the right one.

I understand this is easy to say, but it takes longer to do. You have a list of all your ideas. Which one is the right one? What is most in line with your paid offer? Does one feel easier to create?

Be mindful of the copy you use in your emails. You want it to generate a true connection with your ideal client. It is not all about selling; it is about connecting with the right person. I always think the right people will find you. Personally, the people I gravitate to work with get me. They are the ones who speak my language. You see, this is why marketers talk about interviewing ideal clients when just getting started.

Step three in planning and brainstorming your opt-in is about outlining and gathering. It is the time when you make all the hard decisions. Again, you want all the content to focus on delivering quality and easy action steps. Think about what one thing they can do to get a quick win.

Here is a quick checklist for copy and images:

Sales Page
– Take a look at the current sales page for your paid offer.
– Does this need any updating?
– Or is everything still good.
Email Automation Sequence
– How many emails
– Don't forget about adding in testimonial
– Final email is the ask or your sales pitch
Landing Page
Sign Up Thank You Page
– After signing up for your lists
– After signing up for your services
Freebie

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Step Four: Creating the Content

Now, it's all about creating the content. You've made all the decisions have an outline, and now is the time to develop your new freebie.

If you've decided to create a workbook, it doesn't need to be very long. If you have downloaded my quarterly planning guide, you know I did not follow this rule because it is around 50 pages. Here is the link if you’re curious: https://misstask.com/free-planning-workbook

If you're creating a workbook, up to five pages will do.

During the create phrase, you will create it all. You will write your copy, find your images, and follow your outlines to create it all!

Step Five: Setting Up the Automation

For some who are not as techie, this may be the hardest part of the whole process. Before you set up the automation, have all the leg work done ahead of time. You do not want to write your emails while you are setting up the automation. That will be too much task switching, without a doubt, make you exhausted and overwhelmed.

When you task switching, you’ll be doing tasks that are not anything alike. The switching is what makes you feel exhausted and overwhelmed.

You have your whole plan. It's already laid out for you. Now, you just need to plug that into the automation and you configure your email marketing platform for that automatic delivery. To initiate that follow-up sequence that happens automatically to nurture your subscribers towards your desired action, which is to sign up for your paid service.

Step Six: Launching and Promoting Your Freebie

Now, step six is actually launching and promoting your new freebie to attract the right people.

You announce your new freebie and begin talking about it everywhere. You start putting it out so that it can be discovered. You add it to your website. You're doing all the things to leverage your existing list.

You can handle it as if it were a re-engagement campaign. Your new target list is whoever clicks on the link to download the new freebie, and everyone else gets pruned away.

You're putting the problem of your new opt-in freebie out there to find your people.

Put it out on your social media channels and create reels. What are all the different things that you can do to promote your new freebie and attract signups? My guess is you have a pretty good handle on promoting your services.

Step Seven: Tracking and Analyzing Metrics

Don't skip step seven. This is when you know what you need to tweak and change so you can identify those key metrics and track the performance of your new opt-in over time.

When you review metrics, you're able to refine your strategy based on that data and feedback, which gives you a really good look into how it's performing.

I'm guessing you've already been tracking your metrics because you're looking to change your opt-in because it's not converting. Right? So you have to have some idea of your numbers, at least I'm assuming you do.

Time To Wrap This Up

Those are the seven different steps for planning and brainstorming your new opt-in. I hope that this has given you a really good step-by-step approach. I get that it doesn't include every single step-that would be way to much information for one post—it's more like big buckets of steps. But these are the buckets of steps that make up the are part of an opt-in building process inside a content system. My goal was to help you with the steps needed to create an opt-in that can help boost your conversion rates.

Focusing on what your audience needs, leveraging those effective strategies, and guiding your subscribers towards your ultimate goal with a carefully planned email series, you're setting the stage for the freebie that's going to connect deeply with your ideal audience.

Thank you so much for your time. I appreciate you. And I hope you have a wonderful week.

Quarterly Planning Your Business For Online Entrepreneurs

by Michele | Online Business, Planning-Organization-Productivity

Quarterly Planning for Entrepreneurs

Can you believe it is almost the end of June already? Crazy. Wow. Time flies when you're having fun. What does the end of June mean for you? For me, it means looking ahead at the next quarter and seeing all the things I want to accomplish in my life and business. Quarterly planning for Entrepreneurs is essential to the success of your business. As an Operations Manager, I understand that quarterly planning isn’t always an entrepreneur's cup of tea. Here are the things that go into the quarterly planning process. Do you resist planning? Here is a link to download a quarterly plan template!

Michele Duwe from Miss Task | Quarterly Planning Your Business For Online Entrepreneurs

Process for Planning Your Business Quarterly

You may be wondering about different steps in the quarterly planning process. Is creating a quarterly plan necessary? Yes, it is.

With quarterly planning entrepreneur, you figure out what you want to accomplish in the next quarter verse flying by the seat of your pants.

Do you know everything you want to achieve and the steps to accomplish it?

Creating a quarterly plan will keep you from feeling completely overwhelmed and busy daily. Calm and ease are why planning is a good thing.

Well, first off, we always get to pick our hard. You have two choices, would you rather spend a little bit of time working on the hard now by quarterly planning, or do you want your hard to be spending a lot of effort and time spinning your wheels every day?

It's your choice; you get to choose and make sure you do what feels best for you. Is creating a quarterly plan for your business the best use of your time and energy?

Psst… Yes, it is.

Figure out your time

You must be wondering what I feel is necessary when quarterly planning.

Pull out your calendar.

If you haven't already, put the dates that you're planning to be out of the office for time off, such as vacation, appointments, rest, leisure, whatever it is, figure those days out, and put them on your calendar as Out Of Office. Do it right now for the third quarter. Heck, while you’re at it, block off your out-of-office days for the remainder of the year.

Once you have all your time blocked off on your calendar, that's the number of the working days you have to move forward with all your different goals and projects that you have scheduled or are hoping to accomplish in the third quarter.

Define Your Goals.

An excellent quarterly plan should help define your goals. You need to set realistic goals so you can measure your progress. If you set too high a goal, you might not achieve it. If you set too low a goal, you won't feel satisfied.

Now grab your notebook, open up your computer, whatever it is, time to create an exhausted list of all the projects and goals you would love to accomplish in the next three months.

Start by defining what success looks like for your business. What do you want to accomplish? How will you know when you've achieved those results? Once you've defined your goals, think about where you want to go next. Are there any new products or services you'd like to offer? Do you want to expand into a different market? Or maybe you just want to make more money. Whatever your goals are, write them down.

What if everything were to go as planned? As you write out your list, think of all the “What ifs” that will help you create a big dream list of all the things you want to get done.

What are all your ideas?

Get it out. Even those crazy ideas don't matter. Whatever it is, no project is too small or too simple for this list. Write it down. Everything that pops into your mind without any judgment add it to your list.

Creating the list should not be a tremendous amount of time, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, whatever feels right for you—just enough time to get everything out of your mind. Heck, you might even be able to do it in five. Whatever works for you time-wise, set a timer, and get everything out of your head.

Now you have it. How are those projects aligned with how you want to think, feel, and your vision for your life and your business?

Cross things off the list

When you have your whole and exhausted list, look at the things that feel the most aligned with how you want your life to feel. How do you want your business to feel when tackling that list. Go ahead and cross off anything on that list that is out of alignment or does not bring you joy.

Cross off the things you dread unless it's an essential project; then, you probably need to leave it there.

However, when you break things down, they all become easier. Now I want you to go ahead and circle all the ideas you feel are in alignment with your life and your business. So what are those things?

What are those goals that are important to you? What are the things that you feel called to do and accomplish?

Mindmap the Actions For Your Quarterly Plan

After that, we have what we want to accomplish for our life and business in the next three months. Let's go ahead and mindmap out that project.

My favorite way to create a project plan is, to begin with, a mindmap. Have you created a mindmap before? If not, I recommend this to all my creative entrepreneurs.

You can do it however you want. I like paper. You might prefer to do it on an app that allows you to mind map. However, it is entirely up to you.

Mindmap Actions

First, write one goal or project in the middle of the paper and draw a circle around it.

Second, all around the big circle, write all the ideas that pop into your mind on how to accomplish this project. Go ahead and circle those too. Connect the big circle to the idea circles with lines.

It will look like spokes coming off the big circling connecting your ideas.

Third, add the actions you need for all the ideas. These actions will also be circled and connected to the idea with a line.

Example how to use mindmap for planning

For example, if one project in the next quarter is to create a new opt-in. You’ll need a landing page for one of the items. What are the small accomplishable daily tasks to create a landing page? Here are a few ideas.

Find images
Write Copy
Create Wireframe
What else do you need to do?

Using a mindmap would be how I suggest for the brain sweep or thought download of all the actions that need to take place for that project to happen.

Now, granted, sometimes, when I'm laying everything out in my project management system, I'll have other things that pop into my mind. I didn't take that into consideration. So, that is how you do a general mindmap.

Since you have all your action items, let's get it scheduled.

Get it scheduled

Now that you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, it's time to implement your plan. This means creating a detailed strategy for reaching your goals.

If you have a project management system, you can set this up inside so you know what to do when. If not, a paper calendar or Bullet Journal will work just fine.

Once you know all the actions that will need to be done, give each an estimated time it will take to complete. A quick word of advice, if you’re not sure about the time, estimate double the amount of time you think it would take if you did know.

You should also consider who will help you reach these goals. Who will you need to hire? Who will you need to partner with? And who will you need to outsource some work too?

Let's get it on your calendar and figure out the who and the when.

Generally speaking, work from the end forward because if you know the date you want it done by, it will allow you to have the correct timeline.

Do not build too many bridges

Build one bridge at a time, focusing on one project until it is completed instead of jumping back and forth between multiple projects.

So now you have your list of everything that needs to be done. You have an idea of the due date; the next question is, who will get it done? Is it you or somebody on your team who needs to get it done?

Perhaps, you’re focused on a life goal over the summer while you’re spending more time with the kids. Are you the only one who can do the work, or can you involve your kids?

Do you need any special resources to be able to accomplish your project and get it done?

For example, if you're landscaping your front yard, what are all the things you'll need to get ordered before you can even start working on that project?

As yourself again, are you the best person to do this task? It's essential that you stay in your own lane and delegate out any task that somebody can do more efficiently because they have better knowledge of the project, and it will take them far less time to get accomplished than if you kept it on your plate.

Review Your Results.

Once you've completed your plan, review your results. Did you meet your goals? If not, why not? What did you learn from your efforts? How do you think you can improve next quarter?

What is your goal?

If you have any questions, write them down below in the comments. I'd love to hear what is the next big project your planning for the quarter?

I hope you have a wonderful day. I appreciate you.

If you need some help figuring these out, I invite you to apply for my private coaching. Here is the link: https://misstask.com/mini-session; working on all those project plans together would be fun.

Download the Quarterly Plan Template.

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