Working closely with online entrepreneurs I understand firsthand that checking the done box is not all that exciting to them. Why is this a problem? Missing deadlines leads to issues with achieving a goal and/or finishing an important revenue-generating project on time. I know what you’re thinking how do you making it task completion exciting? The solution is simply creating a winning record in online business.

Stay with me here I'm not necessarily talking about the number of leads, or the number of offers, or the number of clients, that's not what I'm talking about with creating a winning record in online business.

Break it down

In order to achieve a goal, it needs to be broken down into action items. The same thing in order to complete a project, it needs to be broken down into action items, everything that you're doing and trying to accomplish in an online business needs to be broken down into action items.

If your online business is not at a place where you can hire a project manager or OBM to figure out the project plan for you, this is how you’d figure out the action items for yourself.

Begin with a mind sweep of all of the possible action items that you need to either complete the project, reach the goal, do whatever it is that you need to get done in your online business.

Next, you put those actions in order how they need to be completed.

Start with the end date in mind, working backward from the last action to the first action begin to assign a completion date.

If you want to reach this goal by x date, then you're going to work backward on your timeline assigning dates.

Note, this is important if you haven't done that action before make sure you overestimate the amount of time it will take to complete. Add a little buffer.

When I’m breaking down a plan if I feel it will take a team member 3 hours to complete, I’ll estimate it to take 6 hours, always double up that time.

I can almost hear you thinking, what about Parkinson's Law? The old adage that work expands to fill the time allotted.

Still, I’ve found it’s better to have the extra buffer time than asking a team of contractors to find more time in their already full calendars. If it takes less time, great! Getting a bit of extra time in a project is super exciting, guaranteed you’ll find something else that you can fill it with.

Creating a Winning Record

You must be wondering how do you create a winning record in your online business?

Here’s how it works for every action that you complete on time is considered a win.

And every action that doesn’t get completed on time and on the due date, that's considered a loss, boohoo.

I’m a Notion enthusiast for almost all of my task management, I’ve added two fields one for the win and one for the loss. To figure out my record at the end of the week or the end of the month I filter on the date range in a table view and sum the total at the bottom.

Here's my suggestion on how you can go ahead and track to make sure that you actually have a winning record, because what you track actually improves.

If you have a project management system that allows for custom fields, then create a win field, and a loss field. You could also use the same field and either give yourself a 1 or -1, depending on if your win or loss.

If you're not using a project management system that allows for custom fields you can create a spreadsheet with your action items with a column for your wins and a column for your loss. Summing them up at the bottom for the record.

What does creating a winning recond tell you

Creating a winning record will shine a light if action items are getting completed on time or if action items aren’t getting completed on time.

Occasionally things come up and the action item isn’t completed by the actual deadline or due date. The keyword is occasionally.

If the record has more losses than wins, it’s time to take a look at what’s going on inside the online business to cause this.

That’s valuable information to use and improve on the record.

Is creating a winning record something you’d like in your online business?

How fun is this little spin on getting action items done? I'd love to hear if you found this beneficial.

So go ahead and leave me a comment below if you did. Thank you and I appreciate you have a wonderful day.

✁ Just a Snippet

Here is just a snippet of the important points, you know for the skimmer in you. 🤪

• Feel like creating a winning record in your online business?
• This inspiration came from the many sporting events and discussions we have in our household.
• This got me thinking about creating a winning record in online business.
• What could be a simple way of creating a winning record in online business?
• Give yourself a win when you complete the action item on time, a loss if you do not.
• Yes, see simple right.
• Here is the thing, in order to achieve a goal it needs to be broke down into action items.
• If you do not have a project manager or OBM to do this for you, begin with a mind sweep of every action possible to reach the goal.
• Put each action in order by how they need to be completed.
• Every action item that is completed on time is a win! Woohoo.
• Every action item that is not completed on time is a loss. Boohoo.
• After you've reached your goal, you'll have a Win-Loss record that you can improve on for the next goal. (:

I get it. Being ‘too busy' does not serve yourself, your family, or your clients. This constant state of hustle may even be getting in the way of you growing our online business. Say what!

Friend, I've got good news, you can totally fix busy. Pause this video, grab your to-do list, maybe a cup of coffee and let's work through your task list together.

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​Take Action Now: 

Look at your list mark any task that is an idea add it to your Someday/Maybes or Ideas list and get it off the to-do list. You can highlight it a different color or draw a little icon next to the task. Once you have marked these move them from your task list to your Someday/Maybes or Idea List We have it captures and we know where to go to look for it. 

Looking at the list again what tasks are actually more of a decision? Add that to your decision log or Decision Parking Lot. 

If you don't have a decision log, create one today. Schedule time in your calendar daily to go through the decision log when your mind is fresh – not at the end of the day when you're in decision fatigue. Here is a blog regarding Decision Fatigue. 

Don’t need to be done NOW

Don’t need to be done NOW – if you aren’t strategic about planning ahead, then as a default everything on your to-do list feels like it needs to be done NOW. 

Take Action Now: 

Work through each item and ask yourself – when does this really need to be done? Could it be put off until next week? Maybe even next month or next quarter? Take your list and put realistic due dates beside each item. 

(As an OBM I always start by creating a plan for my clients, so that we can be clear on realistic timelines and not feel like it all needs to be done ‘now!’)

After answering this question, you should be left with a list of things that are due in the next week or so – and a list of things that aren’t due yet (or are ideas and are no longer on the list!)

Question Two is “Do I need to be the one to do this?”

If you are like most business owners I know, as a default you feel like you must do everything. You are good at what you do. You are used to being the one to get it all done, but now things are starting to fall behind and slip through the cracks.

Run through your list again and ask yourself – could someone else do this for me? 

Be aware of the following when you answer:

“Well yes, someone else could do this for me but I’m the only one here so I have to”

 If you don’t have anyone working with you right now this could be true, and you also have the power to change that. Growth dictates that you will need to hire help at some point – when you do it is up to you.

“But no one can do it as well as me – so I have to be the one to do it” 

 You may be surprised to hear this but that is just a story you’re telling yourself because you’re about to up-level and that will push you outside your comfort zone. 

Holding on to the belief that no one can do it as well as you is a dangerous spot to get stuck in because as long as you believe it to be true, it is… and it could be your biggest barrier to growth.

When I find myself saying this, I step back and say “That’s not true.” I begin to list reasons why it’s not true to get myself out of the story.

When you hear yourself say “no one can do it as well as me” 

Simply respond “That's not true, I can easily train another person to be as good as me or find someone who does it already and bring them on board.” 

(As an OBM I work with my clients to ‘download’ everything from their brain into documented processes so that we can confidently start delegating.)*

The goal is simple, get things off your plate that others can do. If you do not have a team yet, get creative and figure out a plan for how you can get support.

This second question can be a doozy as it brings up all kinds of stuff – it might make your inner control freak have a bit of a fit. Trust me when I say, getting things off your task list so you can focus on the things that ONLY you can do is the light at the end of the busy tunnel.

If you go through your list and still have your name beside every task, let’s talk. An outside eye can often see what you can’t. Have you ever heard you can’t read the label from inside the bottle? 

Question Three: How can I create more space?

At this point, you should have a realistic list of what needs to be done in the next week or so. Now you want to ensure you have space and time to get it done. Here are two of my favorite tips:

Plan ahead –book the time in your schedule to get stuff done. You might book specific tasks, or you block schedule time on your calendar for like tasks such as writing time, client time. Really we want the tasks on your calendar to be things that ONLY you can do.

Set boundaries – distraction is the death of productivity. Be it team, clients, family, or social media – every time you get distracted it takes you off track, and for many people, it happens all day long! Close your door. Shut your inbox. Turn off your notifications. Let people know when you aren’t available and when you are. And get really good at saying no (because they will test your boundaries!) 

Amy Porterfield calls this her Tiger Time. Listen to Amy talk about Tiger Time on her Online Marketing Made Easy Podcast. 

Question Four: Do I need to renegotiate any deadlines?

If you are genuinely in over your head and can’t get everything done, then you need to revise your deadlines with clients, team members, or whoever may be waiting on you. 

I get that this sucks, and you may hate having to do it, but it’s better to own up to something ahead of time vs. having people get upset with you because they are waiting/asking.

To simply say to someone, “Hey, I got in over my head here, and that’s on me. I won’t be able to get X to you until next Monday and wanted to let you know.” Yes, you might need to make concessions for being late if this affects their timelines.

Even if they are frustrated, people will respect you for stepping up and being real with what is going on – and quite often, they are OK with adjusted timelines if they know ahead of time.

The beauty of these four questions is that you can use them over and again. Work through this process every time you find yourself too busy, and ideally, you won’t need to anymore over time.

If you're in the too busy tunnel and having trouble getting out – let’s talk. It's time for you to see the light at the end of the busy tunnel. As an OBM, this is one of my specialty areas, and I’d be happy to hop on a call with you to identify five things that could come off your plate immediately.

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✁ Just a Snippet 

Here is just a snippet of the important points you know for the skimmer in you. 🤪

• Being ‘too busy' does not serve yourself, your family, or your clients.
• We fill it with all our brilliant ideas, things we are thinking about but haven't made a decision on. Those are not actually tasks that need to be done. 
• Mark any task that is an idea, and we are going to add it to our Someday/Maybes or Ideas list and get it off the to-do list.
• Create a decision log or decision parking lot.
• You are holding on to the belief that no one can do it as well as you is a dangerous spot to get stuck in.
• The goal is simple, get things off your plate that others can do.
• Book the time in your schedule to get stuff done.
• Distraction is the death of productivity.
• You may need to revise your deadlines with clients, team members, or whoever may be waiting on you.