Solo Business Owners: Try These Tips for Getting Things Done

Many of the solo business owners I work with say they have a hard time staying on track and getting things done throughout the day. For some reason, they're always getting derailed. Is that true of you? At the end of the day, do you often wonder why you weren't more productive?

Listed below are five tips to help you stay on track:

1) Create a Plan and Follow it - In my somewhat biased opinion, many people veer off course during the day because they haven't laid out a clear path. Scheduling your tasks and meetings into your calendar can help guide you through your day. Be sure, of course, to build in healthy breaks, designed to help you keep your energy elevated throughout the day.

2) Set Alarms that Remind You to Move onto the Next "To Do" - If you consistently "forget" to move onto the next task you need to accomplish, setting alarms on your cell phone, iPOD, or computer may be just what you need to keep you on track. I work on a Mac, and set the alarm to sound two minutes before I'm supposed to move onto the next "to do." Setting these alarms also keeps me more focused on each task - a nice fringe benefit.

3) Remind Yourself of Your Payoff - This is especially important if you have tasks on your to do list that you find less than appealing. When I'm working with clients who are struggling to complete the not so fun items on their to do lists, I suggest that they remind themselves of their motivation for doing what they're doing, whether it's attending a networking event or delivering a speech. When you remind yourself of the payoff, it helps you become more invested in the task and more positive about the experience. And when you're feeling more positive you're more likely to perform well and enjoy the process.

4) Aim for Excellence Rather Than Perfection - If you're like many of my clients, you may have a perfectionist streak in you. You know what I mean: you're not just focused on doing the best job possible. You're determined to do it perfectly. While there's certainly nothing wrong with wanting to excel, perfectionism can prevent you from getting things done. So, instead of attempting to do the "perfect job," aim for excellence, and in doing so you'll do your very best, in each moment.

5) Reward Yourself for Staying on Course - If you created a plan and followed it, you deserve to celebrate. So reward yourself for a job well done. In fact, even if you stayed on track most of the day, but slipped up slightly, go ahead and celebrate. After all, we're not aiming for perfection. We're aiming for excellence. And you're only human, and as they say, "stuff happens." So give yourself the credit you deserve, and choose a reward that speaks to you. Remember: if you continually reward yourself for staying on track, you're more likely to continue that behavior. It's when we beat ourselves up for failing to achieve our goals that we really backslide and fall back into "why bother trying to change" mode.

Ellen H. Brown is a certified professional coach who works with solo business owners who want to maximize their productivity and time and lead healthy, balanced lives.

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