Just like making a cup of tea or coffee, or doing the laundry, you carry out those tasks with a process. It is the same in business, every job that we carry out has a purpose and a process, it the steps we take to complete whatever task that needs to be done.
Sometimes those processes can be long-winded and detrimental to our energy and passion, certain tasks with either no process or a process that isn’t working for your business can make that task undesirable, and give you that dreaded feeling when it comes to carrying out that task.
If it is a task that needs to be done, and then having that sinking feeling when the time comes to carrying it out, can make you put it off, drop it to the bottom of your to-do list as well as a spot of procrastination, and we all know procrastination is the thief of time!
How do they work?
It is very simple, basically, every task we do has a process, from opening our emails to sending out newsletters they all have steps to take, and it’s finding the right steps to get you from A to B without visiting C, D, E…… creating a process is looking at how you do something currently, and tweaking it to make it smarter and more streamlined.
Be honest with yourself
When looking at the process that you currently take, be honest and ask yourself is that step really necessary or do you do it because it’s just the way you have always done it? Try to avoid resisting change!
If its that latter then that could be your sticking point, if steps need to be removed because they are causing you to get stuck, then we need to find a workaround. Is that particular step 100% necessary? Can it be broken down into 2 steps?
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Time yourself!
This one can often freak people out, they can get a panic on when they know they are being timed, but the thing is you need to get an idea of how long something is taking you. But when timing becomes a regular part of the process, remember you are not being timed to see how well or how quick you are doing something, you are using a timer so you don’t overrun on something, as that is a common reason for a task taking longer than it should.
There are just some tasks that can take you on the scenic route, and that is what we need to avoid, things like social media in general, you know what it’s like, one moment you are online to check your stuff and to get content up, and then before you know it, you have come across a video of a dog eating or running away from a kitten, or you have found a video of a cat stuck up a tree you know where I am coming from, and Shelia your mother-in-law posted one of the OMG games ‘what flower are you?’ these are all the things that drive you away from the task in hand, so setting a timer will help you stay on track.
Turn off
This is another tip that many do not seem to do, if you are not working on a certain program but you find it’s a distraction TURN IT OFF, or mute your notifications! It will help I promise you.
These are just a couple of steps you can add into your process, so if you know you will be image sourcing then in your process you could put:
- Turn off unnecessary programs and notifications
- Set a timer for 20mins
- Do not open all stock photo sites, only one at a time
- Only pick 5 -10 per sitting
- Have a dedicated drive with sub-folders for images
It could be that simple, we are here to create a simplistic, effective, streamlined process to help you through your tasks.
How do you create your processes?
Download my Taming your Social Media e-book, it has a 6 step process on creating content, images, and scheduling your content – get your copy HERE