Time is Precious
It is that time of year when designers are running around and trying to get those last installations or other deliveries done. We’re also trying to make sure our clients are happy and that we’ve kept our promises to them.
And we do all of this so that we can have time to spend with our family and loved ones for the holiday season.
What I hear most from people is that they wish they had more time in their day or week. And, of course, that isn’t going to happen.
But what can change is how you use the time you have and how conscious you are of the way you are using it now.
The problem is that we often do a lot of things that we really don’t need to do. The result is that we end up squandering tons of time. There are a bunch of things that we do for other people to be “nice.” When people ask us to do something, we may think it will only take a few minutes, but it often takes a lot more time than we planned for.
Highly successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything. They have to.
Think about what you say ‘yes’ to because you want to be nice or just because somebody asked you. Sometimes we’re flattered to be asked, but that takes up way more of our life than we should be giving up. And it gives us much less time to spend with our family and doing the things we love.
Designers tend to squander time doing little things that you can hire someone else to do. Often, you think that you are the only one that can do a certain thing. Nobody can do it as well as you can, which becomes a story you tell yourself that keeps you stuck. You try to own these tasks and show your value, but then you’re stuck in it.
Another point that I want to make…
If all you’re doing in your business is playing the role of “worker bee,” which is producing design jobs for clients, following up on purchase orders, and setting up installations, then you’re stuck there forever.
You have a job, not a business.
To solve this challenge, you need to put on your business owner’s hat and decide that you will take steps to leverage your business into a bigger, more smoothly running entity. That way, you can hire people to do repeated tasks, and you can reclaim your time.
There’s a big difference between working “on” your business and working “in” your business.
The working “on” your business tasks are the growth tactics like marketing, setting up social media, a newsletter, a solid website, and networking. Those are the items that will really grow your business, revenue, and freedom, but often don’t get done because you’re spending too much or all your time working on producing jobs.
Watch the video above where I show you what you can do to solve this issue. It’s a methodology that I use to clear things off my to-do list that don’t need to be there. You will discover some of the tasks that can be delegated to someone you hire. And it’s also a great way to find out if you’re doing things to please someone else because they asked you to.
Once you take those items out of your calendar, fill up those empty spaces with things you really want to do. Whether it’s working out, family time, spiritual time, use that time for the things that fuel you because it’s important to your overall well-being.
If you’d like to learn more about reclaiming your time or other design business strategies, then you need to talk to us at Interior Design Business Academy. Time is sacred for us. We focus on creating businesses that make you and your family joyful. This is a combination of mindset and technical models that serve as a roadmap to follow.
I encourage you to schedule a clarity call with one of our coaches, so you can learn where you are at in your business right now, what your next best steps should be, and if IDBA Growth, Structure, or Masters programs are a good fit for you.
Until next time, design something beautiful and get paid what you’re worth.
