Episode 49: How to save 20 hours a week in your business without productivity hacks, fancy calendars, or time management.
Let’s talk about the art of saving 20 hours a week.
Welcome to the SPS Podcast
"It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important."
– Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
From drifting through life to saving business owners 20 hours a week
In my first decade as an adult, I was lost. I was rudderless. Being dragged from thing to thing by life.
I did go to university.
I did move from Ireland to the North of England.
But those were events in my life. Not a coordinated plan to succeed. It took me four years to complete a three-year business degree program.
I lacked motivation and conviction.
I lacked the ability to get sh*t done.
I drifted around several retail management jobs in my 20s. Fell into the trap of living for the weekend. Woke up at 29 frustrated and broke.
I decided to shake things up and go to Canada.
I moved there months after my 30th birthday.
This move provided me with purpose. I wanted to stay in Canada. But I had to prove myself valuable to an employer to secure a longer visa.
For the first time, my focus was narrowed to a target.
Get the right job and get good at that job.
Which I did. I found a job that allowed me to stay in Canada. I became one of the top managers in the region.
The lessons from that time impacted me.
The equation of targets + effort stuck with me.
Over the next 8 years, I was promoted 9 times. Two years ago I started my coaching business. In early 2022 I made enough money to know my solopreneur journey was viable and scalable.
I discovered a system that helped me save a lot of time allowing me to get sh*t done.
I had testimonials from clients showing me the system works for other people.
I want to share that system with you.
The system is pulled from the steps of my PRO-Accelerator Program. Here in this newsletter, I have split it into two parts.
Your Foundations and Your Actions.
Let’s dive into it.
How to save 20 hours a week in your business without productivity hacks, fancy calendars, or time management.
PART ONE:
The 4 Foundational Steps.
1) Define what success is for you:
You can’t save time if you don’t know what you want.
How do you want to spend your days? Who do you want to work with? What type of work do you want to do.
Get specific.
2) Get clear on 3 key pillars for your business:
You now know what you want.
Let’s build pillars to help you get there. These are the projects and targets needed to succeed. Narrow these down to 3 BIG levers.
These are the areas you will pour your energy into.
3) Select daily/weekly/monthly milestones for each pillar:
These are your goals and targets.
You can only define your actions by completing steps 1 and 2. Too many business owners start at this step. Then wonder why they get lost and frustrated.
Build your pillars and know your milestones.
4) Get clear on the high-value and high-$$$ activities:
These are the activities that fuel you and your business.
Without steps 1 to 3 completed you have no idea what is high-$$$ in your business. You won’t know what is high-value or what is low-value.
You might be making money now but could you be getting in the way of making more.
Are you wasting hours doing sh*t you shouldn’t be doing?
PART TWO
The 7 Practical Actions:
Now we get into the actions that will save 20 working hours weekly.
With a few key strategies, you can streamline your business and free up valuable time to focus on what you want.
1) Cut the dumb shit:
Let's start with the basics.
Doing less dumb shit is how you make progress in life. The same goes for your business.
Take a hard look at your daily tasks and ask yourself:
What's essential?
What can you eliminate?
Be ruthless.
Scott one of my clients did this and dropped one of his businesses. Allowing him to focus entirely on the key pillars he had called out.
2) Do/Drop/Delegate:
Keep trimming the fat.
If you’re not doing it and it doesn’t need done. Drop it.
If it still needs done but you shouldn’t be doing it. Delegate it.
If you have to do it and it’s high-value or high-$$$. Keep doing it
Simple.
3) Do what you’re good at:
As a solopreneur, you wear many hats.
But because you can do everything doesn't mean you should. Focus on your strengths. Start each day with what you’re good at.
This frees up time because you hit your key pillars first and early each day.
It also gives you an energy rush of dopamine.
Let’s F**king Gooo...as the kids say.
4) NEVER multitask:
Switching between tasks takes time and mental energy.
Instead of constantly shifting gears, batch your tasks. Set aside specific times of the day for certain activities.
Multitasking is dumb sh*t and wastes hours of your week.
5) Say no:
If it’s not under your key pillars.
If it’s not high-value or high-$$$
You say NO to it.
When you say no to low-priority tasks and distractions, you create space for the things that truly matter.
Don't be afraid to set boundaries and say NO.
6) Focus sprints:
You only have 4 to 6 hours of high cognitive energy each day.
Set your day up around three Big Rocks. Each rock taking about 90 minutes to complete. Then sprint to finish all that work in the first 6 hours of the day.
Create an effective daily rhythm.
Get sh*t done in less time.
7) Protect your energy:
Energy management is always more important than time management.
Make sure you:
• Get good sleep
• Reduce alcohol
• Take daily walks
• Eat healthy food
• Drink lots of water
• Remove coffee after 1pm
• Meditate and journal daily
The right energy + the right work = deep flow.
Tap into it every day and see your results explode.
Conclusion:
As a business owner, I've seen firsthand the power of streamlining your activities and freeing up time.
By following the steps above you can save 20 working hours a week.
Now go save that time in your business.
Stephen links:
Get my free Kinetic Flow Program here and learn how to save 10 hours a week:
https://www.stephentimoney.com/kinetic-flow
PRO-Accelerator, select a time here:
https://www.stephentimoney.com/pro-accelerator
Visit the website:
https://www.stephentimoney.com/
Follow me here:
Big love.
Make it a great one,
Stephen
