Running an online business can be very challenging to say the least, but one of the biggest challenges is managing your work-life balance. It’s really all about proper time management.
This is especially important when you work from home because of the endless distractions that can occur throughout the day.
When the day seems to get out of your control early on and your stress levels leave you exhausted, you are probably missing the three “D’s”.
These can be difficult to start implementing, yet liberating once you make them part of your regular daily routine.
The Three “D’s” are Do, Delegate and Defer
Do you consider a new idea or a new project for your online business and think to yourself, “When do I have time to do this?”
A better question is; “Do I have to be the one to do this or do I simply need to arrange to have it done by someone else through outsourcing?”
The next question is; “What would happen if this were moved to a later time or scheduled farther in advance? ”
Note that these are the essential Do, Delegate and Defer questions.
DO: Which Tasks are Essential to Your Online Business and Which Ones are Not?
Are the tasks necessary “money tasks” that are going to move your online business forward?
Or, are these tasks just busy work that make you feel like you are working on your business?
Ask yourself if your new ideas or projects will distract from what you are needing to work on or can they wait until you have already become profitable.
Sometimes, your new ideas are almost a form of procrastination or shiny object syndrome.
So, really stop and consider what you are spending your time on and you will become more clear on what you need to do to grow your online business.
Just because a new idea comes to mind or a project presents itself to you does not mean that you have to do it now or at all.
It’s easy to end down these rabbit holes, but don’t try to cram more into your day that you need to because you will just spread yourself too thin.
You’re the boss and so it’s your responsibility to prioritize your time.
DELEGATE: Can this Task Be Assigned to Someone Else to Complete?
Delegating is not passing off unwanted projects or less important projects.
That’s what has given delegating a bad name.
Proper use of delegating is to transfer responsibility or a part of a project to someone else.
In the online business world, this is actually called outsourcing.
Outsourcing is a golden opportunity to build up your online business by getting some of the tasks off of your plate, while you work on other parts of your business.
DEFER: Can this Task Wait?
Not everything on the desk, in the email or on the phone is urgent.
Be clear about what must be done today and what is not necessary.
Where you get stuck is with tasks that are nice to do or useful to do but are really not necessary to do.
Or they are not necessary to do at this time.
For example, notice how easy it is to be looking up something business related online and then end up distracted by an intriguing news story or a banner ad for a product that interests you.
In moments your focus is lost and you are off doing something that’s useful, but not necessary at this time on this day.
A great way to stay more focused is to have a physical written list of 3-5 things that you must complete for the day before you allow yourself to get distracted by busy work or other things.
These 3-5 items should always be money-making tasks that will grow your online business.
They should be considered non-negotiable tasks that need to be done that day, no matter what else happens during the day.
Also, keep an index card with three D’s in bold print as your reminder to put tasks, new ideas and projects through the test.
Ask those critical questions, then decide whether you need to DO, DELEGATE or DEFER.
This simple approach will complement any existing time management system you already have in place.
You will find that you’re more able to stay focused and manage your time a lot better, which in turn will help your online business be successful.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great day 🙂
To Your Success,
P.S.- Grab your free gifts below as a “Thank You” for visiting my website 🙂
About
Nicole Lynn
from
Resources for Online Success
My Online Journey
You don’t know me.
I’m not some flashy internet marketing “guru” with my name and face all over the internet.
I’m just an ordinary person that had to figure out a way to make money online when I lost my job in 2008, due to health issues.
In the offline world, I gained several years experience in Customer Service, Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable and various other clerical type positions.
Much of it was drudgery, especially working in call centers.
I was good at my various jobs, but I did not enjoy being hostage to a cubicle and headset..lol 🙂
But, you do what soul sucking jobs you have to do, in order to make money to pay the bills.
As a free spirit, I always had the deep desire to break free from the cubicle-zombie-robot rat race world and have full control over my time, income and life, without having to have permission from a boss.
I was tired of being just another “number” that was expendable, no matter how dependable I was or how hard I worked (just to help build someone else’s wealth and make their dreams come true).
I wanted to create MY freedom…not just build it for someone else.
Unexpectedly in 2008, severe neck issues forced me out of the 9 to 5 corporate world rat race (before I was actually ready financially, which really sucked a lot and was pretty scary).
My neck issues got worse after years of being trapped at a computer, with little to no permission to get up and move around and stretch.
This is not good when you are suffering from old car accident injuries.
This was especially the case in call center jobs with low cubicle walls. They didn’t want you standing up, due to the noise while on calls.
And although losing my job and the paycheck was a less than pleasant experience, my goal was to be an online entrepreneur anyway.
But, I was forced to make it happen at that point…which was not ideal.
Wasted Time Dabbling
It’s better to have a 2nd income already coming in regularly before losing your main source of income, but I had no control over what happened.
I had already been “dabbling” in internet marketing, on the side, since 2004…basically wasting time.
I treated it as a hobby, instead of an online business.
I actually made a little bit of money with affiliate commissions and some advertising revenue, but it was nothing to write home about because I did not build it up.
If I had realized that my health was going to go sideways so badly in 2008, then I would’ve taken my online business “side gig” much more seriously.
I would’ve hustled, even while still working a full-time job, because 4 years would’ve been more than enough time to have built that online business into a full-time income.
Just an extra 1 hour per day consistently over that 4 year period…would have made all the difference.
So, after I lost my job in 2008, I was in a real bind for more than one reason.
I needed to get serious and stop dabbling and start hustling to make money online, but it takes time to build an online business that brings in consistent income.
I was out of time. My household went from two incomes to one and I needed to get moving.
The problem was my severe neck issues and the accompanying dizziness from nerve damage in my C1 Vertebrae, the Atlas.
So, this meant that I couldn’t exactly hustle like I needed to because being on a computer for hours each day at home is no different than doing it at a job.
I was no longer able to do this, if I wanted to not end up completely disabled or bed-ridden.
The years 2008-2011 were extremely tough in trying to heal, but with proper therapy, the worst of it got better, but it’s not 100%.
Even now in 2022, I still can only be on a computer so much each day, without causing flare-ups.
So again, if I had taken it all more seriously, then I wouldn’t have ended up with so many financial worries, when I lost my job.
I would’ve had something more substantial to fall back on during times that were difficult money-wise and health-wise.
Then, add in beating my head against the wall, jumping from one “program” to another and basically flushing more time and money down the toilet.
Losing my job made me act in desperation because I wanted to make something happen right now.
So, I ended up doing what a lot of people do, which is looking for a shortcut and something “quick” or “push button”…which is not realistic because it doesn’t really exist.
Then in 2012, I joined Wealthy Affiliate because it had the tools and resources I needed all in one place, to help me build an online business.
Fast forward to 2020, I joined The Home Business Academy to add even more great tools and resources to my online business arsenal.
I now use both of these resources to build my online business.
I talk more about this over on my Recommended Resources page listed under Resources #1 and #2.
I enjoy making money online because I can work from anywhere and on my own schedule, while still being able to take care of my health.
You Can Do It Too
So, why do I tell you all of this?
I share all of this with you, so you’ll know it’s possible to make money online and have total freedom from the 9-5 grind.
It takes time to build an online business, but it’s worth it to build either a side-income to supplement your full-time job or replace your job.
If you have found yourself in a similar situation to me or you simply want to get ahead of things and plan for the future, your goal going forward should be to not waste any more time.
Whether you love your job or hate your job, it’s always a good idea to have a Plan B to supplement your income or replace your income.
You never know what can happen with your job or even with your health.
Don’t waste time, like I did.
Just get started and keep going.
Do not dabble.
Take action now.
And most importantly, believe in yourself.
You can do it!
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