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You’re Just 8,640 Minutes Away From Greatness

Guest post by: Andrew Ludlam

Article Overview: The real key to success in business is action. Not the thinking, not the planning: the doing! In this article I want to share with you some tips on how to get started - how to make a start and steady progess on your 'to do' list, and all it takes is 8,640 minutes.

You’re Just 8,640 Minutes Away From Greatness

Recently I met with a couple of clients who both expressed exactly the same frustrations i.e. not having enough time to work on the business!

This is a classic problem, and something I come up against time and time again. People working 'in' their business, as opposed to 'on' their business.

It's almost like spending your business life on a game board; being pushed around from one place to the next. One minute doing some admin... The next, replying to those emails... The next actually delivering the service or product!

Instead, youmust be the one controlling the pieces: you must be the one in control. It never ceases to surprise how many business owners don't appreciate this.

Okay, so how can we create more time? How can you get more than 24 hours out of the day? Well you can't. (There's honesty for you!) You can't do everything, so don't fight this one. Insteadyou need to be ruthless with your time. Utterly ruthless and literally take yourself 'out of the business'. This will give you two very important and vital things, breathing space and thinking time.

When you're caught up in the workings of your business, you can never truly see the opportunities. When you're fighting fire, you can never see the wider picture, because you're always focusing on the immediate need. So... You need to remove yourself from the business. Yes, some things, or someone will have to wait!

Let me repeat: You can't do everything. But you can do one thing. And then another. And another. As I often say... Just take action. In fact any action is good... Even initially in the wrong direction! It is movement: You're doing something. Even if it goes horribly wrong (not too horribly mind), you are still learning, still moving forward. Or, still failing forward.

Sometimes it's just too much pressure to list all the things you want to get done this month, this quarter, this year even! Instead, list what you want to get done today, or, tomorrow. Use what I call 'Business Development Days'. Put time aside to focus on the really important 'stuff': getting more clients... Giving greater value to current clients... Seeing what additional products and/or services you can provide.

Okay, I appreciate that this is much easier said than done. Believe me, I've also struggled trying to find extra time. So if this is truly is the case, if you can't even devote a day a week to the business, try using 'Business Development Hours'. Again, be ruthless, use this time to focus on developing and growing your business: growing and developing the business into something that you can begin to enjoy... again.

Just put three hours aside a week. (And I'm being very conservative here!).Three hours a week is equal to:

180 minutes a week = 720 minutes a month = 8,640 minutes a year.

8,640 minutes spent on your business could have the kind of consequences that at the moment you can only dream about.

For example... Starting today, what three things could you start to develop that will help you promote the business further? What could you read? What course could you book yourself on? What marketing strategy could you plan, develop orstart in the next 60 minutes?

You're just 8,640 minutes away from greatness...

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Article Tags: business development, marketing consultancy, marketing consultant, marketing strategy, planning, time management



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