Overwhelmed & Underpaid – Welcome to Your Business!
Start your own business', they said; 'it will be fun', they said - no more 9 to 5, no boss telling you what to do, and the money you earn goes into your pocket, not the bosses; it sounds like a dream come true, right? So, you set up on your own and now you are working harder than ever because it's your business and if you don't do it, who will?
You are used to doing everything yourself, and as the person in charge you can wear every hat, spin every plate, juggle every ball, and be the chief cook and bottle washer. But what happens when you find yourself stretched too thin, with more tasks than hours in the day?
You have so much to do, you don't know where to start.
Competing priorities pull you in every direction.
Work and life blur together—you're constantly juggling.
You focus on one thing for too long, everything else starts to fall apart.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, believe me, you're not alone. I know because I've struggled too, and I see the irony in that. It’s my job to create processes and streamline my clients’ operations; keeping them organised is what I do for a living! But organisation skills don't come naturally to everyone. Some of us have to work hard at it, and I am not afraid to say I’ve also had those days (okay, weeks) where it feels like I'm just keeping my head above water.
Then come the things we tell ourselves to make it seem more manageable:
I'll catch up after the kids go to bed or this weekend...
When I have time, I'll hire an assistant or outsource some stuff.
If I can just get through the next two weeks, things will be better!
The truth is, this endless cycle of 'catching up' is exhausting and exasperates the problem, and *Spoiler Alert*: Things won’t become more manageable on their own. You need to take action so that you can carve out space to start to think about growth opportunities and for the things you enjoy outside of work. SO to help you get started, I am sharing some things I do to help me stay on top.
1. Find Your Natural Rhythm
The first step is understanding when and how you work best. Ask yourself:
Are you more productive in the morning or evening?
Do you need quiet time to focus, or do you thrive in a busy environment?
Do you need to exercise or rest at certain times of the day?
What time do you need to eat?
Do you thrive within a rigid structure, or do you need to work freestyle?
Once you recognise your natural rhythms, you can use the knowledge to start working to your strengths instead of against them.
My Approach: I'm not a morning person. I tried for years to force myself to be productive early in the day, but it always felt like I was swimming upstream. Now, I've learned to schedule low-energy tasks in the morning and save my big, mentally demanding work for later when I'm more alert.
2. Design a Schedule That Works for You
After you understand your rhythm, build your schedule around it. This doesn't mean sticking rigidly to a timetable but simply protecting your most productive times for the work that matters most.
My Approach: I use Calendly to offer free initial consultation slots. You'll notice I don't offer these all day every day. I've structured my calendar to match my energy levels, so I save my peak productivity hours for client discovery sessions and focused project work. This doesn’t mean I am low energy in my initial consultations – on the contrary – I find it invigorating to chat to business owners about their challenges, so it actually gives me an energy boost at a time when I would normally be taking it a bit slower!
3. Use One Calendar for Absolutely Everything
Trying to juggle separate calendars for personal and work commitments is a recipe for disaster. Double bookings, conflicting priorities and missed appointments are not good for your business, nor for your stress levels. Keeping everything (meetings, appointments, and social events) in one electronic calendar not only gives you a complete picture of your day, but helps you see the gaps – time when you could plan in something productive or take a well deserved rest.
My Approach: I even schedule personal tasks like family time or catching up with friends. It might sound extreme, but it ensures that work doesn't push personal commitments aside; when there is an expectation to be somewhere or do something, I know I will deliver! When I promise to help my daughter with a task on her list, I put it in my calendar and send her an invite. Then we both know what, when, where and how long we need to commit. As we have both allocated the time, there is no room for miscommunication and disappointment. She is 25, and she has an electronic calendar of her own, but there is no reason why you couldn't set up something more analogue for your child, showing them how important they are to you.
4. Consolidate Your To-Do Lists
Do you know where to find all your to-do lists? Do you have sticky notes all over the place, an electronic task list and a notebook containing things you must do for work, errands, and ideas for future projects? Use the same principle as calendars. Instead of keeping separate lists for work and personal tasks, try consolidating everything into one master list.
Also, trying to rely on your working memory is not an effective method; it just doesn’t have enough storage space to retain all the tasks and ideas! That’s how stuff falls through the cracks. But, having a consolidated task list, is like having a second brain – it’s a real game-changer!
My Approach: I categorise tasks in different areas of my life as I would for work projects: home, family, things for me, travel, as well as one for every client, and I include deadlines and time estimates. I consider what needs to be done today, this week, this month, and what's flexible, and I even include aspirational future stuff in a ‘someday’ category. I add new tasks to the list as I think of them, and when I've got my hands full, I use ‘assistant’ tools like Siri and Alexa to quickly add tasks as they come to mind. This way, I save the mental strain of trying to remember everything and reduce the risks of missing things.
5. Set Time for Deep Focus
Deep focus work is crucial for getting big, important tasks done, but it's often the first thing that gets disrupted by distractions. Set aside specific blocks of time for focused work where you can turn off email notifications and put your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’. I appreciate it's not always possible to shut out the world, especially if you're managing a team or constantly receiving calls from customers, but even if you can't avoid interruptions altogether, you can plan for them.
My Approach: I plan a few blocks of deep focus time each week. When I get interrupted, I jot down the notes about what needs handling in my task list and then I return to my focus task. I have a slot planned after my focus time to sort out these emerging tasks, and those that don't need to be completed today are already in the master list for later!
6. Take Time to Plan
Factor in a weekly planning session to review your list, which includes a 'brain dump' of anything new that comes to mind. During this session roughly plan your week ahead focusing on the essential things that actually move the needle. Then check in with yourself daily (not more than 15mins) to ensure you are staying on track and adjust to anything urgent that has come since you did your weekly plan.
My Approach: It was challenging to commit the time at first, but it's become a habit now and an essential part of my routine. I usually do my weekly check in on a Sunday afternoon, but you can pick when suits you best, and then take 15minutes at the start of my day to review - even at the weekend. Also, I have Alexa read my first few appointments when I silence my wake-up alarm, so I have a reminder what I am doing first.
Summary
If none of this was news to you, perhaps you've already found a way to balance everything! Congratulations, that's a considerable achievement, and you should share what you do with your overwhelmed counterparts. But if you're still struggling, I promise you there really are ways you can regain control of your time.
I won't sugarcoat it; it does take time to build a framework like this, and you will need to tweak and adjust as you go, optimising to make the most of your time and keep your method simple enough to follow consistently. But once in place, you'll find that, not only are you more productive and have extra time for growth, but you’ll also be more present in your personal life.
Remember, everyone's brain works differently, so finding organisational strategies that fit you and your lifestyle is crucial. Some suggestions in this blog may not work for you, and that’s okay – there will be other strategies that will, you just need to seek out what works for you.
And if you're unsure where to start, I'd be happy to help you figure it out. Together, we'll talk about what could be good for you, so that you can begin to enjoy the freedom and balance you've been working so hard for.
