Gordon posted just the other day about the importance of working ON your business instead of working IN your business. Now this is frequent advice given by Business Doctors - but it's just as true that whenever we say this to a client, the frequent retort is, "That's easier said than done!". So I want to show you a little trick that - if you follow it - should really make this much easier. You're going to have to start by thinking of all the things you have to do, however; and managing your time is like anything else: a little investment of time at the outset will reap rewards in due course.
Have a look at the little diagram I've uploaded. The aim is to think of everything you need to do in the context of how important it is and how urgent it is. The more important jobs are at the top of the graph in boxes 1 and 2, and the more urgent jobs are on the right in boxes 1 and 3.
If you think you need to do something now, ask yourself what will happen if it doesn't get done? If it's a really undesirable outcome, then it probably goes in box 1. If it can wait, probably box 2. If it turns out it's not that important, delegating it might be the best option; if you've nobody to delegate it to, and nothing bad will happen if it doesn't get done, maybe it goes in box 4. If it's really that important it WILL return at some stage!
It's a good idea to manage your work in such a way that you move most of your tasks from box 1 (important and urgent: this is fire-fighting mode!) to box 2 so that you're scheduling work in advance (whether it's meetings, calls or tasks that need doing). The diagram will show you what the appropriate response is to any one piece of work you need to do.
But remember, this involves a really honest appraisal of the work you have on your to-do list at the moment (if you don't have a to-do list, try making one). Putting off difficult jobs that belong in box 1 won't produce the right result. But if you go through this exercise, you really should be much clearer about your priorities, which in turn will leave you more scope to think the future of your business.
Happy prioritising!