For the business owner seeking to break away from a traditional schedule, much inspiration can be found in Winston Churchill. Here’s a dude whose leadership helped get a country through two world wars, maintaining all the necessary alliances along the way.
He must’ve been a heckuva people pleaser, right? Well… not exactly.
Churchill conducted business his own way, on his own timetable. He got up late and enjoyed a leisurely morning, when he could’ve been jamming away at world affairs. He worked long into the night, way after everyone else had crashed out.
And in between, the naps, sumptuous meals, cigars and cocktails are the stuff of legends.
So, what’s the point here? How can today’s business owner learn anything from a person who lived long before the age of ubiquitous connectivity?
It’s this: Churchill knew what he needed. He knew what he could do. And then he had the confidence to prioritize his own needs to be in a place where he could get it done. That’s a timeless example — especially for the entrepreneur getting pulled a million different ways all at once.
It’s easy to think that, in order to meet numerous commitments, working around the clock is the best bet. However, retaking control of your schedule has a number of unique benefits — for both business success and personal well-being.
Read to dig deeper? Let’s do this!
Embracing power in flexibility
For the entrepreneur, one of the greatest benefits of abandoning the 9-to-5 mentality is the flexibility it opens up. Suddenly, you’re no longer forced to handle business during one large chunk of the day, and then scramble to fit personal stuff into the time left over.
Rather, you can apply more of a Churchill-esque approach. Try shuffling around commitments in an order that works best for you as an individual. You’ll start to see rays of daylight in a schedule that was once completely blacked out.
That’ll give you time to more effectively address important things that can get overlooked with an all-work mentality:
- Family needs — Stuff like after-school events or simply face time with the family gets a lot more manageable when it’s not crammed into evenings or early mornings.
- Personal rhythms — Like Churchill, some people handle certain tasks better at times that aren’t part of a conventional workday.
- Life events — Ever had to miss a wedding or vacation due to work commitments? Reclaiming your schedule can give you the freedom to accommodate those life events.
- Chronotypes — There are morning and evening people, and some that don’t fit either. Recognizing your unique chronotype can improve sleep and increase your energy.
Those are just a few of the personal benefits to a more flexible schedule. But there are also times when an unconventional schedule might make sense from a business perspective.
For example, the silence and privacy of late-night hours might be more conducive to creativity. Or early-morning meetings over coffee could yield more energetic and authentic interactions with business contacts.
Overcoming guilt and external expectations
As you reclaim your schedule, it’s likely you’ll encounter a bit of pushback — including your own thoughts and emotions. Let’s look at some of the things you’ll bump into and how to frame your mindset to overcome them.
Societal pressures
Everyone loves to cheer for a hustler, which can create quite a bit of pressure to keep running at max RPMs. But remember the importance of confidence and stick to the plan. Stuff will get done. No need to run yourself ragged in order to demonstrate capability.
Quality over quantity
Reframe your thinking. It’s not about cranking out as many widgets as possible with no eye to quality. Instead, focus on quality. Commit to making every project, every interaction reflect the kind of quality that defines your business.
Setting boundaries
Without clear limits, it’s too easy to burn out and lose focus, which can easily compromise the quality of your work. Learn how to say no — not just to clients, but to yourself. This isn’t selfish. It’s necessary in order to give your best in all you do.
How to take control of your schedule
By now, you might be getting pumped by the prospect of setting your own schedule. But then you look at the sheer mass of your commitments and it seems almost impossible. Take a deep breath.
Let’s look at how to do this in three steps.
- Assess — Look at your current schedule. What’s requiring the most time? What’s causing you the most stress? That’s where to focus as you look to get your daily itinerary under control.
- Prioritize — Now that you’ve assessed your commitments, set an order to when you’ll take them on. Consider delegating where you can and if there are things you can automate through technology (more on that later).
- Block — Here’s where it starts to take shape. Set blocks of time that you can reasonably use to complete the tasks you’ve identified. Remember, there aren’t constraints here. And don’t forget to make time for personal fulfillment.
Leveraging tools and technology
Rounding up the right tools and technology can save you untold amounts of time by streamlining and automating tasks. It goes a long way in cutting down the amount of time you need to be physically present at work.
Let’s look at some of the tech that could help out:
Project management
Project management platforms including Trello or Asana use visual elements like boards and lists to organize tasks. That makes it much easier to track projects, assign tasks and track deadlines.
Accounting
Accounting software like QuickBooks and Wave can automate invoicing, expense tracking, payroll and financial reporting. That makes bookkeeping faster and reduces the need for hands-on calculations.
Social media
Use social media management platforms like Hootsuite and Sprinklr to schedule posts, monitor engagement and analyze performance across multiple channels, from one dashboard. This unified view eliminates the need for lots of clicking around.
Scheduling
Automate scheduling with an app like Calendly or Google Calendar to let contacts book appointments based on the availability you designate. This saves time by eliminating the back-and-forth while ensuring meetings fit into your schedule.
Artificial intelligence
AI tools like GoDaddy Airo can automate time-intensive tasks like website building, marketing and customer service. This technology also has the potential to drastically reduce time spent on stuff like content development, email marketing and product descriptions.
Closing thoughts on the empowered schedule
Taking charge of your schedule is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself as a business owner. By embracing flexibility, setting boundaries, and rounding up the right tools, you set the bar higher for both personal and business growth.
Remember, you didn’t start your own business just to follow someone else’s rules.
With each move you make toward reclaiming your schedule, you’re not only building a successful business, but also taking meaningful steps toward living your best life. Empower yourself — your finest hours are truly your own to create.
