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I like what I do, BUT…
Who doesn’t need to shave off just a few repetitive time-sucking duties to allow them to spend extra time doing what they really love? Which in my case means strapping a one-year-old to my again and happening every day adventures round Colorado.
I’m at all times on the lookout for methods to streamline my enterprise, so as we speak I’m bringing you 10 hacks to avoid wasting time so you may spend fewer hours every week behind the laptop computer.
1. Gmail Shortcuts
I discovered this just a few years in the past (from this infographic) and it has modified my life. It takes so many clicks to ahead or reply to an electronic mail, pop it out so I can learn the e-mail I’m replying to as I reply, after which ship. Now all I do is hit shift + R and I’m replying in a popped out window. This protects me most likely a minute a day, which I do know isn’t loads. But it surely’s the precept of the factor!
I’ve been utilizing Gmail shortcuts like this for years and it’s a lot simpler to by no means need to raise my fingers from the keys. To allow shortcuts, simply go to your Settings > Common > Keyboard Shortcuts and allow them.
You possibly can click on the Be taught Extra button to study what all of the totally different shortcuts are, as you can’t customise any of those shortcuts.
2. Create Shortcuts in your Cellphone and Laptop
If I kind @@ on my telephone and even right here on my pc, it is going to robotically change to my electronic mail handle. If I kind qqq it is going to robotically kind my web site URL. Little issues that I inevitably find yourself texting or messaging to folks almost every single day which are a complete ache to kind.
After typing my shortcut, I can hit the enter key or spacebar for the qqq to get replaced with heathandalyssa.com/ (I added the slash on the finish so I can simply add a slug if directing somebody to a particular web page on my web site).
To create these, open the Settings app in your iPhone (I exploit a MacBook so it will sync with my laptop computer) and go to Common > Keyboard. Then click on Textual content Alternative on the prime of the display and create your quick cuts.
It is a tip I picked up from Chalene Johnson final 12 months. She initially recommended it for anybody who replies to loads of Fb or Instagram messages with comparable phrases like “thanks 🙏 ” or “aw thanks a lot!” These may very well be ty1 and ty2 and in case you get dozens of replies to your Instagram, can actually prevent a while (and spelling errors!).
3. Preserve Your To-do Record Up to date
Do you ever get a extremely good thought whenever you’re out climbing? Or at dinner with buddies? Or possibly you keep in mind an electronic mail it’s essential ship as you’re strolling into a gathering?
For a very long time, I used to be the queen of remembering one thing 5 totally different occasions earlier than I truly did it as a result of I’d at all times be in the course of one thing necessary and neglect yet again. (Am I alone on this?)
Which is why I like Trello.
(And speak about it on a regular basis apparently.)
It’s an incredible device for preserving operating to-do lists, managing initiatives, and even working with a staff.
However I believe it’s most understated use is being the place the place I can write down these little duties that get simply forgotten. Like whenever you’re falling asleep and assume “oh crap, I forgot to hit launch on that advert marketing campaign” or “I despatched over that weblog publish however forgot to ship pictures.” Or, most frequently, whenever you’re engaged on one thing and give you a extremely good weblog publish thought and assume “Oh I’ll completely keep in mind this concept—it’s superb!” After which 5 minutes later you may’t recollect it in any respect.
Now that I give it some thought, I may be a forgetful particular person…
However then after I open my laptop computer very first thing within the morning, I do know I’ve a whole checklist of all the pieces I have to work on and lists of all of my concepts and future initiatives to deal with. No extra sitting in entrance of the pc attempting to determine what to get began on subsequent.
4. Automate Invoicing
I’ve at all times had a love-hate relationship with invoices. I like getting cash. I hate the tedious course of of making invoices. I began utilizing Freshbooks for invoices for just a few key automation options:
- It can save you consumer profiles, so primary info like consumer title, firm, handle, the e-mail handle(es) the bill goes to are all saved. I simply select from a dropdown menu who I’m invoicing and all these fields are auto-populated.
- You possibly can set recurring invoices for any purchasers you’ve gotten on retainer. Then you will get paid every month like clockwork and by no means need to raise a finger. (Effectively, you do nonetheless need to do the work that will get you paid within the first place.)
Plus, purchasers also can pay by bank card which is one thing I do know just a few of my purchasers at all times select over the trouble of reducing checks.
Freshbooks is a paid service we use, however I’ve heard many entrepreneurs who love and use Wave, which is free.
5. Use Calendar Reserving Providers
Why oh WHY is reserving assembly occasions with folks such a trouble?
You want a six message lengthy thread simply to decide on just a few date and time choices, after which somebody has to truly create a calendar occasion and invite the opposite particular person, in any other case, one or each of you neglect.
It’s annoying as all get out.
We began utilizing Calendly just a few years in the past for reserving podcast interviews and now we use it for all several types of conferences. We create all of the totally different assembly varieties (podcast interview, 30-minute assembly, RVE summit 60 minute assembly, and so forth.) and it syncs our availability with our Google calendar. We ship one reserving hyperlink, you e-book a time that works for you, and its added to each of our calendars. We each get electronic mail confirmations and save ourselves years of forwards and backwards (most likely).
This has labored rather well for years, however then just a few months in the past, I discovered that Calendly integrates with Zoom. This implies whenever you e-book a gathering, the flowery integration will robotically put all the mandatory Zoom hyperlinks and telephone numbers in your calendar. (I manually did this FOR YEARS, which takes at the least ten minutes per assembly, earlier than I even realized this was a factor. Smh.)
It’s also possible to save time by batching actions like I talked about earlier this month and scheduling all of your conferences for under someday every week. Or by no means have conferences.
Associated: 14 Suggestions for Working in an RV
6. Integrations and Automations
Talking of integrations! They save soooo a lot time and Zapier has a ton of them.
You’ll find zaps to attach HUNDREDS of apps.
For instance, when somebody buys a ticket to our RV Entrepreneur Summit, I want them to be added to our ConvertKit and tagged “Summit ticket holder” so I can ship them occasion info. Effectively for the primary two Summits, I manually exported electronic mail addresses from Eventbrite and uploaded them to ConvertKit. We promote tickets often for a 3-6 month interval, so I had to do that typically.
Such a waste of time.
Now there’s a zap and I by no means need to export a CSV, add the CSV, select the correct fields, set the correct tag, and look forward to a affirmation electronic mail that every one the emails have been uploaded. I don’t have to consider it in any respect!
Integrations and automations are an incredible technique to save your self infinite quantities of time, particularly on mindlessly simple duties like this! You possibly can work out which apps you may construct integrations and automations on Zapier’s web site right here.
7. Develop Techniques and Processes
After I write a weblog publish, my course of goes like this:
- Choose 4 weblog posts for the month (all on an analogous theme) from my ongoing checklist of weblog concepts I carry on Trello
- Define every weblog
- Write every weblog publish
- Add pictures, featured picture, and key phrases
- Schedule for the assigned date on my content material calendar
- Write a publication to share that weblog publish on Wednesday morning
It’s a system I’ve spent years updating. Earlier than, I might write when impressed or after I bought a good suggestion. I might neglect so as to add any pictures, by no means set search engine marketing key phrases, and generally by no means even share the weblog! Mainly I used to be failing at being a blogger.
I wanted a course of to observe to remove all of my distractions and provides me a transparent path to observe. Creating processes and programs is without doubt one of the finest methods to streamline your enterprise.
For some actually nice insights on the way to develop programs and processes for your self, I extremely advocate watching this presentation by Dani Schnakenberg from our 2019 RV Entrepreneur Summit:
8. Outsourcing
One of many greatest methods to avoid wasting time?
Outsource.
Delegate the issues you find yourself doing on a regular basis so you may deal with the stuff that solely you are able to do. We’ve had a fantastic podcast episode on this: Find out how to Multiply Your self and Get Extra Executed by Jill Sessa (who I’ve outsourced all our web site administration to!).
9. Sort sooner
An understated technique to save time and get stuff completed sooner? Sort sooner.
I haven’t practiced typing because the eighth grade when my buddies and I took it so we may all compete to see who typed the quickest. (Oh my, was a nerd in center college?)
You should use web sites like Keybr.com to observe your typing abilities and enhance your typing pace.
I additionally use Grammarly to catch my typing errors for me so I spend much less time proofreading.
(Additionally, I’m with Jim typing 65 wpm. I don’t understand how Pam can kind 90!)
10. Cut back Distractions
Final however not least, let’s save ourselves time by limiting distractions. There are many methods to do that:
- Use Display Time in your telephone to restrict using time-wasting apps
- Set Downtime throughout work hours in your telephone so you may solely use your telephone as a telephone (Settings > Display Time > Downtime)
- Restrict your time on social media in your pc utilizing plugins like Newsfeed Eradicator
- For goodness sakes, flip in your Do Not Disturb mode. That’s what it’s for! We don’t want no stinking notifications.
- Equally, shut your electronic mail and verify it just a few occasions a day so that you don’t get sucked into that soulless vortex.
What different time-saving suggestions do you’ve gotten? Share your finest one within the feedback!