FM Walsh & Associates Inc.

I was recently having coffee with my good friend, Robert Werner of BC Digital Divide and we were discussing some of the struggles we have both seen entrepreneurs face around starting and building a business. He made an interesting observation: “Whether it be TV or the Internet or the cell phone or Blackberry or whatever, I think the #1 thing holding people back from achieving their dreams is getting distracted by the little things.” I have to agree. As a Ghost CEO coach, I talk to a lot of people who are frustrated with the current state of their business and when I dig a bit deeper the most common thing I see is that so many of them have no clear plan or goals written down. They have an endless to-do list with no prioritization or timelines set to it. When you look at where they are spending most of their time, it is on distractions.

To become more productive and get the business results you want:

• Set specific times every day to respond to email and phone calls. Turn it off the rest of the time so you do not become a slave to it.
• Increase your business knowledge and confidence. Turn off the TV and read a business book one hour every evening instead.
• Track how much time you spend surfing the internet during work hours and then be honest about how much is truly related to work. If you find yourself using it as a diversion from your to-do list, then set a timer and limit the time you spend.