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8 habits of highly productive business owners

The Entrepreneur’s Ultimate Guide to Goal Setting

Written by Ben Ivey

If you are struggling to be productive as a business owner, make sure to start the following 8 habits to massively boost your productivity this year.

1. Planning

Successful people plan their days in advance as they know once they have a structure to their day it’s going to be much more effective. Every single successful business owner I work with has a plan, so make sure if you don’t yet, plan out what you’re going to do!

2. Prioritise

Make sure to set priorities on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis. The most successful business owners aim to accomplish the same amount in 12 weeks as other companies do in a year because of clear prioritisation of assets, time, staff and cash.

3. Systemise

Every successful business owner has a system. Within this system you need to have systems for communication, management, timelines as well as a system to manage yourself.

4. Outsource

You must learn to hire smart people to do the tasks that you don’t like to do and the tasks you aren’t specialised to do. This gives you the space to truly focus your efforts on where you’ll have the biggest impact long term in your business.

5. Focus

When it comes to focus, business owners all have a unique way to focus in their lives. Some have 2-hour blocks with no interruptions, others have 1 hour of space just to think and some have focused mastermind groups. Either way the key thing is that there are no interruptions.

6. Morning routine

All business owners have some sort of routine that puts them in a great state to tackle the day. It could be going to the gym, meditating, running, reading, reflecting, planning … etc. Find what works for you and make sure to do it consistently.

7. Follow the 80/20 rule

Business owners follow the 80 20 pareto principle. This principle says that 20% of what you do accounts for 80% of the outcome. Focus on the 20% that matters most whenever you take on any task in business.

8. Rest

The last and most important is rest. Make sure that you actively put holidays in your calendar, have time off during the week and have mini breaks in your day so that you avoid burnout and can consistently perform at a high level in your business.

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business planners 2022
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Top 5 Business Planners for Entrepreneurs 2022

The Entrepreneur’s Ultimate Guide to Goal Setting

Written by Ben Ivey

1. Entrepreneur Lifestyle Planner

Recommended for:

  • – Deluxe 3 month Planner
  • – Business owners and entrepreneurs
  • – Daily schedule to better manage your time

This is the ultimate planner you need to double your productivity in the next 90 days. It will help you enhance your productivity with a great focus on time management. The 90-day time management planner optimises performance and lets you gain clarity on concise daily action steps to accelerate business growth. There is also a weekly evaluation section to help you from being overwhelmed by business tasks and remain focused so that you can crush your business goals.

The Entrepreneur Lifestyle planner lets you keep track of your day, and remove destructive procrastination. You’ll also learn about a 10 minute ‘bespoke daily power’ which helps you to stay on fire like clockwork throughout your day. The secret to the success of most entrepreneurs is staying consistent with their habits, and this planner is great in helping you develop key habits for success. The planner is highly flexible as it is non-dated, so that you can use it according to your own routine and schedule.

Best Features:

  • – Week days spread over 2 pages for extra space to schedule tasks
  • – Based on advanced and proven goal-setting techniques
  • – Clear focus with a daily priorities list
  • – Weekly business goals evaluations
  • – Hardback cover available
  • – Weekend planner
  • – Goal Tracking
  • – Daily Quotes
  • – Bonus online videos are included to help enhance performance

Cons:

  • – 90 days only
  • – Only available in one size
  • – Not many blank pages for extra note taking
AMAZON UK
AMAZON USA

2. Legend Planner - Productivity Journal

Recommended for:

  • – Deluxe Weekly & Monthly Life Planner
  • – Personal Goals
  • – Heavy-duty pearl white paper

This planner will let you stay highly organized by using monthly and weekly priority sections, that can be used for scheduling appointments and meetings. Using the Legend planner you can define your short-term and long-term goals, and break them down into smaller modules to approach them step by step.

The Legend Planner comes with 109 intuitive stickers that will push you towards your goal. This planner not only helps you plan your important tasks and assignments but also inculcates healthy habits and other positive daily rituals using its habit tracker section. This A5 Hardcover planner is updated with a 52-week planner layout, an inner pocket to store bills and receipts, 3 ribbon bookmarks, and an illustrated quick start guide.

Best Features:

  • – Based on goal-setting techniques
  • – Hardback cover
  • – Daily rituals for habit-forming
  • – 120gsm bleed-resistant pages
  • – Heavy-duty pearl white paper
  • – Animal-friendly PU leather
  • – Available in 12 colors
  • – Reasonable size: A5 (5.5” x 8.3”)

Cons:

  • – Some users can find this a little complicated
  • – Not a good choice for users who prefer to use a dated planner
AMAZON UK
AMAZON USA

3. Blue Sky 2022 Weekly & Monthly Planner

Recommended for:

  • – Simple lined planner
  • – Budget-friendly option
  • – A convenient list of holidays

Blue Sky is a stylish option and available in 4 different sizes to choose from. It has a solid back cover that makes it look highly professional and its weekly and monthly layout is perfect for big-picture scheduling. The notes and appointments tracker makes it a truly 24/7, 365 days planner and perfect for each meeting or post-office hours details. The contact pages make it convenient for you to manage your business network. You can freely jot down your thoughts and to-do notes in extra blank canvas pages.

The Blue Sky modern and sophisticated organizational planner is popular among busy professionals to accommodate all scheduling and planning needs. The planner has laminated two-sided wall calendars and comes with 6 bonus months. The monthly view pages contain previous and next month reference calendars for long-term planning. The month tabs are highly durable with coated tabs that will not wear and tear easily over the period of time.

Best Features:

  • – Available in 4 sizes: 8.5″ x 11″; 5″ x 8″; 7″ x 9″ and 8″ x 10″
  • – Flexible Cover and Wirebound
  • – Previous and next month reference calendars
  • – Coated tabs
  • – Every day appointments and reminders tracking
  • – Julian Dating
  • – Perfect for each meeting or post-office hours

Cons:

  • – Some customers have complained about loose bindings
  • – Not tailored for entrepreneurs
AMAZON UK
AMAZON USA

4. Coboll Weekly-Monthly Planner 2022

Recommended for:

  • – 12 Monthly Tabs
  • – Two-Month Calendar Reminders
  • – Highlighted Holidays

This is a very stylish, yet functional planner with 12 monthly tabs for quick reference, inside pocket, blank daily blocks, and contact pages. You can easily review the previous month or make notes for next month, with easy-to-use next and previous month reference calendars for long-term planning. A strong gold twin-wire is used for binding which holds this planner together, so can easily lay flat.

The premium quality paper is highly smooth and thick and offers superior ink resistance for a better writing experience. You can use the inner pockets at the back to keep your favourite pictures, cards, stamps and receipts. It is a good value for money with all the essential elements in place to keep you focussed and productive.

Best Features:

  • – Twin-wire binding
  • – Elastic closure
  • – Inner pocket
  • – Premium paper
  • – Weekday reminder
  • – Horizontal line writing
  • – Past and future monthly references
  • – Hardcover design
  • – Water-resistant cover
  • – A back inside pocket for holding cards

Cons:

  • – Some users might find it smaller in size
  • – Very Limited space for daily scheduling
AMAZON UK
AMAZON USA

5. Orange Circle 17-Month Planner

Recommended for:

  • – 17 months planning
  • – Academic planning, best for teachers and students
  • – Future events planning

Very cutely crafted, the Orange Circle pocket planner allows you to plan for 17 months, starting from August 2021 to December 2022. The planner is perfect to address the needs of teachers, students, and event planners, as it can be easily carried and you can keep track of assignments, events and easily take notes freely in ample empty space. This will also help you stick to your daily schedule.

The Orange Circle planner has full color, monthly-per-spread views so that you can walk through the monthly schedule at a glance. The goal prompts you to live in the present and focus on your passions. It is made of recyclable paper and printed using soy-based ink. It is available in many designs to choose from, namely, Plant Addict, Tiny Totems, Enchanted Garden, and Bella Flora to name a few.

Best Features:

  • – Dedicated academic planner
  • – Inspirational illustrations
  • – Goal prompts
  • – Simplified monthly views
  • – Artfully designed
  • – Reasonably sized to keep in small bags, just 6.5”x4.5”
  • – 60 Pages
  • – Durable saddle-stitch binding

Cons:

  • – Too small in size for detailed planning
  • – Not tailored for entrepreneurs
AMAZON UK
AMAZON USA

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What is lifestyle design?

The Entrepreneur’s Ultimate Guide to Goal Setting

Written by Ben Ivey

Have you ever been jealous of someone else’s lifestyle? .

You see them on the beach having fun, drinking cocktails and doing all the things that you want to do, whilst you are sitting in the office. I know this has happened to me!

Browsing through my feed and seeing everyone on holiday!

Has this ever happened to you?

It seems almost unfair that some people seem to have such a great lifestyle and others don’t.

However, have you ever thought about if you really want that type of lifestyle?

Would you really want to be travelling all the time?

Would you really want to be away from your family?

Is that what you want long term?

This is where lifestyle design comes into play:

Lifestyle design is thinking about how to design your life in a way that maximises your fulfilment and success.

  • What would a perfect week look like to you?
  • What would you do in your day?
  • How would you spend your mornings?
  • What time would you get up?
  • Where would you be?

All these factors are very important to take into account when thinking about and planning for the lifestyle that you want to live in the future.

A key to remember is when you ask better questions in life you receive better answers!

If you don’t start designing your own life then you may get stuck in a life of regrets. Instead, take the small steps now to create momentum so you can live the life you deserve in the future.

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anxious
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3 Fast Ways to Overcome Being Anxious

The Entrepreneur’s Ultimate Guide to Goal Setting

Written by Ben Ivey
Tips 8

I have had a few clients recently struggling with being anxious. Anxious about future business, clients resigning as well as worrying about life in general.

I wanted to share a summary of 3 of the main points I share about in events, in case this is also something that you struggle with:

1. Trade your expectations to gratitude

There are many people that want things instantly; especially in the age we are in now. How often do people complain when they can’t get next day delivery?

It is a very strange world we live in and often we put these expectations on ourselves to be able to achieve results just as quickly. You aren’t going to lose a lot of weight in 1 week. (in a healthy way that is) However, if you feel you aren’t making progress you may give up.

The way to battle instant gratification that causes so much anxiety is to celebrate all the small wins on your journey and trade expectations to gratitude. Think of 3 things you can be grateful for each day and it will help you change the way you approach life.

2. Master meaning

Everything in life is the meaning that we give it. You need to look at the meanings that you are currently giving in your life. Most likely at an unconscious level, you’re creating more negative meanings because you are built for survival. This means you are much more likely to feel anxious on a consistent basis unless you can become aware of your thinking.

Once you consciously take control of the meanings that you give in life. Your whole life will change.

The meaning that you give events leads to the emotions that you feel. Simply by changing the meaning that you associate with events it can completely change the amount of anxiety you will feel.

3. Focus on being present

We are anxious most often when we focus on the future. We put ourselves in a negative state by worrying about outcomes that could occur. I often see people go on a downward spiral where they end up wasting hours worrying about something outside of their control.

One of the best strategies to become more present is through asking a better question, for example: How can I appreciate this moment even more right now?

If you are struggling with anxiety do reach out and I’ll share how we can best help you with this.

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Tips 7
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5 fast ways to get over that procrastination hump

The Entrepreneur’s Ultimate Guide to Goal Setting

Written by Ben Ivey
Tips 7

We are in a world of expert procrastinators. People pretend to be working or researching yet you are binge-watching videos believing you’re being productive!

Here are a few ways to get over that procrastination hump.

Change your environment

Make it really hard to procrastinate. Put your TV in a box, lock it and put the key downstairs in a jar. After this, then put your phone on airplane mode. I know it sounds ridiculous but these sorts of methods will really help with the procrastination you are struggling with. We need to recreate our environment to help remove distractions.

Focus on a clear outcome

focus

Understand what you need to do! The reason we often procrastinate is that we don’t have a clear outcome that we are working towards, so our mind gets side tracked onto other things. Break down your tasks and plan it out so that you know exactly what you need to do.

Focus on the next step

We often get overwhelmed in life when we take too many things on and can’t really focus on the tasks at hand. We become stressed out and we don’t truly focus.

Let me ask you, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Yes this is ridiculous and of course I don’t eat elephants. However, sometimes our projects feel so big that we don’t even start! Break them down into smaller pieces and you will find it easier to manage.

Take a break

That’s right, you are allowed a break in the day to chill out!!!! Planned relaxation is what we can call it. Here you aren’t procrastinating as you planned to not do anything! You can’t work all the time, every minute or every hour, for the rest of your life. You need to spend 5 minutes relaxing and then move back onto your tasks.

Use time management strategies

  • Time block your day into 1 or 2 hour segments for a specific task
  • Use the Pomodoro Technique
  • Eat that frog in the morning (Brian Tracy)
  • Plan your day into different tasks
  • Match your tasks to your energy level throughout the day.

If you are struggling with this and want to be more efficient with your time, do check out our 3 day productivity challenge to help you gain an extra 2 hours a day!

START THE CHALLENGE

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Stop making excuses

The Entrepreneur’s Ultimate Guide to Goal Setting

Written by Ben Ivey
  • I can’t tell you how many times I hear excuses of why someone isn’t achieving what they desire.
  • “No one is buying at the moment”
  • “The economy is bad”
    “online ads doesn’t work anymore”
  • “People just don’t have the money at present”
  • “I just don’t know what to do”

Enough of making excuses in your life. You MUST take full 100% responsibility for the results you are gaining and for the circumstances that you’re in.

  • Too many times we let a list of excuses stop us from executing on a plan to achieve our dreams. The biggest challenge I see for many entrepreneurs is overcoming the voice in their head holding them back.

Self awareness is certainly the first step and what I challenge you to do is to write down all the reasons why you aren’t currently where you want to be.

This is a great first step that clarifies some of the limiting beliefs that more often than not has been holding you back for years or even decades!

I remember speaking to a client of mine called Dan, who had challenges that were unresolved around his relationship with money for almost his entire life which is almost 5 decades!

I challenge you to step up in your life and eradicate the excuses.

  • Tired? Sleep more!
  • Stressed out? Hire some help!
  • Overwhelmed? Become more organised!
  • Don’t have the time? Quit watching Netflix!
  • Don’t have the money? Stop wasting it & start investing it!

Take 100% responsibility for where you are. Only then can you take full control to pursue & shape your future.

I hope this gives you some inspiration to STEP UP in your life and make the changes necessary to life the life you desire. I’ll leave you with one last quote to consider:

“hell on earth would be to meet the man you could have been, don’t let today be that day, choose to live today to the fullest”

Make it happen and I’ll see you on the other side!

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