Have you ever had one of those days where you were super busy, doing a bunch of little things, but by the end of the day you felt like you hadn’t accomplished anything? A day where the pile of work on your desk didn’t get any smaller… and nothing really got crossed off your to-do list?

Well, I had that day last week.

When I first woke up, I assumed I had plenty of time to get everything done. Sure, throughout the day I had small interruptions, like a sink full of dirty dishes, breakfast/lunch/snack for my son, and plenty of potty breaks (oh, the joy of working from home while potty training!). And of course, because I had so much to do, the kiddo decided to not take his nap.

So… in between food and potty training, I managed to get some little things knocked out. I returned some important client emails, and sent out some follow-up emails to a few people I met at an event earlier in the week. I organized the details for my next networking group event, and sent out an announcement email to my member list, as well as to those who’d requested the information. I finished a client project (a day ahead of schedule, I might add!), invoiced the client, and even made a pact with a friend to finish our websites (by 8/1!). Then before I knew it, it was time to wrap everything up for the day, and go make dinner.

Looking back over it all, it seems like I DID get a lot done… but the only thing I was able to cross off my list was the client project. So how is it that I got a lot done, but managed to accomplish very little?

And then I had an epiphany… an “Aha!” moment, if you will.

All those “little things” – emailing clients, organizing my monthly networking group, following up with new contacts, invoicing, etc. – those are all things integral to the daily running and marketing of my business. The problem is, that while I continue to do those things every day, I haven’t been accounting for them in my to-do list. Heck, I didn’t even account for writing this article! And yet these tasks are just as important as the bigger items on my list.

So between this, and realizing that my to-do list is merely a set of guidelines, I’ve come to a new conclusion. Yes, it’s true, I don’t have the best time management skills… yet. But I’m getting better. And I’m going to go over my upcoming weekly to-do list, and see where I need to start fitting in the “little things.”

Yeah, maybe this all seems like a no-brainer, but honestly, I’ve never sat down and thought about it. Those things just get done, and then at the end of the day, I look at my list and wonder, “What did I do all day?“. Well, now I will wonder no more. Because now I know that in order to stay on track, it really is all about the little things.

Join me next time, as I continue my journey Out of the Bedroom,
Tamar Wallace | Principal, TAMAR Graphics