I’ve Got No Time

Having no time is a ‘whole-of-business’ issue.

And despite what we’re often told (and sold) there is no AI system, no time management hack or productivity system that will fix that.

No time for you and your team means you are constantly running and never quite catching up. 

Despite that, you tell yourself that “If we can just {insert your latest idea here}, we’ll get back on top of things.”

This situation creates occasional errors in the business leading to:

• A team member circling back and correcting some of the work
• Having to do the whole job again
• Getting a more senior person involved (often you the business owner) to ensure it’s done right second time
• Apologising to a client – with the reputational damage that brings
• Financially compensating a customer

Were you to add up the real costs of these actions to your business, it would be horrifying: 

• reduced referrals
• increased marketing spend
• staff turnover
• increased recruitment costs
• slower growth
• or longer working hours and the flow-on effects to your family and personal relationships 

Ever Tried Any of These?

Here are some of the things I see business owners try:

• A better productivity system
• Email sorting technology
• A new back office system
• Hold less internal meetings
• 5:00 am club (or some other extreme morning routine promoted on TikTok or YouTube
• AI – to dramatically improve speed of processing mundane work

I’m not saying some of these things are a waste of time (although extreme routines are), but none of them will solve the underlying busyness issue. 

Why?

Because they are not the real issue.

Most adviser-owners, without really knowing it, are focused on being more efficient. And the list above ‘might’ improve your efficiency.

However, what you need to be focused on is effectiveness and you don’t become effective by doing things faster. 

You become effective by working on the right things and ignoring everything else. 

Yes, it’s harder, because you have to choose what you’re not going to do. And then not do it. 

What if the real issue is that you just have too much on?

What if it will never be possible to get everything done in the way you are hoping by becoming more efficient?

What if the real answer is to do less – a lot less?

Reality Can Be Hard To Accept

If these things are true, then none of the productivity systems you are trying to find will work. 

The consequence is that you go from quarter to quarter and year to year staying too busy, because you’re not being honest with yourself about the root cause, or real issue. 

There are plenty of books by experts who have pretty much de-bunked all of these supposed systems and hacks that you’ve tried. (I’ve tried them too if it’s any consolation). 

Here are some of my favourites (I’ve read them all):

• Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management For Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

• 10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More By Doing Less by Dan Sullivan and Dr Benjamin Hardy

• Deep Work: Rules For Focused Success In A Distracted World by Cal Newport

• Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport

These are all great reads and they all bring you back to the real solution:

Do less, and do it better

Catch the free replay of my PFS Power Webinar Why Are Smart, Capable Adviser-Owners Still This Overwhelmed? for a complete, step-by-step outline of how to fix your time issues. It’s a game-changer. Click here.

How I dealt With This Issue Myself

I recommend an approach taught to me by Dominika Sieradzka MacCuirc at RIE Solutions; The Capacity Calculator. I’ve been using this as a planning tool for the last 7 or 8 years and it has really made a difference, once I got honest with myself.

The core idea is to write down (in a spreadsheet works fine) everything you have to do in your typical work year. Yes, I plan a year ahead. 

I then work out how many days I have available for the year and decide how many days or part days I need to allow for each of the tasks on my list.

For example for Blog Writing I need ½ day per blog x 38 blogs = 19 days set aside for that task.

I’ll calculate a day’s equivalent number for every task. 

And I have learnt to be honest about how long things take and deliberately allow that plus a bit so that I’m never doing tasks with a gun to my head. If I only allow enough time in a perfect world I end up doing things under time pressure and all the fun leaves the building. I can’t stand it. 

What did I learn the first time I did this exercise?

I had 201 days set aside and 247 days worth of work.

Mmmmmm.

I’m no Einstein but I knew that wasn’t even close to feasible. 

Now I could see why I was always feeling so stretched and busy. 

Now I had a choice:

a. Ignore it and pretend it’s not real

b. Trim the days I’ve allowed for each task to make it fit – (which is actually option a. because I’ll never get stuff done in the time I’ve now pretended to allow myself)

c. Have an honest look at what needs to go from my list (delegate, or delete entirely)

What I eventually figured out is if it won’t work on paper, there’s no way it’s going to work in real life. 

Why Is This A Benefit?

Now, 7 or 8 years later, I’m much better at this exercise, but there’s another benefit:

When someone gets in touch and says, “Can I have a call with Brett?” Or “Do you want to meet up for a coffee?” Or “Do you want to do whatever?” Emma (my PA)  and I look at the diary and what do we see?

Yes, I’m very bloody busy. So if this is not something that is a high priority for me it’s really easy to say ‘no’ to whatever is being offered. 

And obviously, let’s say something comes up that I do want to say yes to, we are forced to consider what we’ll delete or give up from the existing schedule to make room for it. And that’s exactly how it should be. 

Advisers who have done this exercise find the same things out:

• Once they put in their pre-existing commitments for the year, there is almost no time left for anything else.

• As a result, it helps them to make better ‘yes’ or ‘no’ decisions when they are offered shiny things.

• They get to contemplate whether everything they are currently doing is the work they really should be doing. 

Do This Right Now

If you and your team are too busy, rip up your current plan and get real. 

What you’ll find is that this level of planning and organisation sets you free.

And if you’ve allowed enough time for each task, plus a bit, you’ll actually find you get bits of time back on some days and you can get ahead of yourself. That’s an amazing feeling. 

Let me know how you go.

Catch the free replay of my PFS Power Webinar Why Are Smart, Capable Adviser-Owners Still This Overwhelmed? for a complete, step-by-step outline of how to fix your time issues. It’s a game-changer. Click here.

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