{"id":40018,"date":"2023-10-20T15:05:50","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:05:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/seven-key-ways-to-create-iron-self-discipline-startupsmart\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:05:50","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:05:50","slug":"seven-key-ways-to-create-iron-self-discipline-startupsmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/seven-key-ways-to-create-iron-self-discipline-startupsmart\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven key ways to create iron self-discipline – StartupSmart"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"feature-self-discipline-thumb\"<\/div>\n

\"feature-self-discipline-thumb\"Those starting out in a new venture have great intentions of accomplishing big things each day, but the truth is that working alone can be extremely demotivating.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re working from a home office and are faced with the distractions of family, chores and social phone calls, retaining focus is a particular challenge.<\/p>\n

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But if you\u2019re lacking the self-discipline required to get through your daily tasks, there are seven simple steps you can take that will ensure you stay on track.<\/p>\n

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1. Have a routine<\/h3>\n

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Make sure you stick to a regular work routine, just as you would if you\u2019re working for someone else.<\/p>\n

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Elisa Limburg, founder of events and marketing agency elevents, says it\u2019s vital to stick to core work hours when working in your own business.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis way people know when they can contact you, will take you more seriously and find you more reliable when they know you\u2019re contactable when they\u2019re most likely operating as well,\u201d Limburg says.<\/p>\n

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Hazel Theocharous runs virtual assistant business Assisting U Virtually and says business owners should have a \u201cto do\u201d list that\u2019s updated every day.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI recommend updating the list at the end of each day so that you\u2019re prepared for the new day in business,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cDiarising time is also an important factor for any business owner.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Also bear in mind that most people work better either in the morning or the afternoon, so recognise when you\u2019re at your best and do the most important jobs then.<\/p>\n

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And if you\u2019re working from home, set up a separate room in your house that\u2019s exclusively used for work.<\/p>\n

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2. Structure your day<\/h3>\n

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Aim to conduct and complete tasks within time limits and within specific time allotments throughout the day.<\/p>\n

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So, if you have a deadline or need to get tasks finished, block time out in your diary and don\u2019t take calls or check emails in that time, Limburg says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cManaging your own business involves juggling lots of different tasks and different clients.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s important to be productive with your time and by setting limits you\u2019ll work more effectively and strive harder to achieve and finish tasks,\u201d Limburg says.<\/p>\n

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She also recommends that you don\u2019t fall in to the trap of constantly checking emails.<\/p>\n

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Instead, allot specific times to check emails, unless you are expecting something urgent.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou can easily get distracted by checking and responding to emails all the time. It also sets a trend that you\u2019ll immediately respond to people, which at times can generate more work,\u201d Limburg says.<\/p>\n

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Craig Broadbent agrees that emails can slow you down. He was initially running his Sydney content management business, StoneBridge Systems, from home and says he learned early he needed to be disciplined with email.<\/p>\n

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He set up his email so that everything from news sources was sent to a folder called \u201cRead Later\u201d, and only allowed himself to read anything in that folder three times a day.<\/p>\n

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And Broadbent could only read anything in that folder once there was no unread mail in his inbox.<\/p>\n

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\u201cSetting up systems around email has been one of the most important tips for me,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI tended to use \u2018interesting\u2019 emails that came through as a way of procrastinating.\u201d<\/p>\n

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3. Push yourself<\/h3>\n

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To get ahead and run a business, you need to push yourself harder than you would if you were an employee.<\/p>\n

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\u201cYou basically have more to manage, so every piece of time matters, especially when building up your business, so use time wisely,\u201d Limburg says.<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s also important to regularly meet friends and family, exercise or do something just for you, or you\u2019ll end up stressed and unhappy.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWork extra hours every now and again rather than go on a social outing or watch TV, but don\u2019t overdo the sacrifices.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhile work-life balance is very important, and although you tend to spend more time on your business than other aspects of your life, it\u2019s very important to find some balance,\u201d Limburg says.<\/p>\n

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Those starting out in a new venture have great intentions of accomplishing big things each day, but the truth is<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":61216,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40018"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40018"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40018\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}