I have eternal life. A piece of me lives through my kids and in the generations to come.
Ever stop to wonder if there was a better way of doing
things? Well, I want to share a couple things I’ve picked up in business and in
life:
Automation – I’m a big believer in automation, and I’m not
talking about robotic automation - but rather, the processes that run
automatically without you having to put much manual labor into them. Automation
can minimize the potential for error and give you consistent results
time-and-time again. The important thing is to identify which processes in your
business or life you can automate, so they run smoothly. Hence, you have fewer
worries.
As moms, we’re naturals at getting our spouse or kids into a
normal routine. Sometimes they do things around the house without any direction
from you. You’ve got them automated and they don’t even know it. Your business,
job or life should be no different. Identify a process that you manually perform
and see if you can automate it. See if it can run with less hand-holding or be
run completely on its own.
Eliminate the Waste – One thing I’ve learned from my Six
Sigma training is to review your work flow and get rid of all the waste - the
steps that don’t add any value or are unproductive. We’ve all heard the saying,
“time is money”? Well, as an entrepreneur, business professional or mother -
your time is valuable. So, focus on steps that propel you forward, and not on
the ones that take you two steps back or slow you down. These types of wastes
can be distractions in our lives.
So how do you identify waste? One example would be to
document what you did on a daily basis. You might be surprised to find out what
your day is really like. Then, review your document at the end of the week and
look for steps that are unnecessary and eliminate them. But, remember to also
look for patterns. For instance, look for tasks that you seem to perform
multiple times in one day, and then ask yourself if it’s necessary.
You may be able to consolidate the task and perform it a few times a week
instead of daily.
I hope these tidbits of information help, and I look forward
to any comments. Thanks!
