Busy All Day But Get Nothing Done? How Scrum Can Help

Why is it that we can go days upon days of feeling crazy busy, exhausted at bedtime yet not get anything done? The truth is that we actually ARE getting things done, but perhaps we are not getting the things done that matter. Whatever your reality is, let's look at some of the common issues I see when working with clients and my team… even myself, when it comes to being productive and getting the things done that really matter.

You Create a To-Do List But Don't Work It

First, congratulations on making a to-do list. That is a significant first step. But one of the most common problems I see is not working on things on your to-do list. Instead, you busy yourself with other things that you want to do, but because they are not on your list, you don't give yourself credit for getting that thing done.

In addition, because those things you are working on are not getting on your list, you are not budgeting time for those things, leaving you with less time to do things on your list.

You are avoiding your to-do list

Avoiding your to-do list isn't always about simply dreading or disliking the work. It could be that you don't feel confident in knowing what you need to do. A lack of requirements or direction could cause that. Trying to do too much at a time can cause this issue. Instead of walking yourself through the goal and all the things you need to complete to reach that goal, you jump right in and start working. The problem is that the work is detailed and you don't even know the destination.

You are stuck in learning

If you are an online business owner, you are probably well aware of the learning curve when building your business. From learning software applications to marketing, the learning never ends. But sometimes, you can get stuck in learning, which can lead to getting nothing crossed off that list.

You Do Personal Business During Your Work Hours

Grocery shopping, personal business, and doctor appointments are just a few of the non-work things you might be doing when you have slated out for working on your business. If you work from home, the line between work and home can get blurred. But the reality is, if you had a full-time job, you would have to take sick leave to go to doctor's appointments, or you would work in appointments, shopping and personal business around your work schedule.

How Scrum Can Help

Scrum is an agile project management framework built to help software teams have a better work-life balance with less overtime and less pressure. You can learn more about this framework and how we have adapted it for small business owners, even if you work alone. Join the Take Charge of Your Biz Challenge. In its simplest form, you can start by doing the following.

Create a Kanban Board

You can create a Kanban board on paper, on a whiteboard or with tools like Trello or Jira. There are just three columns, To Do, Doing and Done. By creating a Kanban board, you can plan out your work in small chunks of time called Sprints. When you work in sprints, it is easier to track your work, set small goals or milestones and help you focus your time and attention on only the items on your board. To learn more, join the Take Charge of Your Biz Challenge.

Only Work on Items on Your Board

Make sure you include all the things you need to do on your board. You run the risk of not budgeting enough time to do your work by not including these items. If you end up working on something not on your board, be sure to add it to your board and note the amount of time it took. If you feel you didn't get anything done, review those items you added and determine if they could have waited until after completing the more essential items on your list.

Review Your Board Daily

Review your board every. single. day. I recommend that you keep your board at hand all day. Your board should be the first thing you look at each morning and the last thing you look at and update every evening. By reviewing your board every morning, you will remind yourself about what you are working on and where you are in that process. You will also identify what you will work on and plan out your day more effectively.

By reviewing your board every evening, you will be able to update your board, move things to the done column and make notes on anything still in progress. You will be much more likely to step away from your desk with confidence each evening, all while feeling more accomplished and in charge.

Keep Personal Matters Out of Your Office

The hours you slate out for working on your business should be for only working on your business. It's so tempting to put all your personal stuff on your Kanban board too, but that will only distract you. If you are serious about building, growing and scaling your business, you must keep personal matters out of your office. Learn more about how to manage your time with balance with our free guide.

Join the Challenge

If this approach sounds like it might work for you, join our Take Charge of Your Biz Challenge. and learn how to create a productivity and implementation system that will have you getting more done in less time without working long hours or skipping family time. Our challenge is lightweight and will help you learn to use Scrum as a beginner and show you how to keep improving to become more skilled at implementation.

As a small business owner, your implementation system is the backbone of your business. It will drive everything you do from building out your business, managing your business growth and scaling your business. Low productivity and feeling overwhelmed do not have to be a part of your business journey. End this pain point today with our 5-day challenge. Click below and join now.

What is your biggest struggle when it comes to being productive? Share in the comments!