How To Focus On What Is Essential As A Visionary (Hint: Your OBM Can Help!)

Only by defining what is essential to your business, will you be able to effectively let go of everything else and hit the milestones that truly matter to you.

Most business owners and leaders (heck, most women!) find themselves between a rock and a hard place, saying yes to “opportunities” they know they shouldn’t take, committing to more than they can handle, and consistently overextending to please others at the expense of their own priorities. 

As a visionary in your business, there are endless demands for attention in your daily life. This isn’t news to you. But it is in your hands to stop this from becoming the standard. It is up to you to prioritize the areas in your business you absolutely need to take care of, and let go of the rest.

In the book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, Greg McKeown defines Essentialism as “Less but better.” At its core, this simple yet incredibly challenging concept points to truly honing in on what you want to be doing in your business and finding a way to either get rid of the rest (for example, that offer that only seems to be right because everyone else is launching), or building the team and systems you need to feel supported in execution (essential tasks that aren’t your core skills).

Your OBM Is The Secret Weapon In Your Business Toolkit

As we’ve covered before, your Online Business Manager is a high level business expert whose role is to support you in your ventures and take care of the tasks that fill up your day.

She does this by managing your team, operations, performance, and more so you can regain control of your calendar and allocate your attention to money-making activities and client-facing tasks.

Curious about Essentialism? Check it out! 10 Life Hacks from "Essentialism" (Book Summary) 

Focus On Your Client Work (And Let Go Of Internal Oversight)

In the early stages of most businesses, the visionary is the one handling all the things. Of course, new responsibilities start to emerge as the business (and budget) grows. 

It’s your goal as a leader to build a team you can consistently rely on to get things done internally and allow you to focus on the tasks that keep money coming in, whether that’s designing new products and services, working directly with clients, networking or more.

Your OBM is a trusted partner whose role is to support your team and ensure everyone is on the same page as project deadlines approach, making operations a smooth ride for everyone involved.

Manage Your Time (And Let Go Of Managing Your Team’s)

Turning your ideas into an actionable plan is easier said than done, especially when collaborating with team members and contractors. As your business grows, your bandwidth is often compromised in execution, which can then take a toll on new ideas and overall project development.

In order to move projects forward, your team needs clear communication, shared responsibilities, agreed upon scopes and accountability practices. 

Your Online Business Manager is your ally in overseeing team performance, keeping open communication with key stakeholders and setting up the boundaries to ensure your plans come to life exactly as you envision, and letting you focus on your own mission with as much freedom as possible.

Unsure of where to start? Watch this video: How To Prioritize: One Tip That Does It All 

Implement Winning Strategies (And Let Go Of Reporting And OKRs)

Similar to product and service development, everything from marketing strategies to financial plans adds up to your to-do list with the potential of never quite being over. 

While the importance of a new marketing plan or organizational strategy is clear, its execution is better left to the pros. To determine how close you are to your business goals and whether you need to correct course or keep marching ahead, it’s crucial to track progress and evaluate performance.

Your OBM is a trusted partner who can effectively remove the burden of overseeing action items and tracking milestones with you and your team. She’ll become your right hand in setting the concrete actions to hit every Objective and Key Result to take your business the extra mile.

Collaborating With Your OBM Will Breathe New Life Into Your Business

In a time when we’re all glued to smartphones, cameras and constant notifications, it’s easy to overexpose yourself and feel a constant need to be available to everything and everyone that demands your attention. 

The pitfall is that your most valuable resources are limited: Your time and energy can easily be spent on things that don’t really matter instead of being thoughtfully invested into the things that make a difference in your life.

By curating your to-do list and being intentional with your focus, you’re opening up to the opportunity to grow as an entrepreneur, regardless of whether you’re trying to scale your business or not. Your OBM is the ace up your sleeve that helps you build a strong foundation and make your business sustainable and efficient beyond your own working hours.