The land of mañana is a place I know well. It's a place I've been living for a while now.
While the Costa Rican mantra is pura vida (pure life), those who actually live here are more familiar with another saying:the mantra mañana .
Mañana translated means tomorrow:that the work will be done mañana , that the delivery you expected will arrive mañana , or that the leaky sink will be fixed mañana . It's a saying similar to "the check is in the mail".
The well-known but often overlooked problem is that it doesn't always arrive mañana and the work is not always done mañana . That's why I titled my book on life and entrepreneurship in Costa Rica Lost and Found in the Land of Mañana:A Life of the Heart in an Imperfect World. And because I know that for so many solopreneurs and small business owners, their to-do list lives in the land of mañana , too.
Related: 5 Steps to (Finally) Stop Procrastination
How often do you feel like you have 18 different things to do right ? Things that never get done, that you just pushed or kicked out. Maybe you move the deadline, or maybe you just take it off the list so you don't have to see it again. It's stressful, frustrating, and exhausting.
As a solopreneur, you're probably used to doing it all:launching new programs, building websites, working with clients, writing copy, managing networks socials…a kids plate (or really, my own plate).
With your to-do list constantly hanging over your head, you have no time to take care of yourself, which limits massively hinders your personal growth and development and also hinders the growth of your business.
So how can you start ticking these tasks off your to-do list today?
1. Prioritize your work.
We tend to add things to our to-do list because being busy makes us successful, so start by eliminating the things you really don't need in your life. Make a clear list of what you actually need to do and focus on this . Regularly ask yourself, Where should I focus?
2. Systematize your business.
Creating payment, customer service, and marketing systems will save you a ton of time and make your life easier when you end up providing support. My favorite tools for project management include Asana and Trello. You should also create a document with all your systems in one place, like a virtual mall, which can be shared with your team as you grow.
3. Plan and automate.
Social media programming is one of the best tricks of the trade for any solopreneur. For this to work well, it is essential that you first produce a plan to tie all of your marketing together. This way, you'll know that your social media posts are all relevant, have a clear purpose within your business, and are actually helping you attract new customers.
4. Delegate and support.
As a solopreneur, you are alone for all the tasks necessary to manage your business. There is no sounding board, no one to help you set up a new system, no one to manage the back-end while you are up front introducing yourself and taking care of your customers. But to help you move forward, you need to delegate tasks that you find difficult or time-consuming to someone who could do them better and more efficiently.
To help you grow your business, to help it grow, to innovate and reach more people, you need to take control of your to-do list… and stop living in the land of mañana .
Related: 5 things I learned about being a solopreneur
