Busy

I talk to people from all over the country in the remodeling business and I keep hearing one word again and again. That word is “busy.” We all understand this word and know that in some contexts, it is positive and in others it is negative.

In some cases busy is a product of a lot of hard work paying off, while in others it is a consequence of mistakes or misunderstandings. Busy can be planned, unplanned, or even unwanted. There is good busy and there is not so good busy. Unfortunately, most of the “busy” happening now is not by choice nor is it well controlled. For many remodelers, it is not creating healthy or positive outcomes. We all know the sources of this busy—long back log, supply issues, labor challenges, high consumer demand, and of course the root cause: Covid. 

3 Simple Tips

Before you allow this busy to cause higher and higher stress levels, you might want to push the pause button. If you are feeling the negative side of busy, then here are some tips on how to get more control over your day.

1. Take inventory. How are you spending your time? How does this compare to three years ago? What is more productive and what less so? Are more mistakes being made along with more time spent fixing vs. avoiding them? Simply taking inventory will allow you focus on the problem.

2. Reduce reactive stuff and increase proactiveness. There are three primary sources of reactive time: your clients, your team, and your family. By being more intentionally proactive with prospects and clients you can not only decrease the reactiveness but also spend more time on productive things that you control. A rough rule of thumb is you want to spend up to 80% in proactive time (activities you control). If you can see minor shifts to proactiveness than the negative effects of busy will be reduced.

3. Say No. Most people don’t like to say no, but doing so can make a big difference. Part of gaining control over your day is becoming clear as to the most valuable way to spend your time.

I am not advocating sitting on your hands and being idle. Busy can be healthy and therapeutic at certain times. I am encouraging you to move to a positive and productive busy. These are times when you can be very profitable in the remodeling business. Good busy is a choice—just invest a little time understanding it and improving it.