We get it! You’re busy – or at least you’re keeping up the appearance of being so. In fact, you post selfies to let us know that you are “so busy” every hour – on the hour.

-- You’ve created all those fan pages,

-- On all the social media sites,

-- With a million email addresses,

-- And still have fewer than 200 likes/followers,

-- With only 5 posts in the last 6 months,

-- With no one to subscribe to your email list,

-- That you are too overwhelmed to put together,

-- For a website that is subpar or non-existent.

You dream of being an entrepreneur, you love the idea of being your own boss and not having a financial cap, but you’re running in circles, trying to establish yourself as a real-life, grown-up business, but you’re not quite sure how to get off the hamster wheel, full speed, without falling flat on your face.

So, you keep yourself busy to display the illusion of accomplishing goals, but you're really just a great procrastinator and a not-so-great pretender. So what can you do to stop pretending, and get down to business?

Slow down! A hamster can run a thousand miles on a wheel leading to nowhere. Jump off the hamster wheel and build your business, deliberately, not aimlessly. Let’s make 2017 a year of completion and progress!  Here are a few tips to help you cut through the “busy work,” and invest your time and effort into actionable results:

1. Cut the Chaos

It’s okay to love to do a million things, but it’s ALSO OKAY for most of those things to be hobbies. Seriously. Not every idea you come up with deserves an email address, social media page or DBA name. Find your passion, identify your market, build your following and profit!

Next, surrounding yourself with an overload of literature and paperwork is not a sign of productivity, but of chaos and uncertainty. Get it together! You will never know absolutely EVERYTHING there is to know about your field in business, and that’s okay! There has never been a perfect business, nor will there ever be a perfect time to “officially” launch your business. Entrepreneurship is all about growth, learning from your mistakes and the mistakes of others, to better improve your business for your future consumer.

2.  Prioritize.  

Which daily tasks are bringing forth results? Your priorities should be results-driven, and used as a stepping stone to accomplish a greater goal. Which tasks can be scheduled, delegated to an intern, volunteer or an automation system? It is imperative that you distinguish what and who deserves your immediate attention.

3. Value Your Time.

I’m sure some of you are parents, caregivers, or working full-time with hopes of one day working full-time for yourself. Since all your time can’t be fully devoted toward your

dream, it’s important to set aside the time that you can. If this means waking up an hour or two before your family awakes and devoting two hours after they’ve fallen asleep, do

it. If this means working a double shift, just to squeeze in a few hours before you go back to the job you hate to devote towards your dream, do it. Your dream can't afford for you NOT to value your time.

You've got this. Go forth and be EPIC!

By: Christy Harris