I was writing blog articles on Christmas morning. That’s when I knew my work-life balance had to change. This is how I planned my day to fix that.
If you’re a business owner drowning in tasks, feeling like you’re constantly firefighting, this video is for you. After 14 years of running my agency and now advising over 50 agency owners, I’ve learned that success isn’t about working harder – it’s about planning your day properly.
Actually, let me show you what NOT to do first: don’t open your inbox first thing. That’s letting other people’s priorities hijack your day before it even starts. Nothing in your inbox cannot go unanswered at 6am for another 60 minutes.
Here’s the daily structure that transformed my agency and kept me somewhat sane while doing so:
1. Plan Tomorrow Tonight (The 5-Minute Game Changer)
Every night before bed, I’d spend 5 minutes writing down everything for the next day. Now some of you will like pen and paper, others are in the Apple Notes gang. typed – written. The task here is to clarify your thinking and taking notes, however you do this, is key.
I learned the outcome of not doing this the hard way. For years, I’d arrive at the office and react to whatever was screaming loudest. Emails, client calls, team questions – I was at everyones mercy the second I walked through the door.
That 5-minute evening plan meant I woke up with a clear plan instead of anxiety. And here’s the key: if you miss it at night, do it BEFORE touching your email in the morning.
Pause this video and write down what time you’ll do your planning tonight. Seriously, pick a time and stick to it.
2. The Brutal Truth About Priorities
Having a list isn’t enough. Most agency owners have lists – they’re just the wrong lists.
Apply the 80/20 rule ruthlessly. If you have 10 things on your list, two of them will drive more results than the other eight combined. Sometimes it’s even more extreme – one task might be worth all the others.
Here’s the question I ask myself: “If I was leaving for a month tomorrow, what one thing would I absolutely have to finish?” That’s where you start.
To scale your agency you need to be ruthless with your time. Yes helping everyone is your job as founder, but not at the expense of the business. Whats more important? The printer needing new toner or that one proposal could double your monthly revenue. Guess what got my attention first? I’d like to tell you it was the proposal led to our biggest client win that year, but it wasn’t because those who were screaming loudest got my attention. Don’t do what I did.
3. Single tasking: The Productivity Secret
Once you know your most important task, here’s what separates successful agency owners from everyone else: single handling.
Start on your most important task and don’t stop until it’s complete. No email checks. No “quick” client calls. No team interruptions.
I used to jump between tasks thinking I was being efficient. I wasn’t. I was being busy. There’s a massive difference. When I started single tasking, I was getting more done and I was able to support my team further.
One trick I used was to put headphones in. Half the time there was no music on, but the process of blocking out noise and focusing helped me considerably. I’d also block out an hour, or even 30 minutes in my calendar, switch on do not disturb and take myself as offline as possible.
The result was more tasks getting completed.
4. Projects Need Structure (Not Just Enthusiasm)
Thinking in decades, years and even in months scares most of us. And big projects overwhelm most agency owners. Sometimes you can’t visualise the entire path forward. Others the project is just huge and causes concern. But here’s how we tackled them: checklists.
When we launched a rebrand for a major client:
- Discovery workshop agenda
- Competitor analysis
- Moodboarding and three concept directions
- Presentation of brand concept
- Refinement round
- Final delivery assets
Each item had a deadline and owner. No confusion. No last-minute scrambles. Just systematic progress.
But consider your biggest strategic project right now. It could be the launch of a new business function, hiring your new team or increasing your revenue. Do you know the steps to take to achieve success? Are you focusing on them regularly.
5. The Daily Review That Changes Everything
Finally, every day before I left the office, I’d ask myself three questions:
- What went well today?
- What didn’t go to plan?
- What needs to change tomorrow?
Over the years, I spent too many hours in meetings that should have been emails. Before I left my agency, no meeting was longer than 15 minutes, and I’d decline to attend any that I did not have strategic involvement in.
But this process of knowing what has worked and what needs to change is the first step. You can’t improve what you don’t measure. And you can’t measure what you don’t review.
Look, I know what you’re thinking.
Most agency owners know this stuff. You also know you should eat better, drink less and move more. But knowing and doing are different beasts entirely. The difference between agencies that scale and those that stagnate isn’t intelligence – it’s implementation.
I spent years thinking that working until 2am showed dedication. It didn’t. Well not entirely. It showed poor planning and if I’m critical it showed tasks I should have passed over sooner. When I finally structured my days and tasks properly, I was home for dinner and the business grew faster.
Your challenge for this week:
Pick ONE thing from this video. Just one. Maybe it’s the evening planning. Maybe it’s identifying your single most important task. Whatever it is, do it tomorrow and see what happens.
What’s the one thing that would make the biggest difference to your agency if you actually completed it tomorrow? Drop it in the comments – sometimes stating it publicly is the push we need.
And if you want help implementing these strategies across your entire agency, head over here and set up a discovery call.