Do you sometimes feel as though there are just not enough hours in the day to get done everything you need or want to get done? Do you struggle trying to balance your work, your family and social life? This article will provide you with a simple three-step process on how to earn more while working less.

One critical key to earning more and working less is being organized. Most people who earn six or seven figures and only work part-time, are highly organized. In addition to being organized you need to prioritize. May of us spend 80% of our time doing things that only make 20% of the difference in our lives. Top income earners, know exactly what matters most and that’s what they spend there time doing. They skip or delegate everything else.

Step 1 — Get organized and prioritize. Make a list of everything there is to do and handle in your life, your home and your business or job. That may seem like a daunting task that could take days if not months. Just sit down and start listing things you either want or need to get done in no particular order, as they pop into your head. This list of “to do’s” is finite and in reality will probably only take you an hour or two to create.

Step 2 – Take a good look at the items on your list and decide what items will make the most impact on your income and quality of life. Sit in silence for 20 minutes and meditate over your list. The most impactful items on your list will start jumping off the page. Highlight those items.

Step 3 – Move all of the highlighted items from your list into your calendar. Schedule when you are going to do each task and be realistic when determining how much time to allow for each task. For example, you may schedule one project for Monday from 7am-9am, a task on Tuesday from 8pm-10pm, and six simple phone calls for Thursday from 2pm-3pm and so on.

If you are unable to get all of the highlighted items into your calendar within the next two weeks, then you need to refine your highlighted list again before entering it into your schedule.

This process helps you get organized, focus on the 20% that matters most and will help prevent you from taking on more tasks than you can handle effectively. If you are unable to complete a task during the scheduled time, re-schedule the task for another time.

Once you switch over from keeping a running “to do” list to scheduling every task, you will begin to feel more relaxed, be more efficient, feel like you have more time and you will get done the most important tasks that make the biggest difference in your life.

When you have a running “to do” list you are more likely to stress over what you need to get done because you don’t know when and how it’s going to get done. By simply scheduling what needs to get done, it will get done when it’s time to do it. No more stressing or agonizing over it. It’s in your schedule and you know you have time for it, specific time set aside. Even if it’s just a simple task like making a phone call, if it’s in your schedule you know you won’t forget about it and you know it will get done.

Be sure to leave open space in your calendar for interruptions and putting out fires. Also, schedule family time, exercise time, alone time, mealtime and organization time (go through your mail, file, etc). This will help keep you organized and in balance.

In relation, many entrepreneurs have followed a similar path to become wealthy in their own right, if not as famous around the world. The list is endless and scanning ‘Rich Lists’ will always turn up stories where determination and drive has taken people to a life of abundance, to a life surrounded by wealth created out of nothing. Not everyone gets handed things on a silver platter, many of those people have taken themselves to the top with nothing more than a desire to succeed and make something of themselves and their lives.

Chris Gardner, whose biography inspired the motion picture “In Pursuit of Happiness” is a true tale of being down and out, and then having the will, vision and determination to turn one’s life around. Dreaming of becoming a stockbroker, he instead found himself penniless in jail, his girlfriend having taken his son and all of his belongings. Even through that Gardner still had the tenacity to fight for his future. Being released from jail on the eve of his final interview with a major brokerage firm, he turned up at the interview in dirty jeans and a t-shirt. He told the truth, explaining his situation and his interviewer sympathised and immediately gave Gardner a place within the company training program. Several years later he started his own brokerage company in Chicago and has never looked back. Inspirational.

Duncan Bannatyne, one of the popular faces from the BBC’s Dragon’s Den show, was told at the age of 11 by his mother that they couldn’t afford an ice cream when he wanted one. So he took it upon himself to build himself a paper round in order to buy the whole family one the following summer. His business ventures started with his own ice-cream van, gradually building up a fleet before selling the business for a healthy profit. Then from investments in Nursing Homes and Children’s Learning Centres he moved into the Health Club sector and is now worth over £310 million according to the a 2008 Sunday Times Rich List. Inspirational.

So what does it take to make it as a rags to riches entrepreneur? A vision, a clear goal is a key starting point along with unfailing belief in oneself. An unfaltering focus and drive to make it in the world of business is needed, despite the current, often less than perfect circumstances that one may find themselves in. But there is such great proof out there, once you start looking at those who have made it, that anything is possible. Anything is achievable. Wherever you are at now, doesn’t mean it will be that way forever. Everyone has the power to change things, to create what they want. Look forward, look up and scale the heights with belief and determination. Be the next Richard Branson. Why not?

Rediscover the youthful trait of being fearless, for when you don’t let the fear of failure into your mind, then it won’t exist and all the positive energy you put out there will reward you. There’s always a rule of give and take, meaning the more you put in, the more you will get out.
Be strong, be fearless but maintain a firm grip, keeping your feet on the ground and not forgetting your working class roots. A humble element which is almost as equally important as a keen sense of business. Financial success, becoming a much lauded rags to riches entrepreneur doesn’t have to be that long of a journey, and never forget it can a such a thrilling one for ultimately it will be your passion that you will be pursuing.

Whatever the full list of ingredients are that make up the ideal recipe for success as a rags to riches entrepreneur, there appears to be a few key things necessary. With a touch of self-motivation, some common sense, luck of course, astute planning and effective implementation there will always be a chance to make those millions. Many have. Many will. It could include you.