When looking to move your business to the next level of success, one question you must ask yourself is, “What is the highest and best use of my time?”

This question is useful for focusing your efforts and helping you do the most important things first. When you are focused on the highest and best use of your time, you are naturally going to focus on those activities which are most profitable and most enjoyable. Sometimes you will focus on profit more than enjoyment, and sometimes enjoyment more than profit, but ultimately, if you keep this question at the front of your mind, you will do the most necessary work.

The answer to this question will change over time. If you are just starting out in business, for instance, the highest and best use of your time will center around generating cash flow. You’ll be focused primarily on sales and marketing to help accomplish this goal. As your business grows, and stabilizes, you might find that the highest and best use of your time is developing new products and services to improve the lifetime value of your clients. You might hire out for sales and marketing, and customer service.

As your business evolves further, the highest and best use of your time might be focused on leaving your legacy, or giving back.

Sometimes, entrepreneurs experience stress because they are trying to do too many things at once. They want to accomplish all these goals (cash flow, new products and services, legacy building) all at the same time, and, in fact, all in the same month!

(No wonder most business owners are moving through their days feeling unfocused and confused.)

It is far better to focus on just one of these goals (and the right goal in the right order) and work on achieving that, first. Cash flow is always the best goal to start with, because when the money is flowing, you have so many more options for how you use your time and develop your business.

If you feel you’ve been floundering for too long, and are ready to use a proven system to put your business on the fast track to cash flow and success, I’d invite you to take the next step and work with me.