Hey Reader,

Do you ever feel like your day is a never-ending cycle of "busy work" that keeps you from your most important projects?

Maybe you're even to the point where you think you might want to bring on a virtual assistant or some help to get some of those "busy work" tasks off your plate?

This is a super common conversation I have with entrepreneurs all the time, especially inside our masterminds.

The reality is, whether you're a new entrepreneur, seasoned veteran, or just launching a side hustle, you're working with limited time and a seemingly never-ending to-do list.

Whether you're looking to hire someone but not sure what tasks to give them, or just trying to get a little more clarity on how to prioritize your time, I think this exercise can help.

I call it the 10/100/1,000 Exercise.

Although now, I've added to it, making it the 10/100/1,00/AI exercise.

Essentially, we're going to categorize every single thing we do in our business into one of these 4 categories:

• 10: Tasks that I could pay someone $10/hour to do for me. (this can be expanded to $20-$50 an hour, too)
• 100: Tasks that I'd need to pay someone at lets $100/hour to do for me. So those tasks that require a little more experience or expertise.
• 1,000: Tasks that only I can do.
• AI: Tasks that AI can do for me.

So here's how to run this exercise. It's really just 3 steps:

Step 1: Track your time.

This is where I lose a lot of people, because I need you to really lean into this. You need to track every second of your day for a MINIMUM of two weeks. I suggest a full month, but at least 2 weeks.

And when I say track everything, I mean everything. Getting coffee, restroom breaks, those super-quick peaks at your email. Everything. You need to really know where your time is going.

I recommend using a free time-tracking tool like toggl.com.

Side note: If you only do this first step, you'll likely get a ton of value from this. It will open your eyes to so much!

Step 2: Categorize every single thing you do, into the 4 categories I mentioned.

• 10: Tasks that I could pay someone $10/hour to do for me. (this can be expanded to $20-$50 an hour, too)
• 100: Tasks that I'd need to pay someone at lets $100/hour to do for me. So those tasks that require a little more experience or expertise.
• 1,000: Tasks that only I can do.
• AI: Tasks that AI can do for me.

Step 3: Delegate, automate, or optimize.

Most people find that a lot more of their days is taken up by those tasks in the "10" column. Take a look at those and figure out how much time you would need from a Virtual Assistant (VA) in order to get it all off your plate.

Keep in mind, most people are not going to do things a quickly as you. So if you tracked yourself putting 5 hours a month into a task, plan for someone else to take maybe 7 hours.

Next, take some time to look at your "AI" tasks and research the best tools for those tasks. Or at least put together a plan to implement some tools over time.

Lastly, you're not going to be able to delegate everything in that "10" category to a VA. Some things are going to need to stay with you.

So you need to look at how you can optimize those tasks for yourself. Maybe it's updating your systems or the tools you use. Maybe it's blocking time on your calendar so you can attack them with more focus. Whatever might help, you want to optimize as much as possible.

This exercise will not fix everything for you. Not by a long shot. BUT, I find it almost always opens our eyes to where we're losing (read: wasting) time, and where it might make sense to utilize AI or bring someone on to help.

So, here is my challenge to you: Track your time for two weeks. Really track it...everything. Then, see what your categories look like.

If you need any help, just let me know.

I hope this helps.

~ Jeff I appreciate you. Jeff Gargas COO / Co-Founder, Teach Better Team ​​​​​ P.S. When you're ready, here's how I can help: 🤝 Need accountability and 1-on-1 coaching? Let's connect and see if there's a fit. Click here to book a free 30-minute call.​ 💚 Looking for support, collaboration, and exclusive resources? Join the EDUpreneur Community. Click here to join today.​

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