Do you ever wonder how some business leaders are so productive? They are incredibly busy, yet accomplish what they want in less time than many others. As a Professional Organizer, I’m lucky to meet many inspiring individuals who fall into this illustrious category. In this Productivity Pointers from Productive People segment, I am pleased to interview Kevin McLeod, founder and CEO of Yardstick Services, to learn what makes him so organized and successful.

What are the biggest time wasters in your life? What do you do to manage them?

Quite frankly, I wish I had more time to “waste.”. I have a young family and a growing business and have never been busier in my life. But, I feel like choosing where I spend my time is the most important thing I do each day. This helps my business move ahead and ensures I maintain a healthy work-life balance. Every morning I begin by setting one or two goals for the day. These are things that typically fall into the “important but not urgent” task category.

I do unwind at the end of the day. I play video games, read books, play guitar, and watch Netflix but usually, only for the hour I have to myself before I go to bed. Needless to say, my list of books and movies has been piling up since having kids.

Tell us about your everyday “essentials” for business (e.g. smartphone, apps, virtual assistant? etc.).

Yes, I have everyday essentials. Being a web agency, we have more comfort and aptitude for setting up SaaS software and systems to help us be productive. And we’re committed to keeping our team remote, which helps with both recruitment and retention. Therein, I can’t say enough good things about Slack. It’s single-handedly allowed us to stop all internal emails while also increasing transparency and improving communication amongst our remote team members. I also have a virtual receptionist who answers and routes calls for us, saving time and ensuring we always have someone on the front-line during working hours.

We’ve written articles on managing a remote team and working as a remote team so people can learn more about the pros/cons and some of the tools we use.

The most essential resource I have is my business coach, Beverlee Rasmussen. She helps me make sure I’m staying on target with my goals and asking the tough questions before I race ahead with any new initiatives. My business has more than doubled since I began working with her three years ago.

How do you manage and organize yourself electronically (online, smartphone, computer)?

We use G Suite for file sharing, calendars, and external email and we use Slack for all internal communications. We also have very robust project management and time tracking systems for all of our client work. And we use LastPass for securely storing and sharing logins. I won’t go on a rant about security but, it never ceases to amaze me how many people still rely on Excel spreadsheets, little black books, or even old emails for password management.

How do you organize and file your paper information?

What paper? The only paper we now have in our business is the occasional contract. Even then, we take all signed agreements, scan them, and upload them to our file-sharing system. Any paper we have gets filed away in a filing cabinet. The same goes for all accounting receipts and documents. We scan and file them online. We’re trying to be 100% electronic – saving trees, saving time, etc.

What’s your top tip for staying organized & productive?

If you’re just talking about a daily routine, then setting up systems is the first step. Using those systems is the second step and improving those systems on an ongoing basis is the third step. But, if you’re talking about being productive in terms of achieving goals, then you need to set goals and ignore distractions like email and social media. You also need to build great systems and then hire great people to use those systems to help you run your business. I can’t say enough about the need to hire and retain great people – especially with unemployment rates being so remarkably low.

6. What do you do to achieve work-life balance?

I work from home, and I have a young family, so we have some rules. My office door has a lock because it’s crucial for me to have a physical barrier between work and life. When I am in the office, I am at work. Just as if someone was at their office downtown. I am not available to help turn on Netflix or fix a broken toy. My wife is also excellent about planning with any support she needs of me during the week with the kids.

I am strict about leaving my office at a specific time every day to spend time with my family. I never miss one of my son’s soccer practices, but I have been known to go “back to the office” after the kids are in bed. My wife gets a great deal of credit for being so patient and understanding during busy times. So, she and I also make time just for the two of us as well. I work to live and not the other way around.

Learn more about Kevin McLeod. Read more productivity pointers from productive people.