When you run your own business, you quickly realize that time is either your greatest ally, or your biggest enemy.
You can have the best services, amazing clients, and the passion to make it work, but without effective time management and prioritization, it’s all too easy to feel like you’re spinning your wheels.
That’s exactly what SEO expert Kirsten Gollier experienced during her first year of business. And honestly? It’s what most of us experience, even if we’re too busy to admit it.
Why the First Year Feels Like a Blur
Kirsten started her SEO business, Intertwined SEO, in May 2023 after years of agency work. But as she puts it, “It didn’t really feel like I had a business until the second year.”
Why?
Because the first year was a crash course in everything, without a syllabus. There were no deadlines, no bosses, no clear to-do list. Just a lot of “what should I be doing right now?” moments.
And while she did make progress (batching content, writing contracts, prepping for clients), it often felt disorganized. One day it was blog writing. The next day, it was social media. No clear plan. Just hustle.
Sound familiar?
The Time Management Wake-Up Call
Things started to shift when the business picked up. Suddenly, there were deadlines. Clients were coming in. And all those “I’ll do it later” tasks from year one? They had to be done now.
That’s when Kirsten realized: time management isn’t something you figure out when you’re busy, it’s something you build when you’re not.
She put it simply: “Once your business starts to grow, you hit a make-or-break moment. You either learn how to manage your time, or your time manages you.”
Planning Around YOUR Productivity Style
One thing we worked on together was understanding her natural productivity rhythm. Turns out, Kirsten gets her best work done between 3–6 PM. Instead of fighting that, we worked with it.
Productivity isn’t about waking up at 5 AM just because someone on Instagram said it worked for them. It’s about recognizing when you do your best thinking, and protecting that time.
So if you’re a night owl, own it. If you need slow mornings, build that in. The key is to plan for it, not wing it.
Prioritizing Before You’re “Too Busy”
In the early days, Kirsten took time to create contracts, write onboarding steps, and batch social media content. She didn’t realize how smart that was until year two, when she no longer had time for admin tasks.
“If I had to write a contract today, I’d say, ‘There’s no time,’” she laughed. “But past Kirsten already handled it.”
Lesson? The best time to plan for success is before you’re drowning in it.
Even if you’re not making money yet, your time is valuable. Use slow seasons to build the systems your future self will thank you for.
The Priority Matrix is a great tool to help you get organized.
Self-Discipline vs. Flexibility
There’s also a real tension between giving yourself grace (especially after leaving a structured job) and slipping into bad habits. Kirsten admitted there were days in year one where she slept in, took random Fridays off, or spent too long down social media rabbit holes.
It didn’t feel like she was doing anything wrong, until she realized she wasn’t making any money. That’s the thing about working for yourself: no one’s watching, so it’s up to you to set the bar. And the trick? It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing the right things at the right time.
Use our Habit Tracker to help you build productive habits.
Final Thoughts: The Time to Prioritize Is Now
If your calendar looks full but your bank account doesn’t, it’s time to reassess.
Ask yourself:
- ✅ Am I working when I’m most productive?
- ✅ Do I know what tasks actually move the needle in my business?
- ✅ Am I setting aside time for strategic planning, not just daily tasks?
- ✅ Have I created templates, contracts, or onboarding steps to save time later?
Because here’s the truth: Time doesn’t just pass, it compounds. And when you use it intentionally, so does your success.
Need help creating a plan that actually works for you? Let’s chat. Together, we can turn your to-do list into a roadmap for growth.
