Early-morning starts are the key to success

Shivani Gopal is one of Australia’s most organised women, believing success doesn’t come from long work hours. In fact, her toughest jobs are done before 10am, every day.

Reckon A2

Working long hours won’t equal success if you’re wasting time on basic tasks.

Image 1 hero

Shivani Gopal is one of the most organised people in Australia.

Founder of The Remarkable Woman, a coaching business helping women to succeed professionally, financially and personally, she’s acutely aware that too many of us are failing simply because we’re not making the most of our time.

“I have a timeslot for everything,” she tells news.com.au.

“I wake up at 5am, I have an apple cider vinegar straight away, which resets me. I meditate for five minutes, and I am almost on auto-pilot, the thinking is taken out of it.

“I then go and get dressed for the gym. I get there by 6am. I’m back by 7.10 and I am in the shower.”

She says those early mornings are key to her success, because she starts in a good headspace to tackle her workday. The first few working hours are critical to getting her most complex tasks done.

“By 10am I’ve probably written two content pieces or done the hardest bit of work I have. Then my day is free for meetings. In the evenings I check my emails again.”

“So it’s incredibly structured but it is the only way you can put the blocks in first and sprinkle the sand all around it.”

Ms Gopal has taught many women to manage competing priorities so they can get the most out of their day.

“We have phone calls, meetings, [and admin tasks] so what do we do first? These things can take over you and you go into a bit of a tail spin. You’ve got to pre-plan and create your ideal week.”

Image 2

She adds that smart business owners invest in ways they can make their days easier and more productive, such as using simple accounting software.

Shockingly, one third of Australian business owners are still not using even basic accounting software to manage their company finances, meaning too many people are wasting too much time on administration.

“The software is very easy and you don’t have to think about it, and it gives you time back in the day. There’s no mental hurdle to it and it takes the fear out of the process.”

Recent research by accounting software provider Reckon found 24 per cent of Australia’s small and medium businesses are not using accounting software, despite spending 18 per cent of their time at work on business administration and payroll.

“That is an incredible amount of time that they are consumed by admin,” says Sam Allert, Reckon CEO.

“The data is staggering,” he adds.

Brand Reveal

Reckon has created an online In The Zone hub where small businesses can receive practical tips and advice on ways to operate at their peak, including specific industries like retail, construction, and general businesses.

“We’ve put a whole lot of not just tips and tricks, but data and ideas to help you get ‘in the zone’. It’s a resource centre,” he says. “Our In The Zone planner is available for download to help you get the most out of your week.”

Like most small business operators, Ms Gopal admits she doesn’t “love admin”.

“It’s not my friend,” she jokes. “But instead of burying your head in the sand you need to look up, ask questions and find an easier way.”

(NOTE PRODUCERS - PLEASE ADD SUB HEAD: You need more than inspiration, you need to be smart )

Image 3

Ms Gopal is particularly passionate about helping other women like her succeed and not be tripped up by things within their control.

Her own journey to success was a difficult one.

After migrating from India as a baby, she grew up in Sydney as a “regular Aussie girl” - until her parents arranged for her to be married.

“It wasn’t me, it wasn’t the life that I wanted to live for myself, it wasn’t something that I had consciously chosen,” she says.

She was bitterly unhappy during her early twenties and desperate to break free from her relationship – “not because he was a bad person, but because it wasn’t the right life for me”.

“I felt trapped in so many ways; primarily I felt pressured to have children, I felt pressure to be the good wife and to do all the things that a traditional Indian woman should do.

“Work was the one thing that I had which was my own - and so I became very successful.”

It was a conversation with a friend that made her realise she wasn’t trapped - financially she could stand on her own, even if she felt a level of ‘shame’ about leaving the marriage.

Her marriage ended when she was just 24, setting a new course for the young financial planner, who three years ago founded The Remarkable Woman.

“Disempowerment happens in so many ways,” she says.

“For me it happened in a personal sense but for most women it happens in a professional sense.”

She never wants to see people trapped due to their finances, and believes by being smarter in the way we work, we will never have to be.

“You are absolutely accountable,” she says. That’s why she wants people - especially women - to find ways to work smarter, and not be caught out by simple oversights.

Speaking specifically about small business owners, she adds they needed to be on top of regulations such as the new changes to single-touch payroll which will be brought in by the ATO in the new financial year.

“You live and die by this so you’ve got to get across it and make life as simple for yourself as possible.”