Let’s Stop the Craziness Together!
Do you ever have those days where you think, “There is just not enough hours in the day to get it all done!”
Yeah, me too.
In fact, I have been feeling like that for many, many, many years. Doesn’t that sound just crazy? Or can you totally relate???? I don’t know about you, but I am sick of it, or I was sick of it until I made some very important changes that I can’t wait to share.
I know being busy is a “given” when you have a business. Heck, our main challenge is that we have to wear all of the hats and get everything done even if there are tasks that are challenging for us or that we just don’t like. Yuck! And as a woman, how often do we ask for help?
Right?
Well, let me challenge you to adopt these same changes. Changes that are designed to make your life more productive and less frantic. Changes that, since implemented, have been transformational for me and my business. Changes that will make your business run more efficiently and effectively.
Let me share. As I mentioned, I have been on the crazy train for quite a while now. It is not easy managing a large membership organization, a publishing company, a family, a household, two dogs and a life. Eh, what life? LOL! And what is even crazier is that I actually have more on my plate now yet I feel way less stressed and more focused. It is awesome! Let me share.
The first thing I had to do was to create a brand new business plan. Wait! Don’t leave me now!!!! I am not talking about a long and complicated business plan that will be handed off to a bank loan department. The intention of this business plan is for it to be your new “Business Success Playbook” and it is only for your use. It will take a bit of time, but it does not have to me 20+ pages long and contain all of the elements of a regular business plan. The purpose of this is for you to achieve crystal clear direction and avoid those dreaded squirrel moments we so often have in our new technologically stimulating world. Your plan should have the basic elements like your positioning statement and your UVP (Unique Value Proposition), your goals, your team, your marketing and sales strategies, your financials along with anything specifically relate-able to your business that needs to be managed. My plan also includes my “why”.
Keep in mind that this new Success Playbook needs to be your new business life-line and it needs to continually evolve with your business. Once initially created, you will need to schedule a bi-weekly reoccurring reminder in your calendar to review and update it until it becomes a new habit.
STEP ONE
Develop your Business Success Playbook to achieve crystal clear direction and create a new habit of routinely reviewing and updating it with new strategies.
The second thing I did was to hire a coach to help me stay focused and be accountable to creating this new habit. Heck I hired two coaches and let me share why this is so very important.
My friend John is a good guy. He always tries to make good decisions and he is usually pretty successful. Usually, except for when he is hanging around with his group of friends who party too much and often get into trouble. He knows when things begin to go south with his friends and he is usually able to jump ship before the boat starts to sink. Sometimes he is successful, but often times he isn’t. He does try however. He even creates a plan as to what he is going to do the next time the problems begin, but unfortunately each one of his new plans eventually always fail. What John just does not seem to realize, yet, is that he needs to walk completely away from those friends altogether. He needs to get rid of the pattern that causes his failure.
Well, we cannot just get rid of our businesses, but we can get rid of the pattern or patterns that are keeping us from our full potential. And once we identify what those patterns are, we need help maintaining our new focus and new activity patterns that will yield us the highest payoff results.
STEP TWO
Identify your new High Payoff Activities and find someone who will hold you accountable to creating new patterns that will yield prosperous results.
The final change I made was to stop believing that I had to please everyone. Sound familiar? Yes? Well, it is confession time for me now. My name is Christie and I am a “pleaser”.
Whew! I feel much better now.
I lived 20+ years making decisions about my life that were completely for the benefit of others. Plus, I have always had a hard time saying “no” to people. I would begrudgingly say “yes” to do things that were asked of me even if my insides were screaming “NO!”. I know many of you can fully relate. But, think about this. If you are making everyone happy, then you are in essence being 2 people and being duplicitous will affect every area of your performance and leave you feeling empty. Heavy!
You were created to walk and flourish in the light and to be your authentic self because, drum roll please….. everyone else is already taken. Funny, but profound! Always, always, always remember that is okay to make hard choices if it is for the right reason.
And you are the BEST reason ever!!!!
STEP THREE
Find your purpose and your passion and follow it regardless if it may make other people angry.
So, now that I have this all figured out, am I going to be able to sit around every day after lunch and eat bon-bons? Heck no! But I now have laser focused direction that will help guide my actions in areas that will yield high results. Plus I am far less stressed and I don’t feel like things are crazy anymore.
It is good!
What’s Next?
Join me in two weeks where I will begin sharing our new DPWN Global Vision and implementation plan.
Hugs!
Christie
BONUS TIP
A wise friend told me that if I don’t have an assistant, I am an assistant.
Ugly, huh?
So I am delegating more and outsourcing all low yielding activities. Not because I can afford to do this, but because I can’t afford not to anymore. My new Business Success Playbook included a step-by-step plan to integrate this transition which included a few cutbacks that in hindsight were well worth it. As my business grows, my high yielding activity threshold raises and I will be able to outsource more.
I could do it and so can you. I promise!
