Do you have days where it feels like your business is running you vs. you running your business? If you get honest with yourself, does it feel like the first scenario way more often? Are you struggling to get your business obligations and tasks met, while still seeing your family and even pursuing things for yourself once in awhile?
If you are a struggling small business owner or leader, you are not alone. This is one thing business coaches deal with often is helping clients navigate the seemingly never ending task list and the feeling of not ever having time to get it all done, and feel like you still have time to pursue other meaningful parts of your life.
Here’s some ideas to help you get back into balance.
1. Identify the Must Do’s, the Want to Do’s and the “ I Can Hand this off’s”. In other words, start thinking in terms of strengths and the things that only you truly can and ought to do and the things you can reasonably offload. The more you start utilizing others’ know how and talents, the better this goes. You do not have to do it all. Find or hire safe and capable others.
2. Identify the people and things other than business that matter. Once you do that you can begin to think about how you will spend more time with the people you love and the other pursuits you’d like to do.
3. Create a Master Strategic Schedule. This will allow you to begin to see in a bigger picture kind of way, what days and times you need to devote to business meetings, and tasks, and can also allow you to see when you can set aside designated time for yourself, your self care, your family etc.
4. Reassess at the end of each month. Determine what went well in keeping this schedule and what you need to tweak to make realistic improvements for the following month. Where can you save time? Where can you ask for help? How often must you go into the office or building of your business and what work can be done at home? Take the time to question what you are presently doing and how you are doing it.
In the end, you are the only one who can effectively learn to manage both your time and energy. If you feel like you are stuck, don’t know where to start, or how to intervene in beneficial ways to change the feeling of being overwhelmed or stuck, reach out to a competent business coach. There are several on the Live Well Kitsap site.
Comments