Before we dive into the news of the month, I want to remind you that my Tame Your Task List Jumpstart is coming February 21-23! Give me three 90-minute blocks, and you’ll never be the same!
Speaking of taming your task list, EASE is my word of the year. In my mind, the definition of ease is stress-free, calm, and smooth sailing. In other words, it means that I am not worried or uptight about what is happening around me or in my business. This does not mean that I won’t have my seasons of hard pushes or of hustling. It does mean that my business is a well-oiled machine that is working proactively and with forethought, not at the last minute or reactionary. In the last year, I have spent a lot of time working on myself and finding my joy again, and that has allowed me to arrive in this place of ease, which feels amazing! Hopefully, it lasts–LOL.
As business owners and livers of life, we tend to let stress in or even create our own stress—and things start to unfold in the opposite of ease. We have stress over our teams, over sales, over building business, over all we need to get done. The truth is, if we don’t take care of ourselves and take time away from it all, the stress will take its toll on us not only mentally and physically but also on our business and how we are showing up. Burnout will happen. The work I have done over the last year has opened up more possibilities in my business and left me feeling in control and full of optimism. One of the biggest things I teach at JMD Productivity is that we must thrive in our Circle of Control rather than survive out there in the Circle of Worry. The question is, how does that happen?
While thinking about the word ease, I started digging into the things you can do to alleviate stress. Part of the answer is that you can be proactive rather than pushing until you are to your breaking point and have to leave everything hanging in order to recover. Here’s what I came up with for you through research and going through my own teachings.
1. Set boundaries. This means you decide when and how much you work, when you’re available to your team and clients/customers, and when you are taking time for yourself and your family and what that looks like. Too many times, business owners work into the night and weekends, never really taking time off. You’re not getting more done if you’re working this way—you’re heading toward exhaustion. Along with this, many who don’t have a brick-and-mortar store that opens and closes with regular hours think they need to be available to their team and clients at the drop of a hat. The truth is, there aren’t that many emergencies! You can decide when you’re available to answer questions for your team and when you meet with clients. If you’re available to everyone all the time, there is no chance for you to actually grow your business.
2. Schedule your time off NOW. Every December, I look at when I am taking ski trips, playing in golf tournaments, playing tennis, and traveling with my husband and friends. Those dates get marked off before the year starts. This way, my best-laid-plans don’t become wishes. They become facts. The rest of the year and the business you do is scheduled around those dates. Not only does this help you take time off, but it also gives you something to look forward to! Just like when you were a kid and looked forward to spring break, summer break, and winter break. The beauty of time off is that we generally look forward to getting back to work.
3. Take regular breaks. There’s nothing like a break to alleviate stress. And guess what? It does not have to be complicated! Remember the coffee break? Give yourself one. Eat lunch away from your desk—even if it’s only 15 minutes. Walk around the block. Have an 8-minute phone call with a friend (research shows that an 8-minute phone call lets you get caught up, feel connected and doesn’t drag on; super powerful and fulfilling). Whatever it looks like for you, take that break!
4. Write down your daily successes. This exercise is different than gratitude. It’s about looking back at your day and deciding what was a success. Too many times business owners are looking at what they didn’t do, at what went wrong, or they are pushing ahead and not taking time to celebrate. If you take some time to reflect on your day and what you can garner as a success, you will feel less stress and know that you are making progress. What a difference!
Need a little help controlling your calendar? Check out these productivity courses.