Finish it Friday… the last work day of the week for most of us! How was your week? Did you get done all you wanted to? Did you plan better for your work load? The planning stage for anything you confront in life is the most important stage. You can avoid disasters. You can work at a regulated pace. You can have more control over the task itself. There are time to time where we do not have the luxury of planning for something and we “wing it”. The secret to having balance in your life is NOT being the person that is living through always “putting out fires”. If this is you, you need to stop the madness.
Running around from one “have to” to another never planning your progress and having clear
Plan for your direction.
processes is not only draining but counter productive. It only takes one slight detour from a routine you might have had to throw it all out of whack.
Planning to work a Productive Process…
Take some time over the weekend and review how you spend your time during the week, do you have a clear plan and process to getting things done or do you run from one thing to another? Be honest and don’t make excuses of why you do what you do – you will only be convincing yourself that what you are doing is right. This is a reflection only you can see, hear and do anything about. And remember no matter how you are handling things now, if it is not the way you want to be doing them YOU have the ability to change that and take back control!
Evaluate what tasks/projects have been taking the most of your attention, which are ones that were sprung on you because your client or customer did not plan on their side properly – how often does this happen? How often do you accommodate their need over other tasks and projects that are already in the “hopper”? Is this hurting your business and or your reputation with those you have put aside? Is it hurting YOU?
A Lack of Planning on Your Part Does Not Constitute an Emergency on Mine…
If your “fires” are because your poor planning let’s make a deal and focus on creating a process that will help in the planning and scheduling stages. I recommend a Tickler File – this is working great for me, my team and clients I consult with. No matter if it is a small business, a home based business or a Network Marketing business there are ways to have this system work for you – if you have any questions contact us for a free consultation so we can help you get set up.
If your “fires” are because of someone else, you need to create boundaries in your business and how you work with people. I recently had to revisit my boundaries and hold strong to them – that even meant “firing” two clients. Sure this changes my clientele structure and lowered my income a bit BUT it is not right for me to work with people who do not respect me, my office hours, or my family. As Soloprenuers we went into business to work for ourselves and to be in more control over our lives and what we do – I made a commitment to myself, my family, and my accountability group that I will not sacrifice the well being of everything for over demanding clients, customers or prospects that do not respect other people. Do not be afraid to be in control of your business – that is why you are in your own business. Set your boundaries, do some spring cleaning in your customer/client list and trust me you will free up space for the right people to come in and work with you!
Work your business the way you intended to do it when you started it. Don’t let fear and fires take you off track. take back control, create a working process and get your time back!
Set up a PLANNED process that is productive for you and your business!
Feel free to contact us anytime if you need some suggestions or help…. we are here to support you!