What’s daunting you at the moment? Is it something at work, making changes at home, exploring a new opportunity, bringing positive change into being?
I always seem to have something about that is daunting me. At the moment it is figuring out a work plan that includes launching new designs, creating e-books and quizzes for the site, getting organised with themed blog entries, reading e-Myth Strategy book and “The 8th Habit” by Stephen Covey as well as getting sorted for a busy time down the coast with festivals and finding time to do some social things (for a change) and there’s another dozen things I could rattle out but you don’t need me to.
Now writing that I’m thinking it sounds like I want to do too much - that it is too busy. But is it really?
What would be the impact of me actually taking some time to do some planning and prioritising?
I’ve just finished a big Bridal Expo that went really well but I’ve a bundle of follow-up work to complete now. These expos are great for the business but I have to be realistic about the time needed for preparation and follow-up. Why spend all that money on the expo if you’re not going to follow through and build the business from it?
I think this constant need to balance priorities and make things happen is true for all of us. My delightful neighbours upstairs and next door have both had new babies arrive as well as having bright mobile toddlers. These two families are in the midst of change and balance isn’t really part of their reality at the moment.
So there are different times in our lives where there are different priorities. For me now it is about building the business and bringing more balance into my personal life.
I’ve thought for too long now that to build the business I didn’t have enough time left for my personal life and I love doing things for the business enough that I reasoned with myself that was fine. But I’m thinking differently now.
So I’m going to take a leaf out of Michael Hewitt- Gleeson’s book “Wombat Selling” and write up a schedule for 4 - 6 weeks of what needs doing and how it is going to fit into the 168 hours a week I have.
To start with I’m going to work the biggest areas first - just like grocery shopping - put the big things in the bag first so the little things fit in around them. The same applies to painting, fill in the big spaces first and then the details are easier.
So I’ll block out the hours between 10 pm to 9 am as personal, equally 77 hours per week, leaving 91 hours from the initial 168 (7 x 24).
Next important block is exercise with about 10 hours a week, leaving 81 hours.
Markets take up about 22 hours so that’s 59 hours left.
Another 20 hours a week for the business takes us to 39 hours.
Looking at that I’m thinking most of those 39 hours are in the evening and I still have a home to run (clean, cook and shop) as well as wanting at least one afternoon a week off for socialising etc and I want to improve on my socialising time because I really haven’t been doing that.
So the secret for me lies in using those 20 hours on the business to the greatest effect. I do a lot of thinking things out during exercising - walking is great for that and after yoga solutions and ideas just seem to come to me so that’s good.
My risk is getting stuck into things and doing 40 hours rather than 20 hours and that’s what’s been happening.
I just need to now figure out what the priorities are for the business and what time they need to happen. It comes down to planning it out and writing it down.
I’ll draw up a calendar of what needs doing when and try that out for 4 - 6 weeks. I think I’ll have to realise that every month has something that takes me away from the standard routine so I’ll have to factor that in too.
May has had me down the coast for family things and then prepping and doing the Bridal Expo so there’s 1.5 weeks just there and there are always things like that. June has 6 days taken up with festivals and want not. So the only way to look after that is to accept it happens and work with it. There’s no use beating myself for not getting other things done and feeling daunted so I just get stuck.
So what about you? What can you do to help you be free of those feelings of daunted ness? What can you do with your weekly 168 hours?
I’m starting to think it matters more what’s achieved over a year than in a week.
It is the progressive accumulation of actions and building blocks that result in the completion of endeavour.
If I look back over the last few years I see them for overall things - last year was a family year yet I did also manage in the last few months to really kick start the online business. The year before was the launching of the jewellery parties and getting the car. This year I’m aiming to put a zero on the end of figures! Rather ambitious but worth it!
So what can you do to feel better about the things that get you stuck? As you can see for me it helps to rationalise things and to be kind to myself.
What does it for you? What to you want this year to be known for? Sometimes we don’t have a lot of choice about what is happening but we can choose how we respond to things and how we integrate them into our lives.
Do you want this to be a year of healing, of preparing, of sorting things out, of surviving, of growing, of creating freedom for yourself and loved ones, of expansion, of travel or hibernation. Question yourself and figure it out.
Then figure out how you’re going to get there. What skills will you need to make it successful? What do you need to learn and what do you already know and have as a skill set that will make it happen?
We can always let ourselves be daunted by things and it can seem easier to be that way than not but it is a matter of choice. It is a lesson I seem to be learning over the last few years but I think I’m starting to get it now. I’m learning the skills of how to accept and progress. I know I can be a bit like the Hare and get distracted but the Turtle in me is coming out more often (thankfully).
Just break down the big things into manageable chunks and figure them out. Get help on board if you need to, that’s fine and it can easily be the lesson you’re meant to be learning anyway! 
So go create some freedom for yourself with a little rationalising and planning. If you’re daunted by reading that big book on the shelf that you know will bring good just start with a chapter and be pleased with yourself for doing that so you’ll continue.
All the best,
Belinda
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