It’s Time To Get You More Time!
As a small business coach, one of the things I see a LOT, is women getting stuck in their business because of time and overwhelm. A feeling of being out of control, constantly pulled from pillar to post. As a result, they tell themselves that they have no time for themselves and their business. Especially time to be ON their business.
Many women are home-schooling right now and they spend the little time they think they have, working in their business on urgent mode. Rather than the creative, exciting tasks that will grow and nurture their business. When you are time poor and stretched, it’s easy to push aside the things you know you want and need to do.
Daily life is even more exhausting right now too right?! The situation, the news, the home-schooling, the emotions, the unknown, it’s all there! And being a small business owner on top of all that can be really overwhelming.
Once you get to the point that it feels like such an uphill struggle, your mind can start playing tricks on you. Rather than acknowledging the roadblocks that you have and finding a solution, you start becoming defensive, making excuses of why you are staying stuck, focusing on the things that have gone wrong and justifying the reasons why you can’t do something.
You will tell yourself unhelpful things like you have no time, that no one understands, that it’s no longer the right time for you and inevitably that you just can’t do it anymore.
I know how this feels for sure!
I’m a single Mum of three and have been a single parent for 12 years. I pulled my other business through a recession whilst going through a horrid divorce with 13 month old twins – and I had my daughter by myself five years ago. So if anyone understands the struggle of the juggle…I do!
There have been times when I have wanted to give up and walk away. There have been times when I have totally lost my mojo, not knowing how to regain control. I have often doubted myself, lost my confidence and felt that I was a failure many times over.
Through all of that chaos the one thing I have learnt is that I was part of the problem! I needed to get out my own way.
And another is that there are always solutions! Solutions that help with the practical side of your business, as well as with your mindset and how you perceive your business (and self).
“Instead of saying ‘I don’t have time’, try saying ‘it’s not a priority’ and see how that feels”
SOME TIPS!
● Master your time – knowing how much time you actually have and how you spend your time is the first step. Be clear on the non-negotiables and always strive to make the best use of your time. Figure out your schedule, know what works for you and your family. Clear your work slots of distractions.
● Chunk things down – more often than not the big picture is overwhelming, but the steps to arrive there are much more manageable. Breaking tasks down into smaller steps is key.
● Create power hours – focusing on a single most-important task in 1 hour will take you forwards and a step closer to your goal, giving you a sense of accomplishment.
● Prioritise – focus on only the important tasks, delegate to others or ditch them completely. Say no to other things that will take you away from achieving your goal. Invest in support rather than struggle alone.
● Better thoughts – keep a check on what you are telling yourself and always challenge those thoughts. Reframe your thoughts, for instance; there are no problems, there are only challenges.
● Set clear goals (even if small) and know your magic whys – be absolutely clear on your vision and what you want to achieve, how you want to achieve it and why you want to achieve it.
SOME CASE STUDIES!
Many women already in business are often on the hamster wheel because they haven’t looked at their business properly to question whether that’s the sort of business they want to run and whether it’s giving them the boundaries and balance that makes them thrive.
Angela Hope had already reached a crossroads in her Fitness business when Covid hit. She spent the first part of BEST:Business exploring her options but lacked the confidence to make a decision, and consequently ended up feeling overwhelmed and seriously lacking motivation. With the support of Janey and the BEST:Business program and group, Angela has set up a new and thriving business called Hope & Virtual, as a support sidekick specialising in remote support for technically-challenged or busy small business owners.
“I think I had already made a decision about my fitness business at the start of BEST: Business last year, I just needed to make sure. For a while I got excited about it again but deep down I knew that I needed to move on. Feeling heartbroken at the end of last year, Janey and the team really got behind me in one of our Midday Motivation sessions and within a month I had started a new business, built a website and got my first two clients. Could I have done that on my own? I very much doubt it.” ~ Angela Hope
Many women who are setting up a new business or looking to take a new business idea to another level, get stuck by making it more complicated than it needs to be. It often just requires a simple plan, a list of the most important tasks, and the confidence to get started.
Amanda Sefton has set up this fab online wine tasting business called Sip Sip Wine – inspiring women to drink wine they love! Faff-free and totally unstuffy. Amanda’s offerings include; wine tastings, courses, socials and concierge. Amanda had some great ideas but didn’t know how to get started. I showed Amanda that it doesn’t need to be complicated starting a new business. We worked together on a simple plan, focusing on the most important actions to help get things going. Along with the support of the Best Business group Amanda has found the confidence to move forwards.
“Having stopped my fledgling business because of Covid, I was feeling frustrated that I hadn’t had the time I wanted last year to focus on a business pivot and was getting bogged down in the detail of everything being ready and perfect. Janey helped me gain clarity and focus on what I could do NOW and helped me create a simple plan to get going to start building my audience. She gave me the confidence to just start things and had me commit to dates to really keep me accountable. Best Business is like having a team by your side on your journey, and the content is incredibly helpful.”
~ Amanda Sefton, Sip Sip Wine
“If a woman feels safe, comfortable and supported, it’s amazing what she can do”
SOME REMINDERS!
● Continually challenge what you are telling yourself about you, your business, your time and your roadblocks.
● Observe your time and choices throughout the day. We can all be creative when we are in the right frame of mind, at the best time of day and with a positive mindset.
● Never, ever be afraid to ask for help and get support.
Sometimes it can feel counterproductive to add something else to your plate, but the right kind of support, whether that’s: a new course, a different coach, a fresh outlook, the delegation of tasks, a team of people that have your back, or indeed a combination of these… can significantly reduce the stress and the overwhelm AND help you create more time.
My BEST:Business program is a small business mindset and power actions program designed to help women:
Think the BEST, be the BEST and create their BEST business.
BEST:Business starts on Monday 17th January 2022, sign up via the box below!
Instagram – @janeyhollidaycoaching
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Email – janey@janeyholliday.com
