Do you feel like trying to follow the traditional productivity tips are stifling your business?
I never imagined myself running a business. I went to business school, yet had planned on working in marketing for some big company (like Disney).
So when I started my business over 10 years ago, I had no idea what I was doing on the business side. As my business grew, my family grew, and my time shrunk. High childcare costs and my want to stay home with my kids meant running a business while raising kids.
As I searched for ways to be more productive, get more done, achieve more, I found myself hitting walls. I was spinning my wheels, feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, and ready to throw in the towel regularly.
I listed to business podcasts, read books, and tried talking to other business owners. While their productivity tips were great in theory (ideas such as batching work was genius) but their strategies would not work for me. I didn’t have 8 hours a day for my business. I may not have even 8 hours a week.
I also did not have time each day to work. So a schedule like, edit Mondays, send emails Tuesdays, write content Wednesdays wasn’t going to work either.
“If I can’t do it like I’m ‘supposed’ to run a business, I can’t do it,” I’d think.
I came to a crossroads. Either give up, or change my approach. So, I changed my approach to productivity.
I started breaking down what strategies made sense, like batching content, scheduling specific time, etc, and found ways that would work for my own lifestyle and schedule.
My #1 Productivity Tip: There is no “right” way to run your business.
Don’t let “shoulds” or tips for being productive stifle your business. Don’t let yourself get stuck like I did, thinking that’s the way you have to run your business to be successful.
The beauty of running a business is that you’re in charge. You decide when you work and when you don’t. You decide what projects to take on, and what your days look like. So lean into that. Start finding ways that work for you. Look into your most creative times of day and your least productive times. Use that information and start to craft work times that work for you and your family.
Will it take work? Yes. Will it mean missed family time, sacrificing a few late nights or early mornings? Yes. But as you find a schedule that works for your life, you will see not only your business thrive, but feel yourself thriving.
So what changes will you start making today?
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