The Ebb and Flow of Business

“TIME AND TIDE WAIT FOR NO MAN.”Tide and Time Wait for No Man
~ St. Marher, 1225

Today I received an email from a coaching client that said:

“Today I AM really bummed.I have been working so hard and things have been going so well until this week.
Now everything seems to be at a standstill.
Maybe I should just give up, I don’t understand how everything could just stop when I’ve been working so hard.”

My response?

“There is an ebb and flow to business just as there is to life.”

Now take a moment and think about that, it’s big. Might even be an “AHA” moment.

If we were to continually work full out without taking a break we would collapse in exhaustion and be absolutely useless to ourselves and everyone around us. It’s true, we need to enjoy the wave of activity and embrace it when it comes along, but even a wave ends eventually.

The point is, you need to ensure that you’ve put your plan in place, that you take the time to work at all aspects of your business – from the administrative, to the marketing and networking and to the customer follow-up. If you don’t, then something gets forgotten or left undone. The ebb and flow makes perfect sense, it’s nature’s way of ensuring that we don’t burn out.

Here’s few tips to help you enjoy the different moments in your business:

  •  MAKE THE TIME TO PLAN YOUR TIME 

A weekly planning session on a Friday afternoon for the next week will keep you on track and allow you to plan for challenges that may occur. Take an hour or two, review what you’ve accomplished in the week. Put your commitments for the following week into your agenda and don’t forget to mark off time for those important tasks that need to be taken care of. Good time management matters. When you plan out task time, then you don’t feel like you’re always playing catch up!

  • DEFINE YOUR OBJECTIVES AND SET YOUR WEEKLY GOALS

When you have a roadmap outlining your objectives and goals, it’s much easier to make them a reality. If you aren’t currently writing down your goals daily, weekly and long-term then they truly are, as Cinderalla says: “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes.” By committing to your goals and objectives in writing you’ve created the intent to make them happen! You’ll be amazed at how much you will achieve when you start planning and writing out your goals.

  • SHOUT OUT AND SHARE!

Tell people about your dreams, objectives and goals – share the dates when you plan to achieve them. This solidifies your intent – now you’re truly committed because you’ve shared your dream with someone else who can keep you accountable! This is a step most people don’t think of. Now, I’m not suggesting you shout out your plans to the whole world, but do share them with someone you admire – a friend or business associate who would understand the importance of the goal to you.

  • CELEBRATE THE SMALL SUCCESSES!

Create a daily delicious habit that you only get to enjoy WHEN you’ve achieved your one most important daily goal. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the big picture, we forget to take time and enjoy the success we experience daily. HINT: Have your loved ones enjoy the successes too, then they’ll look forward to you achieving them more.

Now that you’ve read the tips, you can enjoy the ebb and flow of your business. When activity seems to be slowing down, review it, verify that it is the natural ebb and flow, and then turn your attention to those things that need to get done, but have been put on the shelf because you’ve been in the busy portion of your very own business ebb and flow.

It all works, just like the tides in the ocean, by paying attention to the ebb and flow of your business, you won’t have to worry about the “sink or swim”!

Ahoy matey and make it a great day!

RoseAnn

Saying it, doing it, moving on!

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Saying it, doing it, moving on – keys to success!

“The backbone of success is…hard work, determination, good planning, and perserverence.” ― Mia Hamm

Sweat equity is certainly an important part of success, I agree. However, before that comes intent, integrity and accountability. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase: “Put your money where your mouth is.”, truly that’s where it’s at.

When you are a business person, your bond is your word – it is the only thing that you have control over. So, if you’ve said you’ll do “it” – do it! Whether it’s setting an internal business goal (or personal), promising service delivery or implementing a new process – just do it! :)

What I know to be true through my coaching practice, is that most Entrepreneurs and Small Business Owners get stuck in the minutiae of day to day business. Busy for busy’s sake defines it quite well. I’m sure you’ve experienced it – you are busy doing “stuff”, but your business doesn’t seem to move forward. Everything is taking precedence EXCEPT the important details that need to be tended to.

Set your intent for the day. The devil is in the details – so take the time daily to plan out your three most important/urgent tasks that you need to take care of. (these are the tasks that bring in revenue). When you actively do this everyday (either the last thing before you leave the night before, or first thing in the morning), you’ll find that what you need to focus on everyday becomes much more clear and the “busyness” of being busy will dissipate.

If you’re stuck in the details of the day to day running of your business, maybe it’s time to define what you must do and what you can delegate to a staff member, or if you’re a Solopreneur, maybe it’s time to take a look at bringing in a Virtual Assistant.

Your Word is Your Bond – be Integrity driven. If you say you will – do it. If, for some reason, you can’t keep your word, make sure to let the people involved know that there has been a change of plans, or a reason for the delay, cancellation of orders or whatever. People are wonderful creatures who are very forgiving WHEN they know the reason behind the challenge. You will be pleasantly surprised at how accommodating your clients, business associates and even family members will be when you manage their expectations and keep them in the loop. Don’t assume that they’ll know – you know what assume means don’t you? (it makes and a## out of you and me!)

Be Accountable for YOU! Making excuses for why you couldn’t be there, get it done, order the supplies, launch the new product line won’t set you apart from the crowd in a positive way!  We all make mistakes, it’s part of human nature and it’s the best way to learn! So be okay with it – embrace your human”ess”, be one with who you are. Most importantly admit your mistakes, adjust what needs to be adjusted and honor your needs and respect the needs of others. Part of being accountable is to ensure that you’ve under promised and over delivered – whether that means being on time for a meeting (making others wait ALL the time conveys that you just don’t respect their time and you’re more important than anyone else), keeping appointments, making your sales quota or keeping a promise. Just do it, because once you have, you can move on to the next new and exciting project.

Listen, we are all human and we all have challenges everyday in our lives, be it personal or business. Taking the time to just say it, do it and moving on to the next this is just easier when you choose to set and honor your intent, live your integrity and be accountable to yourself for your actions. So remember these key words: Saying it, doing it, moving on!

Oops, time to make that appointment, I don’t want to be late! Make it a great day.

 

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

“All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten”
by Robert Fulghum

Most of what I really need
To know about how to live
And what to do and how to be
I learned in kindergarten.
Wisdom was not at the top
Of the graduate school mountain,
But there in the sandpile at Sunday school.

These are the things I learned:

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don’t hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don’t take things that aren’t yours.
Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life -
Learn some and think some
And draw and paint and sing and dance
And play and work everyday some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world,
Watch out for traffic,
Hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.