It's a topic that comes up lots in micro business ownership - it's a lot isn't it?! There's something particularly going on just now too, that seems to be creating lots of the 'too much' feeling among us little businesses.
So, I thought I'd share a few of my favourite ways to steady the ship, get into a positive mindset or perhaps calm the nerves. Wellbeing is central to your success. It may come from buckets of self care or you might be of the 'get it ticked off the list' folks. Either way, I hope you find a top tip or two below, that helps:
Separate work & life - well maybe a little more than now. We know as micros, that the line between work & life blurs a lot but actually, can we make more effort to split things out? Think about where you work and separating it from where you sleep or relax. If that's not possible, maybe it's time for a good sort out & doors on the cupboard, a drawer to slip things away at the end of the day or even a curtain? It's not good for us to be looking at our workstation all the time.
Go with the flow - what I mean by that is accept that business ebbs & flows as does your energy. Plan your days/weeks to go with your natural rhythm. If you're a night owl, then start work a little later in the morning. If you notice that focus is hard to come by after lunch, then get your key stuff done earlier in the day rather than wasting your precious high energy moments on other people's non urgent emails. This hopefully means you're not in 'busy mode' all the time.
Identify the stressors - everyone is different & days are different. Try to identify what it is that worries/adds pressure most. Is it finances, marketing or perhaps tech issues? Prioritise those things first to get them out of the way - get up to date with your books, find some help with marketing, batch create some content or dive into the forum to find some advice. Avoiding the gremlin will eat away at any creativity or productivity.
Drop perfection - there can be a tendency for micro owners to have a 'control' problem. After all, we make all the decisions right? But...controlling all things to your standard will only impact one thing and that's your stress levels. Write down all your key business & life elements and see what can be left to slide just a little. Do you need to hoover every day? Do you need to over engineer that email marketing campaign so much so that it's never sent? Will anyone know if you haven't launched that new product quite on time?
Share your story - you'll not be surprised to know that you're not alone in feeling like life is a bit much sometimes. Find friends & community inside Simply Club to share where you are and more top tips to improve the day to day.
You can't do it all - all micro businesses can benefit from keeping things simple. Whether it's focussing on a few target markets, reducing your product lines, making your customer journey cleaner or creating a content plan, be sure not to throw all things at all challenges in the hopes that something will change. Take time to step back and look at the big picture and prioritise what works best fo you and your business....and where you can het help.
Find your zone of impact - this is so powerful and will help you cut out some of the noise or reduce the need to worry about what's less important. If you can focus on your zone of impact, then you'll be on track. Take a peek at the image below.
Remember to breathe - if you're feeling a little lost of 'out of touch' with your business, take time to do some breath work, meditate or maybe get out in the fresh air. This will help you regulate your anxiety and remind you of what's most important for your business. There are some fab Simply Club members out there who can help!
Find your vision - it's sometimes easy to lose your way or feel that your business is running you more than you it. Take some time to reconnect with your vision or plans for the rest of the year. Choose something creative like a mind map or vision board that helps you remember your priorities, ways to find balance or ideas that help you stay positive.
Find gratitude - in everything...I know many of you are great at this, but we can all slip out of the habit from time to time. Some people write down their gratitude in a journal each morning or say them out loud a few times a day. You could write one down a day and pop it into an empty jar to gather a whole years worth. Remember you have support, you have skills and you have friends.
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