Pause to Plan
Racing at breakneck speed. Barely pausing for the briefest of pit stops. Careening across the finish line without a second to spare. It’s exciting for the Daytona 500, but it’s no way to run a business--or to have a life!
As a business coach helping visionary entrepreneurs increase their productivity, visibility, and impact, I get the challenges that come with running your own business. But I also know that the fast and furious approach to business, however necessary it may feel, is far more likely to result in limited growth and burn out than real, sustainable success you have the time and bandwidth to enjoy.
There is a better way. It may sound counterintuitive, but when you give yourself time to pause, breathe, think, and focus, you produce better work more consistently, and with greater ease.
The cost of chaos
Your inbox is overflowing and your voicemail is full. You drive too fast. You feel like you need roller skates. You rush from one meeting to the next with no time in between to process and create an action plan from your first meeting, let alone plan and set intentions for the next one.
If this sounds familiar, the constant chaos of an overcrowded schedule may be costing you. In addition to the physical and emotional toll that comes with always feeling overwhelmed, scattered, and rushed, being too busy is bad for business.
A client of mine recently found this out the hard way. She had an offer for a guaranteed five-figure speaking engagement, but because of her hectic pace she didn’t have the bandwidth to see and respond to the email. Losing that job and income to chaos caused her to reevaluate her mindset and habits. Since then, she has taken herself out of the day to day busyness so she can keep her eye on the bigger picture of her business.
A tale of two meetings
However busy life feels, we do have a choice in the way we approach our work. Just think about the different ways you can choose to show up for meetings.
In scenario one, you chronically show up late and stressed, still thinking about the last thing you rushed through to make this appointment. During the meeting you are distracted and have to deal with multiple interruptions that detract from your ability to participate in and benefit from the interaction.
In scenario two, you take the time to get grounded, prepared, and set intentions for what you want to get out of the meeting. You’ve planned for this time and set boundaries so that you will not be interrupted. You arrive a few minutes early to ensure your connection, lighting, and sound are good, and when the meeting starts you are fully present and ready to engage.
It’s easy to see how one path leads to frustration and the other leads to possibility and productivity.
The power of pausing
There is an alternative to chaotic, frantic behavior and the limited and limiting results it brings. You can choose calm, focus, and productivity, but the key is to invest the one thing you feel like you can’t spare right now: time. It doesn’t have to be a huge amount, and there are ways to make it super manageable. But you don’t get from frenzied to free without pausing.
Commit to dedicated time to pause so that you can assess, strategize, learn, plan, and pivot. If you have too much on your plate, it may mean you’re spending too much time doing things that don’t directly lead to accomplishing your vision. Or you may not even have a specific goal because you haven’t taken the time to get clear on what you want to accomplish. This leads to you being busy but not really getting anywhere.
When you take the time to be more strategic, you not only sharpen your focus on the important things that will move you towards your goals, but you add peace to your life and business.
Being fully present
When you invest in pausing to plan and set boundaries, you are actually protecting your time from productivity-sapping interruptions and distractions.
When I worked in corporate, I designated 9-11 a.m. as my quiet time where staff couldn’t interrupt me so that I could focus on big projects. Most of the time, they answered their own questions and figured it out on their own, or saved up their discussion items for one meeting after 11.
Because of my commitment to leaving “white space”--time that is freed up to be creative and respond to opportunities as they arise--I had the space and ability to reply to an email from Lolly Daskal about being featured in Inc Magazine. My capacity to read and respond with pitches within the hour resulted in an article in Inc.
You can do the same thing. Let your team (and your family) know what your work schedule is so they understand when you are available for them, and when you can’t be interrupted. If you’re working from home, keep pets out of your office. Put a note on your front door to avoid the doorbell ringing. Turn off your phone ringer and notifications so you can focus. You’ll find that even a few purposeful changes can make a huge difference.
Action steps for getting started
Wondering how to battle the overwhelm without feeling overwhelmed? These three action steps can help you get started:
Each day, unsubscribe to three emails that aren’t supporting your current goal.
Each week, identify one thing you can eliminate from your plate.
Each month, identify one thing you can delegate to someone else.
The life of a business owner or entrepreneur is a full one, but if you spend it running like a bat out of hell you’re more likely to experience mistakes, unpreparedness, unprofessional behavior, and limited results, not to mention tons of unnecessary stress. You’ll be more productive--and happy--if you cultivate the calm, intentional focus that gives you space to be present, responsive, and your best self.
If you’re ready to lose the chaos and start building your business more strategically, learn how we can work together HERE.
