Business owners look forward to that magical time of year, filled with celebrations, treats, gifts, music, time with family – and (you know it’s true) getting a little work done while everyone is out of the office. It’s almost irresistible to want to “get ahead of it” for the next year when you’ve been going at full speed all year. But that’s not what your business wants – or needs – from you.
What is true for individuals in the microcosm is also true of organizations in the microcosm. When you spend all your time and money buying your business every new training video, time management gadget and marketing or sales program, you are missing the entire point – and your business is starving for what it needs most: You.
You business does not want all of you. It only wants the best of you.
The difference is that when you cultivate your best self, you generate more – more insight, more focus, more passion, more wisdom, more momentum and yes, more of what you are seeking – whatever you call success. It is a cup that never runs dry, and there’s even plenty left for your life outside your business.
By contrast, when you throw all you’ve got at the business then you are definitely very busy, but oddly, you don’t get very much done. You also don’t have any energy left to cultivate a strategy, mentor your team, look at new ways to grow – much less spend any time with family. When you give all of you to the business, then that’s it. You’re done. You’re exhausted, depleted and washed up.
How can you give this precious gift of your best self to your business, especially if you have been giving your all instead? The shift can happen any time you choose a fresh approach, but it is easier when we are in a place where we can pause, breathe, and hit the reset, like this holiday season.
So here is how you can give the gift of you best self:
Meditate: Yes. Really. Those who actively practice meditation swear by the benefits they receive as a direct result. Meditation places the noisy ego mind into neutral. The result is the much more powerful subconscious mind can now move freely to provide intuitive insight, vision and wisdom. It takes practice, and a minimum of 20 minutes a day is needed to create real dynamic change, but don’t let that stop you. Get a great meditation app like Insight Timer and start with as little as 1 minute, and gradually build up your meditation muscle.
Work Backwards. If you must work over the holiday, at least let it be strategic. Set some goals for 2018. When you set a meaningful goal – or two – or three, for your business, you can then work backwards to see clearly what must happen, and in what order, to accomplish your goals. If your goals are too nebulous – such as “double revenues” then they are meaningless. Try this instead: Double revenues by the end of the year by acquiring 5 more clients in my most profitable offering. Now you can go about planning on how you are to do that. All you efforts are selected to support your goals, and efforts that don’t should be set aside.
Unplug, A Lot: For large periods of you day put your cell phone in a desk drawer, shut off your email, close all your social media, and simply do your work uninterrupted. Your focus will amaze you, and your productivity will soar. Turning your connectivity on as you start you workday, right before lunch, and then close to the end of the day for 15-20 minutes apiece is ample. You will be accessible and responsive, without being consumed.
Do Small Acts. Tiny actions yield big results. I recently heard another motivational speaker suggest that if you call three people each day, 5 days a week (because you aren’t going to work weekends) for 48 weeks (because you’re going to take a week’s vacation each quarter) then you will have called 720 people. I would add that it helps if they are people who can help you grow your business through buying or connecting you to buyers – but you get the point. Steps are steps. Now get moving. You’ll get more done and stress less doing it.
Get Grateful. Gratitude transforms every challenging person or situation, misstep, disappointment, as well as the victories, unexpected gifts, referrals and partnership. Gratitude is the hallmark of a confident business owner, who is not judging themselves harshly, nor rigid in their approach. Gratitude embraces the lessons, and easily adjusts course as a result. It is attractive to customers and employees in a world where there is more than enough anger, fear, doubt and recrimination to go around.
Here’s to a joyful holiday season for you and your business.
Happy Holidays!
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