Of course, there's all types of steps, tips, and tricks to
business success, but there's one that I've found that
really keeps the whole energy moving: the ability to
process information.
There's more information out there than ever before.
There's more to learn, more to do. There's more stuff to
read, watch, listen to. And there's a ton of energy that
gets stirred up with all of it. That's a lot to sort
through in order to succeed in business. How can you deal
with it all? A piece of feedback I often hear about my
coaching skills is that I can take a lot of information and
cut right to the essence of what needs attention. Honestly,
this skill has always been with me (it's the same skill I
would use as a theatre director), but it's truly
strengthened from being a solo-preneur and it's also a
must-have skill for business success I truly believe anyone
can learn.
Entrepreneurs are always evolving; however, without a
clear approach for how to take in and use all the
information coming at you, it's all too easy to spin your
wheels, waste money on programs and products you'll never
use, and then lose energy getting down on yourself about
not getting a thing done!
Now, one of the things I figured out right away when I
started my first business was I needed guidance and support
from someone who knew more about all of this self-employed
stuff than I did. I've since worked with a coach for every
new phase of my business, joined various coaching programs,
am part of a local mastermind group, have my hugely helpful
coaching buddy, and I am always reading newsletters and
books. As you can see, getting support and learning rate
HIGH on my list of business (and life) "to-do's."
I've also learned to be very selective about where I get my
information and support from, how I weave it into my daily
business operations, and whatever I choose to do engages in
me the energy of "opportunity" rather than "obligation."
This way I'll be excited to actually use it and/or do it.
Here are my 3 favorite tips for shifting the energy of
overwhelm, so what you do puts energy in your step and
money in your savings account:
Tip #1: Ask yourself this key question.
"Does this serve my 'dire need' (my most pressing business
need)?"
When you're clear on what your intention is (e.g., this is
going to connect me with new clients, this is going to help
me speak about what I do, this is going to give me some
space to regroup my energy), you increase your chances of
doing it by close to 100%. In addition, when you're this
specific about what you expect to get for doing this task,
you're more likely to be fully engaged in what you're
doing, you'll also take-in the learning at a cellular level
and so then put yourself in a place to be able to do it
more easily the next time around!
Tip #2: Create focus.
That's right. I said, "create" focus. You see, overwhelm
perpetuates itself by looking to the outside for change to
happen (e.g., the circumstances, the employees, the
business partner, the networking event, you name it).
However, the real shift can only come from you. You must
choose to create focus. The key is to embrace that you
can't do it all, all of the time! For example, just because
a product comes with CDs, a workbook, and other goodies
does NOT mean you must use all of them. I used to feel so
burdened by the Internet book promotions that would come
with all of these bonuses. I'd get stressed trying to
figure out when I was actually going to get to read it all.
Then I realized I could just read what I really needed at
the moment and forget (or give-a-way) the rest-reclaimed my
energy, thank you very much!
Here's another example: I have a client who is really
wanting to delegate tasks, but struggling with releasing
the control and doubting the tasks will be done to
expectation-to the point where my client is going back and
just doing what was given to someone else to do!
So we set up a simple tool. My client keeps a
running-notepad of everything that's handed off, (if it's
given to someone else, it's written down) and then sets a
weekly meeting time with assistants to go through the list,
get the run-down on what's been done, and then re-assign if
needed and start a new list.
Now my client's energy is free to focus on creative money
generating (which is what he's really good at)!
Tip #3: Talk about what you're doing.
I tell trusted folks (my husband, my coaching buddy, my
coach, even my cat!) what I've got going on. Talking about
it helps you simplify your thoughts, incorporate what
you're learning, plus sparks additional insights and
epiphanies. I find this so valuable when it comes to
getting clear about what my priorities are. Again, you
can't do it all, all of the time. If you try to it that
way, the energy is stuck and stagnates and that's where
overwhelm comes in.
So, whether you find yourself trying to balance business
and family, choose where to get your information from, or
what tasks to delegate, put these three tips into action
and you'll find yourself getting more done, more quickly
and serving your business rather than taking away from it.
Call-to-Action:
When feeling overwhelm just stop and ask, "Out of all of
this, what serves my 'dire need' (what my business needs
most)?"
If you find yourself pulled off focus, stop and take 30
deep breaths. This will help create focus and you'll find
yourself back on track.
Find a trusted person to share what's going on with you.
This shifts the energy immediately.
----------------------------------------------------
Heather Dominick, Solo-Entrepreneur Expert, has over 10
years of teaching and coaching experience. Heather's
primary focus is in coaching entrepreneurs to identify
sources for increasing business profit and making
successful business changes. To sign up to receive your
free business building e-course go here now
http://www.energyrichcoach.com
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