To start, let’s look at the concept of time.
One of the most impactful seminars I ever took was on the topic of Priority Management. The first thing the instructor said was, there is no such thing as Time Management. There are only 24 hours in a day, we will never get anymore, we cannot manage time. But we can manage our priorities to make the best use of our time. That was a big shift for me. I learned that I need to make conscious choices on what I do with my time and how I prioritize my tasks, roles, and responsibilities.
Life is busy and can sometimes feel overwhelming. Women play a lot of roles in their life. Partner, parent (including fur babies), business owner, daughter, sister, household manager etc. Because women tend to be natural care givers, we often take on more than our fair share of the responsibility and tasks for others. We tend to put everyone and everything else ahead of ourselves. When someone in the house can’t find something, we always know where it is. When someone is sick or needs comforting, we are the go-to. And we love it. But it does take a toll if we do not take time for ourselves.
Sometimes we think of our roles as silos. But we are one person, and our roles are all intertwined. If we do not take care of ourselves, it impacts every area of our life, including our business. Do you define how you spend your time as productive or unproductive? If so, you may not be taking time for yourself because you define it as unproductive compared to other things you could be doing.
The reason we feel drained and overwhelmed can be the result of not taking time for yourself. And for some women, taking time for yourself seems like an impossible ask. Why is this? Often, we function on autopilot and get caught up on the “doing”. Or we make everyone and everything else a priority and not ourselves. We have also have lost touch with what’s important to us.
Reconnecting with what is important to you will help you prioritize to include time for yourself.
Chances are if you are feeling drained, it is because you are saying no to yourself and yes to a lot of other things.
I would like to do an exercise with you that helps you get in touch with what makes you happy because this will help you connect with what is important to you and help you prioritize your time. This will automatically identify what is important to you.
Grab a pen and paper and do a brain dump of all the things that make you happy. Don’t overthink, they can be small, they can be big. Write down everything you can think of. For example: I love Starbucks latte’s, I love writing in my gratitude journal, I love putting on a cute outfit, I love cuddling, I love decorating, I love yoga, I love singing.
Brain dump… 1 minute
Now, look at your list. Were there any surprises? Is there a theme? How do you feel when you look at your list? Do you feel excited? Do you feel reconnected with yourself? What is coming up for you? Does your brain automatically start with reasons why you can’t do these things? Or is it a hell ya, I need this for myself!
This exercise is designed to connect you with you. Not your roles and responsibilities, not what others want from you. But what you want and what brings you joy. You would be surprised that by doing one small thing for yourself, a lot can change. It will impact every area in your life for the better.
How does doing this exercise impact the success of your business? Let me ask you a couple of questions. Did you choose your business because it is something that brings you joy? When you created your Mission statement and Vision, were they based on what is important to you? What made you decide to take the leap into entrepreneurship? Perhaps you were in a career that wasn’t bringing you joy or connected to what was important to you. Were you tired of being unhappy? Did you want more joy?
Once started your business, your left brain took over the logical, practical steps of running your business. Perhaps the ebbs and flows and worries of getting the next client or paying the next bill have bumped your feelings of joy. It is crucial that you add time for yourself so that you can reconnect with what brings you joy and what is important to you.
The clarity you get from removing feelings of overwhelm, reconnecting with your joy and what is important, will help you say yes to the right things for your business and no to the things that do not align.
Some questions to ask yourself are…
Remember, our lives are not silo’s. We are not the roles we play. We are at the centre of everything and taking time for ourselves fills us up as a person. It impacts everything we do. Our business was a choice and is part of us. Imagine what is possible if you consistently recharge yourself.
Picture this… you feel less stressed. You are calmer, clearer, and less rushed. You take time for yourself, doing something that makes you happy or takes care of your body or is relaxing or is peaceful. This becomes a regular part of your life. As a result, you are happier, more connected with yourself and everything in your life is more joyful and flows. What if this was possible? What is standing in your way? Don’t you owe it to yourself to at least try? I’ll say it for you, YOU DO.
Dianne Reichenbach is a Life, Wellness & Business Coach and is the founder of Connect Coaching. She has held Executive Sales & Management positions with companies such as Indigo, Guess Watches & Movado. Part of her experience includes working with and for small business owners. She is passionate about partnering with women to discover joy and purpose in all aspects of their life. Small steps lead to Big changes.
Learn more about Dianne and her business
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