How to keep going when things get tough.
The blurred lines between work and home as a small business owner
I was chatting the other week about what my business strategy is, as a time management coach, for when things get tough in my personal life. I thought it might make for an interesting post.
I’ve been navigating some difficulties in my personal life for a wee while now, it’s a bit up and down to be honest and although this sounds very cryptic it’s not really my story to share (as it involves my kids). However, as you might expect these challenges have rippled through into other areas of my life, including my work-life.
Know that life is unpredictable
If you’re a small business owner and also a parent, it’s very likely that you will have faced disruptions to your routine and schedule. No matter how disciplined or organised you are, there are some things that are just out of your control. A child gets sick, or your childcare falls through for instance. Or maybe like me you have a chronic condition or health concern; I’ve got Crohn’s Disease and this can certainly impact my plans at times. There are some days I just don’t have the energy to work.
Plan ahead
I always plan in advance, and I think this can help mitigate the impact of setbacks. (And I use the word setback loosely, because I believe we are where we need to be, and what might be perceived as a setback or lack of progress, might actually be an important part of your journey). Each week I look ahead, reviewing my commitments and look for potential conflicts or obstacles. I’ll check-in with myself and decide if I might need a back-up plan too (my childcare fell through for an event I was supposed to be attending, and I didn’t have a back-up in place, so this is something I will consider).
What’s the minimum I need to do?
I have my longer term strategy in place too, so as well as looking at the days and weeks, I know what my plan for the quarter is (I find zooming in and out in this way super helpful). This is something that I put in place when my creativity is at it’s peak as I tend to find that when I’m tired and lacking energy, my creativity wanes. With my content mapped out for my time management coaching business, and my projects all planned in Asana it makes it much easier when I do have periods where I’m struggling. I can sit at my desk and know exactly what I need to do that day without expending energy on coming up with the plan.
It’s also useful to have a think about what’s the minimum you need to do. For instance, for me I have one-to-one time management coaching sessions that I continue to deliver as well as live calls for my membership programme. But I might dial back my presence on social media and postpone any networking. I’ve been really intentional with the business I have been building; time freedom is a big goal of mine and so I don’t want to be working all hours on my time management coaching. I’ve had this front of mind as I grow the business.
Prioritise self care
One thing that is a non-negotiable for me is moving my body. Regular exercise is very much part of my persona now; I find it greatly enhances my productivity and helps to reduce stress levels. I’ve been working out at the gym with Joe for 18 months, and more recently have started Muay Thai and tennis lessons too. When things get tough in my work and home life, I still prioritise my self care. I’ve got the classes blocked out in advance in my calendar, with back-up slots if needed, and treat these with the same importance as a client meeting.
Going back to basics with my daily habits is also helpful - I find when things get overwhelming I can neglect the activities that make me feel good. Sticking with my mindfulness practice, journaling and getting out in nature have helped to keep me grounded.
Embrace flexibility
I think there’s also something around flexibility, and as a time management coach I do advocate for flexibility in our schedules. Our schedule should not be set in stone, and we should be able to adapt to changing circumstances. When things get tough, this might look like reorganising priorities, delegating tasks or pushing out appointments. It’s ok if you need to adjust your plan (and I wrote previously for Digital Boost an article on ‘What to do when your plan doesn’t go to plan’ that might be worth reading).
Time blocking and whitespace
One of my favourite time management tools is time blocking. I block out my schedule for both work and play. As a time management coach, seeing my time in colour coded blocks makes it easy to see at quick glance if I have enough ‘balance’ across the week. I do also like to leave whitespace, which allows me to be creative and flexible with my schedule. You might like to have a play around and experiment with what level of structure works best for you - as we’re all different.
Your support network
Effective time management doesn’t have to be a solo effort either… it’s most likely that you’re going to want to leverage support from others, particularly when things are tough. Can you seek assistance from family members or friends, perhaps think about outsourcing some tasks or even collaborating with peers can be helpful to bounce around some ideas.
Time management can help
I do firmly believe that improving your time management, and I’m thinking about time in the broader sense rather than ‘just’ our calendar and task management, can be a game-changer for those of us that are juggling lots of balls. If you’d like to have a conversation about how I might support you in your business (and life!), then you can arrange a free virtual coffee with me here.