Archive for business focus
Are You A Prisoner Of Your Own Business?
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Are You A Prisoner Of Your Own Business?
By: Alice Coaxum
One of the biggest reasons that most people decide to go into business for themselves are that they usually want to earn more money, have the career of their own choosing and to be able to fire their boss and set their own schedule. Are those any of the reasons that you decided to start your own business? Is being in control of your own time important to you?
For me it was one of the most important reasons. As a homeschooling mother of four and a wife I am better able to help my family when I can control my own time. I don’t worry about if I’m going to be able to take off today or if I will be late taking my children to appointments and other outings because I couldn’t get off of work at a reasonable time or if the hours will conflict with the schedule that my family keeps.
Daycare wasn’t an option for me and when we decided that our family needed more income I knew that whatever I chose to do, had better fit in with our schedule or it wouldn’t work. I wasn’t in the best of health so working a traditional 9-5 was out of the question. I started looking for solutions to my dilemma online.
By the time I decided to work from home I had already removed my children from their brick and mortar schools and began homeschooling them. This is one of the best choices my husband and I have ever made and I really wish I had done it from the beginning.
Everyone’s situation is different and while you might not homeschool or have health problems, you may need to be in control of your time for other reasons. There isn’t a right or wrong reason because they are personal to each one of us.
Controlling or Controlled
When you say that you want to be in control of your time, you don’t want to trade one prison for another. If your business is taking up all of your time to the point of seriously interrupting the flow of your normal life, than you aren’t controlling your time. You are being controlled.
Isn’t this one of the very reasons that you chose to go into business for yourself, so that you could call the shots. Working your business 24-7 isn’t a wise thing to do. While your business should be considered important and treated as such, you need to have boundaries.
Would you allow a supervisor or boss of any business to force you to work every waking moment of the day? Of course you wouldn’t because that would be tiring and you would quickly get sick of that job. How long would you be a productive employee if all you did was work and you never took the time to enjoy yourself, spend time with family and friends or just relax? You would burn out.
While you might think that you are okay doing that, you really aren’t. Working at that rate consistently is tiring. Even if you are making money, you can’t really enjoy it. Consistently overworking dulls your creativity because you aren’t giving your mind time to relax, learn or think because you are constantly going. Over time you will probably feel like giving up because the same prison of time control you previously wanted to escape is the same prison you have created for yourself.
Experience Teaches
I can say from experience that I am more creative and productive when well rested and relaxed. I feel better physically. I know that with my health conditions, being rested in a necessity. I’m at my best when I’m well rested and relaxed. Being grumpy and tired all of the time isn’t the life for me. It makes me feel like I’m just going through the motions but not really living. My family is happier when I have time to spend with them. My children want to share what goes on in their daily lives with me besides, homeschooling and my husband needs to be able to connect with me. I can’t do that If I don’t have the time.
I don’t feel that I’m doing what God expects of me as a wife and a mother if I have no time to devote to my family. I don’t feel that I can productively build my business if I don’t have time to unwind and relax, think and take in knowledge in areas I need to or have time to plan and be creative.
Treat Yourself Well
When we go into business for ourselves, especially if we are alone in building our business, there is no one to stop us or be the voice of reason. The boss isn’t going to say, “Hey you neglected to take a day off for the last 8 weeks!” or “Why don’t you take the rest of the day off?” That voice of reason is going to have to come from within you but you have to have the right mindset to hear it. You deserve to enjoy yourself, relax, rejuvenate and learn so you can be even more creative and productive.
Don’t feel that you are being lazy or non productive if you take some time off because it will greatly benefit you and who knows what you will achieve when your mind has had time to relax. If you plan your time off right, your business won’t suffer because you won’t go super hard for months and then need to crash for weeks at a standstill just to recharge.
Are you a prisoner of your business or have you been in the past? How do you plan on changing that or what have you done to change your it and has it made a difference for you in your life or with your business?
No Is A Good Thing So Whip It Out.
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Many times the word no is viewed in a negative light. Many don’t want to hear the word no because it usually means that they cannot do something that they want to do or have something that they want.
When raising our children we teach them the word no so they will know when something isn’t ok for them to do, have or say. In fact it is usually one of the first words they learn because they frequently hear it.
When it comes to running a business, the word no can become your best friend. How can that ever be since no has such a negative connotation attached to it?
The word no can help you to be more productive in your business and personal life. You may feel that you are being pulled in more directions than you can handle, leaving you stressed and confused. Whip out the word no and the confusion or stress ceases.
You realistically may not be able to get involved with every project, joint venture or opportunity that piques your interest. When you are being pulled into so many different directions you can’t really follow any of the paths to the end. You won’t be as effective in whatever it is you are doing when you take on too much.
All of us vary with different amounts of what we can handle. If you are feeling frazzled and burned out, chances are you are taking on too much. You need to whip out your no and slow down some. Concentrate on what is most important and branch out from there once you are on the right track. This is true in life and in business.
We can’t do it all. We can do some things some of the time but we can’t do it all, all of the time. If we want our business to grow successfully, we need to take the time necessary to nurture it. In order to do that we must have goals and stay focused on them.
Sometimes we have to say no to joining a new business, buying every new learning course that comes out, hanging out with friends frequently during work hours and any other distractions that will keep us from our main goal. There is a time and place for everything. Figuring that out will help keep you on the right track and headed towards success.
You may have friends and family who want to talk on the phone all day or just pop over unannounced for a visit, and you might not be able to concentrate on the work you need to do. A successful business requires work.
You have to whip out your no and let people know that while you want to be there for them, it can’t be during your working hours unless it’s an emergency. No work equals no money, so think before you abandon it.
You also may have to whip out your no when it comes to being fair to your homelife. You can’t expect to be able to work 24 – 7 if you have a family to help take care of. You might not be able to take on every project you would like to and maybe sometimes you have to turn things down and pick and choose your opportunities. That is perfectly okay.
You have to strike up the right balance between your life and your business so neither is neglected. The word no can help you to do that. No is a good thing when it helps you to become more productive.
