In the struggle of On vs In the Business - what's the answer?

When you’re struggling to find time to do ‘ON vs IN’ the business work - what’s the answer??

It's something we hear time and time again from business owners with a full life and a full to do list. So what's the best approach?

Well, of course I'm going to proudly promote joining either the Success Circle or Success Boss membership because we’ve built that into both the programmes with the live weekly power hour and training sessions, BUT you’re not just letting me have space here on LI for just promo, we’re all hanging out here for good ideas, and hopefully I can add some value, so today I'm sharing some of mine and Robyn Brown 's top ideas, to keep it simple, but to make the "On" Stuff actually happen.

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Firstly, let’s be clear – 99.8% of business owners we’ve ever spoken to* struggle to find space to work on the big things that truly help pave the way for progress. So, you’re in good company.

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But also, it’s a huge part of what’s holding us back in our success.

Because we see the impact when someone’s had 90 minutes to take stock, pause, reflect and say “I’m so excited, I have so much clarity now”. That impact is profound. We all need more time with that kind of clarity to create progress in business.

But if the thought of even finding 90 minutes right now is freaking you out, it doesn’t need to take that long.

?When you remember that success is often in our smallest habits, not our grandest, starting small is a bloody awesome place to begin. Things quickly stack up, then over time, they become epic.?

Here are four, short and simple ideas to get started with:?

1. An end of week 3-minute full stop.?

This is a short, sharp way to switch off from the week. You take a quick view of your calendar / WIP list, or another visual way to see what you’ve done and ask these quick questions:

• What am I really proud of doing or achieving this week?
• What do I need to learn from?
• What do I need to start with next week to set myself up for success? (And then you plot that into your planner / calendar / to do list / Trello board / Bujo / whatever you’re using)?
• End of reflection. Well done you!?

2. Have your strategy in view.

Time and again, we hear from people we’ve worked with that having our SOAP (Strategy on a Page) in front of them helps when they get kerflummoxed. Having something visual, that you can lift your eyes up to (e.g., if it’s on a board above your computer screen) helps shift your state and reminds you of what you are MOST needing to work on.

Odds are, it’s not doom scrolling or planning your social media or answering the 7th email in the back and forth from that less-than-ideal-supplier you’ve got challenges with.

Remember that Strategy = big stuff. Big stuff = progress.

3. Get clear on what success looks like.

Hard to have a strategy without knowing what it is you want to be achieving isn’t it?

This clarity of what success looks like works really well when applied at a micro (small, daily) level and at a macro (big kid pants on) level. What is it that great / good / fricking awesome looks like? (Today, this week, this month, this quarter, this decade.)

• Is it to reach a new revenue goal?
• Is it to increase your profit margins?
• Is it to break-even because your cashflow is constipated and you’re freaking out at 3am?
• Is it to optimise your time so that you have more time coaching the kids’ sports team but not drop revenue?

Knowing what you want to have happen is a great step, then you articulate (put ideas into a set of goals or intentions), make that visible, and then keep the end of week review happening – you’re getting ahead of 80% of the crowd just through that action.

Well done friends!

4. Make time for interruptions, firefighting?and general shit storm duties.

Here’s something unpleasant about adulting and running a business in the real world (one with humans, not robots): Shit is going to happen.

So those first ideas we’ve given you? They’re awesome. And work really well when things 'Go To Plan'.

But as you know, out here in the Real World, that doesn’t always happen.

If you can allow room in your planning for shit storms / firefighting mode – it means when that doesn’t happen, SCORE, you have some time back Just For You. You can then use this however you like. And then when things inevitably don’t go to plan, you can then rally round, knowing you have space to catch your breath when the storm passes or the fire has been put out.

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Practically, this can look like a bunch of things;

• Know what a “minimum viable day” looks like (what’s the absolute minimum effort that needs to be put in for your business to stay afloat today / this week?). Do that.
• Keep “white space” in your diary so that when stuff crops up, you have a buffer to regroup in.
• Pick one thing every week to make progress on and forgive yourself the weeks that progress doesn’t get made.

It’s annoying because it’s true.

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We all need to make time to work on both ourselves and our business. Taking the time to pause, reflect, and review can work wonders for both our personal and business growth. But as you’ve seen here, it doesn’t have to be huge or some glorious end of week strategic deep dive.

Even the smallest reflection, when started, doubles down. Because with that reflection, it gives you a chance to celebrate your wins and feel damn proud of what you've achieved.

Then, that boost in confidence helps provide more motivational fuel to keep doing the do.??

Plus, reflecting helps you learn (rather than self-flagellate) when those hiccups and blunders happen.

That’s where magic happens. It becomes a personalised, secret stash of wisdom that you get to keep dipping into.

We think that strategic action is big. When we think big, we think Too Hard Backet.

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And while that can be true, (you know what we're going to say!): when you start small, it counts. You’ve started.

“Your outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits.”

– James Clear, Atomic Habits.

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So, there you have it folks. Even if you’re not ready to come and work with us in one of our Success Memberships just yet, we hope that these ideas will help you make the right kind of progress, feel constructive, and give you a skip in your step as you work through this ho-hum part of the year (winter). Good news, we’re well over halfway there, and the days DO start getting longer from here on in!

*this is not a scientific calculation but an informed estimate

PS. Ok, ok, you’re ready? Cool! We’ve got you! Jump online today to sign up for the Success Circle or the Success Boss or send me a message if you want the Kid Gloves and to have a 121 with me to sort your relationship with ON vs IN the business.