As the year starts to roll to its inevitable close, business owners are once again rushing to get too many things done so they can have as perfect a Christmas as possible. There are multiple to-do lists: one for work, one for shopping and others for the new year and new goals they wish to meet.
It’s time to put down the lists, decide what really matters to you and stay focused. This is called prioritizing and if you can’t make up your mind what’s important, what you really want and why you’re in business, it may be time to do a complete overhaul, especially with how you deal with the various parts of your life.
Get back to basics. Once you decide to only concentrate on the things you love in your personal life, it won’t be long before it’s reflected in your business. The more you have, the more complicated life becomes and there is such a thing as over abundance. Downgrade by deciding which of your products or services are the most useful to your customers, are financially viable and result in the largest profit for you. Many businesses offer too many choices and if they have to hold items in stock, it costs them. The cost is then reflected in how much the customer pays. Don’t be a business owner who is making his customers pay for his bad choices.
Most of your clients can identify with this belief and keeping in close touch with them, perhaps sending out an end of year email asking what they appreciate most about your business can help you decide where you’d like to concentrate in the new year.
Minimize your scheduled activities. You’ll find that the less you have to stick to a schedule, the more relaxed you become. This helps creativity, something missing in most businesses these days in huge amounts. Don’t just organize, re-organize and don’t trust everything to your computer. Paper has its uses and one of them is that it doesn’t need an internet connection. Technology is a distraction and a huge time waster if it isn’t used for productive purposes so turn it off so you can concentrate. We are overloaded with gadgets that take up huge amounts of time and show little in return. Too much information, too many choices, leads to too much stress.
Keep your work and your personal life separate. I know that many people find friends and even mates through the workplace or through business but it’s refreshing when you spend your leisure time with others who have absolutely nothing to do with your workday. It gives you a break from thinking about your business, talking about your business and worrying about your business.
Decide which parts of your business you really enjoy and that you’d miss the most if they weren’t there. Concentrate on those tasks, outsource the others to someone else. Wealth is measured by many others things besides dollars. It’s measured in happiness, confidence in your abilities, and enjoyment of your life as it is now.
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2014
image courtesy of simplicitytalks
