Ya know what sucks? When you finally feel motivated to buckle down and work on your passion, but you have to go to your day job instead!
I don’t know about you, but I find that when I am home all day and have nothing but time to do the things I need to do to get myself closer to my idea of #livingmybestlife, all of a sudden feel completely unmotivated and super lazy. I easily find any and every excuse or justification to let myself “relax” for a bit because I worked so hard all week (which I did!)…and so I do. I sit and watch TV or a movie, or spend a little time playing a game with my husband…and then all of a sudden, I realize it’s dark outside and I have to go to bed and get up super early the next day to go back to work.
Then BAM!!! That’s the exact moment that inspiration strikes!
This sudden inspiration makes it nearly impossible for me to fall asleep, which means I’ll struggle to get up in the morning and be completely unfocused at work all the next day. Nothing about this situation is good for me, my livelihood, or my SANITY!
Sound familiar?
Today, I’m sharing my best tips and tools to help you prioritize your business.
Real quick, let’s get some introductions out of the way, shall we?
Welcome! Nice to meet you!
I’m Kelly Gabel and I am a multi-passionate entrepreneur.
My mission is to empower you to be (and feel) tech-savvy in your business without busting your budget!
I know what it’s like to start a business and then wake up one day and realize that running a business is NOTHING like you thought it would be!
I’ve got you!
Your unique talents and voice are so needed in the world and I am honored to have the opportunity to help you take the first steps towards creating the business you actually want!
Here is the link you need to grab my free Automate Your Biz Mini-Course too! Get ready to activate autopilot in your business so that you can focus on your clients!
For more free business training, come join me over on YouTube! You can leave comments there with specific tools and training you need. You can also find me on Facebook HERE. I sincerely hope you hop over there! I would love to connect with you personally!
Here’s where Tool #1 comes into play. It’s aptly called:
Table of Contents
The Brain Dump
This is a super simple idea, but taking the time to do it can literally mean the difference between a good night’s sleep and a night full of insomnia.
Whether it’s ideas for something creative you want to do…ie. putting together a cabaret show with some friends, starting/writing a blog to build a better online brand, designing yourself a website, launching your own business etc., or simply struggles that you are facing…such as finding yourself stuck because you are too busy comparing yourself to others, focusing on limiting beliefs that are holding you back from things you really want to do, etc., I find that keeping a journal by my bed (and actually I have one in my purse all the time too, because the need for a good brain dump doesn’t always strike at night!) and pulling it out to just get all of those thoughts down on paper to be dealt with later…or not. Sometimes I just need to jot down the thought for it to be dealt with.
Personally, I prefer to use my phone for my brain dump these days…Just another one of the many ways that I use Trello!
Ok so now we come to Tool #2. This one I just started doing this past year but it has made SUCH a difference for me!
Calendar Blocking
Calendar blocking or Time blocking is a super underused tool. There are a TON of tutorials out there, but I learned about it from my girl Amy (no I don’t actually know her…but I completely feel like I do because every time I am struggling with something in my life or in my business, she either already has, or like, immediately releases a video about it…she must be listening to me via my Amazon Echo LOL)
The first thing you need to do is make a list of the things you want to do for your business and/or goals each week. Now realistically, how many hours a week do you want to devote to these things? Now that you have done that, you are probably thinking (um…but I don’t HAVE an extra XYZ hours a week…when am I supposed to find the time to DO these things?)
This is where this tool comes in handy.
I HIGHLY recommend you do this. Take some time, ideally on the last day of the week based on your schedule, and look at the week you just finished. Literally add EVERYTHING that you did in the day (ok…not EVERYTHING but you get what I mean), the time you woke up, your morning routine (what you did for yourself and the time it took to get ready to leave the house), your morning commute (how long it actually took), your survival job schedule, your evening commute, what time you ate lunch/dinner, when you went to bed, etc. Don’t forget to include things like spending time with family/friends, relaxing (and what you did to relax), hobbies, appointments…all of that stuff…and don’t neglect your weekend. Whatever days you take off each week, even if they aren’t back-to-back, are your weekend. How are you spending it?
Now look at it. Are you surprised by anything? Are there gaps (or more likely extended times where you were “relaxing” or “watching tv”, etc?) Where are there times that you didn’t have anything to put on the calendar? If the answer is nowhere, then we might need to have a different conversation…you might need to start saying “no” to some stuff… but chances are, you are going to find places that are empty. These gaps are where the magic happens. These are your “pockets of time” to focus on you and your passions. Even if it means moving your wake up time 30 or 60 minutes early to create some extra pockets throughout the week…IT’S WORTH IT! You’d be surprised what you can accomplish in just an hour when that hour is early in the morning before the rest of your house is awake.
Side note: This exercise might be a bit eye-opening. If you have been frustrated lately that you don’t seem to be making much (or any) progress towards your goals, this might be the moment where you realize that you aren’t actually making time for that goal in your life.
This is a concept that was INCREDIBLY eye opening to me in my performing life a few years ago. So much so that I was quoted as saying this in a recent podcast interview.
I’m very passionate about this issue…your schedule (and let’s be honest, your bank account too) will not lie to you. It’s (they are) going to tell you what matters…to YOU.
Ok last tool. This one isn’t so much of a tangible “tool” as it is a necessary part of making your dream a priority.
However, what kind of Tech-Savvy Business Coach would I be if I didn’t give you a tech tool to help with this!
Grab my free Trello Business Command Center to help you stay on top of those recurring tasks that tend to slip through your fingers!
Give Yourself Permission
Ok, this might sound totally weird. What do I mean, “give yourself permission”? What I mean is: We are all super busy people. We have jobs and lives and families and the idea of carving time away from any of those things to add something ELSE just for ourselves…kinda feels selfish, or even silly.
Here’s the thing, though…if you have been reading this post and you know exactly what dream you wish you could make more of a priority in your life, then it’s completely NOT selfish. It’s something that you need to do to feel fulfilled in your life…and when you feel fulfilled, it will benefit all of those other areas (especially your family!) in the long run.
You can’t count on other people to give you this permission right now…and honestly, even if they did, it wouldn’t matter because chances are you will still feel guilty taking that time for yourself. Recognize that this is something that matters to you and find a way to give yourself permission to pursue it. Without this all important “tool” I’m afraid the rest of these tools won’t be much help to you.
Any tips and tricks I forgot? Comment below with your favorite tool that helps you prioritize your business!
If you need a little help to get started, come join us for Tech-Savvy Study Hall! It’s the perfect place to prepare your calendar blocking and get some live feedback from me!
