I was watching a YouTube video one day. The message included an idea from Marcus Aurelius. It referenced a book he wrote, sharing his stoic wisdom.
The video explained the process of scheduling an evening routine.
The Value of Journaling Daily
It also described a process for self-reflection, decompressing and journaling.
I’m a big proponent of journaling. I journal regularly. It helps me to reflect on my day and learn lessons.
This video gave me new reasons to expand my journaling to gain wisdom and insight internally.
Based on what I already knew, I immediately came up with a list of questions to ask myself daily.
One best practice is to journal every evening in order to wind down for the night.
You might find it helpful to remove all external stimuli. That means turning off the TV, computer and phone. It will be much easier for you to focus and think.
I often journal on my computer. But I still like to write down my thoughts in a paper journal occasionally.
Making Progress Daily
This process of daily reflection and accumulating insights is compelling over the long run.
The purpose is to really examine what happened during the day. Learn the lessons. Discover what you could have done better. Make improvements for the future.
It’s very easy to get distracted by social media and other online activities. This can divert you from achieving your goals.
Don’t let the constant interruptions of daily life guide you off track.
Instead, rely on your intuition to guide you forward.
Do you have an evening routine?
What can you do to establish or improve your evening routine?
I would like to say that my life is picture-perfect, but it is not.
Every year, I have to deal with a certain number of challenges.
Many of my challenges have been related to pet health issues. I have had many pets over the years, mostly cats. And there have always been health issues.
I have dealt with diabetes, kidney problems, heart murmurs, cancer, injuries, mites, fleas, arthritis, brain tumors, etc.
And I have had relationship issues, family issues, deaths in the family, etc.
Focus on Self-Care
I have also worked hard on my own health, focusing on exercise and nutrition. I have done nutrition cleanses and health programs to help reset my body to a healthier way of living.
I have also done a lot of spiritual work.
Why am I sharing all of this?
First, I am not alone. And neither are you.
I know that many people struggle with challenges. And many people have to deal with far worse challenges than me.
I am very empathetic to people who are suffering and going through challenges.
In fact, I try to remember when I am interacting with people that they may be going through a trying time.
I think empathy is one of the qualities that make us human.
Why is this relevant to your business?
Some of the ways you may be impacted:
-Affects your health adversely -Creates conflict in personal relationships -Leads to sleepless nights which has a negative effect -Feel pain in your body from stress -Headaches and even migraines -Accidental injuries from lack of focus -Making bad decisions -Addictions
As you can see, when you have a personal challenge in your life, it can affect you in many ways.
Seek Solutions to your Problems
The good news is that you can find solutions to most of your problems. It does take time, energy and effort.
The first step is to recognize that you have a challenge.
Then, put your energy into solving the problem.
This is all a part of life.
Try to be more empathetic toward others. When you see someone having a bad day, realize that there may be things happening in their life that negatively impact their attitude.
If you want to spend more time focused on your marketing, you will probably benefit from investing time in organizing your office.
Do you have a sense that if you could just get organized, you could accomplish more?
Most people tolerate a messy office.
It’s a little annoying to be stuck in an office where you have trouble finding things.
And what if your home office is in your kitchen, and your files are in your kitchen cabinets?
Many people have worked hard to cut down on paper and now most of their information and files are stored online, in the cloud.
And while storing your data in the cloud takes up less space, can you find it any more easily? Maybe yes. Maybe no.
To keep things simple, let’s focus on one area: your desk.
Most people sit at a desk when they are working.
I understand that you might sometimes work on a couch, or lounge on your bed with your laptop. That’s cool! But a lot of work is spent sitting at a desk.
First, will cleaning up your desk really make a difference?
Here are the benefits of an organized desk:
-It will be easier to find important things on your desk
-Your desk will be clean and not sticky
-Your office supplies will be handy, saving you time
-You can finally clean up that layer of post-it notes you tacked up
-Your monitor will clean so you see more clearly
-You’ll feel more confident
Sounds much better, right?
So while this is not likely going to bring in a bunch of revenue, it just might inspire you to do something wonderful in your business.
Here are 4 tips to clean up your desk:
1. Grab a few boxes and clear everything off your desk
This is simply the best strategy if you really want to clean your desk. But be careful to sort things first so you don’t lose track of important information.
2. Wipe down your desk and devices top to bottom
Yep, clean that desk. Scrub it. You know you want to do it!
3. Choose what to return back to your desk
File away papers that don’t need to be on your desk. Collect office supplies and keep them handy.
4. File or put away anything else
Find a new home for everything else.
OK. Sounds pretty simple, right?
The important thing here is not to just clean up your desk.
The important thing is to develop a habit of cleaning up and organizing various aspects of your business.
You can organize your:
-Desk
-Computer system
-Filing system
-Taxes
-Marketing Systems
-Cabinets
-Customer Service processes
-Drawers
-CRM
-Downloads Folder
-Sales leads
-And much more
Get Organized
So, as you can see, there are many things you can organize in your business.
And you should take some time each month to dedicate to cleaning and organizing.
The process of organizing will help you to be more productive and effective.
Ever have a day when everything seems to go wrong?
Some days it’s just plain difficult to get things done.
It’s possible to make it to the end of the day, look at your task list, and realize you did not accomplish any of your top priorities.
How does that happen?
Did you disappear into a time vortex? (No. Of course, not!)
Did someone steal your high-priority task list and replace it with a list of low-level priorities? (Again, no!)
It can be a challenge to identify your top priorities and stay focused on them.
The struggle is real.
It takes willpower and determination to do the most important things.
And it’s this willpower that is critical to your success.
Best Day Ever
There are other days when you feel like you’re firing on all cylinders. You’re cranking out tasks. You complete your list of top priorities and are ready to take on more.
How long do you work during the day?
When do you call it quits?
One way to squeeze out additional results is using a simple technique.
This technique focuses on producing incremental results.
Sometimes, progress is made through the smallest of efforts that come at the end of the day.
At a time when you are ready to end the day, if you can hang on a little longer, you might be able to accelerate your results.
Getting More Done
What is this magical technique?
Try this: Do One More Thing
This is a rallying cry for top performers.
While under-performers strive to do one less thing, their peak-performing friends do the opposite.
Doing one more thing is a way to challenge yourself.
It often comes at the end of a long workday.
Time may be passing by slowly. You are watching the clock on the wall: tick, tick, tick.
You’re ready to take a break. You want to get away.
And then you think to yourself, “Do One More Thing.”
Like the athlete who digs deep during the last 10 feet of a race and accelerates past their competitors, this is your moment to get ahead, to do one more thing.
This is a time when you have to take a step back and observe what is happening. Listen.
Discover your next step.
I am taking time to learn, understand and empathize.
One challenge that people have when they are under stress is that they start to drift.
They’re confused. They start too many things. Their head is in the clouds.
They are basically distracted and not productive.
Can you relate?
So, how do you make a shift to a more productive mindset?
First, it starts with acknowledging why you’re not focused.
Acknowledge what you’re feeling. You’re probably evaluating your personal beliefs. You’re making changes in your life to cope with circumstances.
There’s a mindset you can adopt which will help you: Focus on the Here and Now. Part of the problem is that people are often worried or fearful about something that may occur in the future.
When you sit down to work, focus on the present. And shift your concerns about the future from your mind.
Acknowledge what you’re worrying about. Write it down. And then let it go.
You might find meditation helpful to accomplish this.
Clear your head and work on your top priority.
It takes some practice, but you can do it!
If you want to accomplish your goals, then you need to find a way to clear your head and stay productive.
Even when times are tough, you can find hope to improve your situation.
Watching the news can often leave you feeling depressed. So, don’t watch it.
Guard your mindset.
Think about your situation. Are you facing difficult times?
Are the people around you stressed and anxious?
Dwelling on the negative is not going to help anyone.
Find your Purpose
Remember, you have a purpose in life. And maybe you have several purposes.
It’s very possible that your business might be struggling right now.
So, your primary purpose may be difficult to fulfill.
But you have another purpose you feel drawn to.
One of my mentors, Samurai Strategist Lori Whaley, shared an idea one day on a webinar I led with her. She discussed the Japanese concept of Ikigai, a reason for being. And it’s all about finding your life purpose.
According to Lori, “It is usually translated as life’s purpose, and refers to living a happy everyday life.”
Your Ikigai is at the intersection of 4 points: What you love, what you are good at, what you can be paid for and what the world needs.
Lori encourages you to find your Ikigai, your life’s purpose.
Developing your Sense of Humor
You may find it helpful to brainstorm various ways you can add value to others.
This is really an out-of-the-box approach to looking for ways to help people.
Shifting gears, you may find it difficult to wake up in the morning and get started on something productive.
I want to share a tip you might find helpful…
Maintain your sense of humor.
I know, how can you possibly laugh when you see so much suffering in the world.
It’s a conundrum.
First, be sure to take the time to acknowledge human suffering.
Next, pray for a positive outcome.
Meditate and practice mindfulness.
Do yoga, if that helps. (I do.)
You may find that this helps to center you and restore a sense of calm.
By the way, I shouldn’t have to say this but turn off the news during this process. Otherwise, you are defeating the purpose of the exercise.
Tapping into Your Sense of Humor
Next, take time to laugh. You might watch a funny movie.
I enjoy listening to stand-up comedians. One of my favorites is Jim Gaffigan. His material is pretty clean and it makes me laugh.
Laughter heals.
And it puts you in a positive state of mind.
Once you reach this state, you can now tap into your creativity.
You have restored a sense of balance in your brain and you can now get stuff done.
Here are some of the benefits of reaching this state of mind:
-Feeling calm
-Easier to plan projects
-Feeling like you can take on the world
-Open to talking with others
-Easy to create content
-Feel like tackling technical projects
-Open to delegating tasks
-More positive interactions on social media
You see, if you can get back into a healthy state of mind, you will be in a much better place to get something done.
Releasing your Pain and Grief
And we are living in a time when you need to do a lot of things.
Your schedule has changed.
Your income may have dropped.
You’re not sure how to market your business.
You’re reviewing your expenses.
Doing anything is more difficult. It’s not uncommon to find shortages of products at the store.
There are so many decisions that have to be made.
Every day feels like a week.
The challenges we are going through right now will eventually end.
But not after a lot of pain and heartache.
Don’t try to take on the weight of the world.
If you feel like the world is crashing down on you, then you are allowing your life to be dictated by your emotions.
Learn how to release the pain and the grief.
On a daily basis, practice this process to reach a state of peak performance so you can make progress and accomplish your goals.
I am currently feeling extremely creative and I am making massive progress right now in spite of all the chaos.
Let me shine a light into your own life so that you can step up and accomplish more.
They think about the future and imagine that something horrible is going to happen.
And you know what, they are right about 10% of the time.
But, the other 90% of the time, they are worrying about things that never come to pass.
So, what is the impact of that kind of approach?
Look for Ways to Reduce your Stress
We all know that stress is a killer. Stress increases heart disease and hypertension. It leads to addictions which cause other health problems.
So, stress pretty much ensures you will endure some health problems.
And having serious underlying health conditions can put you at greater risk of illness.
What I want to share with you is that there is a better approach.
And let me explain why this is important to you.
As a small business owner or solopreneur, you face greater risks than someone with a job.
You have no guarantees.
You could actually have a month where your expenses exceed your revenue and you earn nothing.
In fact, worse than that, you might actually have to dig in to savings or take on debt to cover your business expenses.
This constant pressure can take a toll on you.
Practice Patience and Find Stability
There’s an approach I have used for many years.
The technique is: Maintain an Even Keel
The phrase, “on an even keel” has origins in the 1500’s and refers to a ship in a level, horizontal position. It is a reference to stability.
In your business and your life, you need to have stability.
To me, it also refers to your mindset and attitude.
Remember Chicken Little who ran around saying, “the sky is falling.”
That kind of mindset to believe that the worst is about to happen is not helpful.
When you embrace the worst, you give up your ability to change the outcome of negative circumstances.
There are two sides to a coin.
A mentor once told me, “don’t let your highs get too high or your lows get too low.”
What he meant was don’t celebrate too much when things go your way, and don’t throw a pity party when things go against you.
There is a value in maintaining an even keel.
Be thankful but indifferent to good news.
Be cautious but not too concerned when there is bad news.
The Importance of Responsibility
It’s important to take personal responsibility, to evaluate your situation and take action.
For some people, this is challenging.
People have emotional triggers. They respond to things other people say. They respond to things they hear on TV. They respond to certain situations in their life.
People who are angry all of the time and blame others for their circumstances are often constantly triggered.
And their response is often to yell, complain, blame, criticize and rage.
People respond to emotional triggers in person and online. These days, people take to social media to express their anger and rage against others.
And who gets hurt?
Well, unfortunately, they are the ones who are most often hurt by their behavior.
People shun them. They lose business opportunities. Opportunities that come their way are missed because they are too busy raging.
And they ultimately suffer in terms of their health, for all of the reasons mentioned above.
Don’t React to Circumstances
So, how do you unravel this mess?
Well, I’m not a therapist. So, my first suggestion is to see a therapist if you are facing serious emotional issues. There is probably something going on deep down in your psyche that needs to be addressed. And it could take months or years to get through all of it.
But, let me share a simple technique with you.
Maintain an even keel.
Choose not to respond to emotional triggers. Relax. Breathe. Practice not responding.
Identify your emotional triggers and then prepare an alternative behavior to practice.
You are in control of your own behavior, not anyone else.
Surely, people must realize that when other people watch them expressing anger and rage, they feel pity for them.
They feel pity because they see the reality of the situation. An angry person has lost control of themselves. They have let circumstances define them and control them.
Anger is a strong emotion. And a person who gives in to anger does so because it feels good to them. It releases endorphins in their brain.
An angry person reaches a point where they can only be happy if they are angry. But, they aren’t really happy at all. Their world is upside down.
It’s a sad state to be in. In fact, it’s quite pitiful.
So, maintain an even keel.
Learn how to reach a point where you don’t react to circumstances. Don’t allow your emotions to consume you.
Yes, it’s difficult to do that.
Yes, you have to make a decision.
Seeking Joy and Happiness
When you begin to practice this approach, your life suddenly becomes more peaceful.
Your life becomes more joyful.
Find joy in everyday experiences.
The book, The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch, expresses the importance of finding those joyful moments in your life. Randy, a professor at Carnegie-Mellon University delivered a lecture to his students just after receiving a prognosis that his pancreatic cancer was terminal. He died less than a year later. The book, based on his lecture, is about putting a focus on the important things in your life.
What are the important things in your life?
Isn’t it time that you devoted attention to those important things in your life?
Maintain an even keel.
Whether you are occasionally annoyed, frequently upset or a constant rage-aholic, you will benefit from this technique.
I hope you strive for greater joy and peace of mind in your life.
What would happen to your business if you got sick?
You don’t like to think that the worst is going to happen. You want to be positive.
However, it might be worth spending some time thinking about the worst and developing an action plan.
If the worst does happens, then it might be too late to make any preparations or changes.
If you prepare now, then if something bad happens, you can lessen the impact.
Large companies use several strategies to prepare for emergencies: -Disaster Recovery Plans -Business Resumption Plans -Exit Strategy Plans -Succession Planning
Each strategy is a little different, but the important thing is they take the time to anticipate unusual circumstances and walk through the details of what to do.
In some cases, they do tests, experiments or even drills to road-test their plan.
As a small business owner, what can you learn from these strategies?
Prepare for the Worst
So, what should you consider?
Here are some considerations to help you plan for emergencies: -Cash flow -Paying bills -Customer Service -Delivery of products and services -Website security -Client support -Computer and systems access issues -Website logins -Responding to emails
What if you are a solo-preneur? What if you are the only one in your business?
What would happen to your business if you were admitted to the hospital?
What kind of business structure do you have? Sole proprietorship, C Corp, S Corp, LLC?
How does that affect things?
Does anyone else help to handle your finances, either personal or business?
It’s a scary thought to think that your life and business could just unravel in an emergency.
They say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Reduce Risks with Proper Planning
What preventive measures can you take now that will reduce risks and increase the continuity of your business in a time of crisis?
This is a valuable exercise.
It might actually expose some risks you were not aware of.
It might also help to identify the need for additional support, by hiring employees or contractors.
And you might even want to prepare your family with details about your business.
It might encourage you to determine ways to simplify your business.
It’s one more task you have to do.
But, what if the worst happens?
If you are in a panic and have not taken time to plan in advance, you will have to deal with it all in the present moment. And that’s frightening.
You suddenly have to prioritize your health over your business demands.
If you have a written plan and you can call upon others to help you, it will allow you to focus on your health. You’ll worry less and feel more confident.
Communicate with your Team in Advance
Remember that communication is essential.
If you have taken time to develop communications in advance, you will simply have to send out announcements to initiate your contingency plans.
You can’t just assume that everything is going to go perfectly in your business.
Sometimes, you have to act like a contrarian. You need to predict the future, even if it is negative.
Great leaders plan for both good and bad circumstances.
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