Busy isn’t the new Cool, though us entrepreneurs sure do brag like it is. I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit tired of constantly feeling behind.
I recently had one of the most productive weeks yet in my business. So much so that I called it a day early that Friday. But when I woke up Saturday morning, I was in panic mode thinking about everything I needed to do to get through the next week. I worked on and off for much of the weekend, only to wake up Monday morning still in a state of overwhelm.
[bctt tweet=”Busy is not the new Cool.” username=””]
Not cool.
It’s true that I had a launch, a webinar and an online summit all in the same week. So, a lot going on. But I also had some of my own content that needed to be prepped because I was running behind.
It doesn’t feel good to be behind and, frankly, it’s not healthy. It results in late nights and not much quality time with my loved ones.
So I thought I’d remind myself (and you) what getting ahead does for your business mindset—and your life. You know, just in case you needed this too.
Makes me feel accomplished
Fairly often, my to-do list is long. Like, how-did-I-get-to-this-point long. Like, all-this-is-a-priority long. And when that’s the case, I not only feel overwhelmed but I feel like I can’t get anything done because there’s simply too much to do.
When I’m on top of my work, using my accountability partners to my advantage, I feel accomplished both personally and professionally. I feel like a better resource for my audience because I can act from a place of being proactive rather than reactive. And because I feel much more present and relaxed in my personal life. My confidence soars and I actively share to abundance. That’s such a good place to be.
[bctt tweet=”Being on top of work makes confidence soar and allows you to share to abundance.” username=””]
Opens doors for more opportunities
When I’m ahead of the game on my own content and with client work, my time is open and available for new clients and new projects. And I don’t think I’ve ever had a client complain about me turning in a project early. Being that reliable source for great content—early—is a great way to garner referrals from happy clients.
Being ahead of the game is also a great time to brainstorm new opportunities for my own business. It’s a time to grow and improve my processes so I can do even better work for my clients. And it’s a time to create new resources for my audience, something that I’d like to do much more often.
Leaves time for family
The older my daughter gets, the more she doesn’t “need” me to do stuff for her. At 14, I know it’s only a matter of a few short years before she leaves the nest and my nest is empty. Being hyper-aware of this makes me want to soak it all up and spend as much time with her as possible. Luckily, she still seems to want to spend time with me—most of the time.
When I’m behind on work, I don’t leave space for that quality family time I want. Instead I’m working up until I pop something in the microwave for dinner, then head right back to my computer afterward. My daughter certainly doesn’t complain about the extra time she can spend in front of YouTube, but I’m sure she’d rather know that she’s a priority for me—instead of work.
[bctt tweet=”What would you rather do: Procrastinate or spend time with your kids? Easy choice!” username=””]
Calms the stress
Growing up, my family seemed to be late to everything. It drove me batty and made me feel stressed out. I still feel stressed when I’m running behind—whether it’s on a project or when meeting up with friends. It’s one of those frazzled feelings that I can’t control and it puts my head in a space where I just can’t focus.
Having a plan in place and being ahead of the game allows me to work at my own pace (rather than a feverish one) and take a little more time for some white space in my life. Something I desperately need.
Allows space for education
I love to learn new things, but when I’m constantly rushing to put final touches on projects and get started on new ones, there’s little time for relaxing with a new business book or taking an online course. There have been seasons in my business life where I’ve paid for both and never finished them because I didn’t create time in my life to do so.
But when I’m planning my time and projects wisely, I can add education to my calendar and keep growing personally and professionally.
If you’ve been dreaming of getting ahead on the work within your own business, now’s your chance! Today (March 31) is the last day to register for Race to Summer Break, an 8-week program designed to help you get all your summer content done and scheduled before your kids come home for summer break. Register now!