Last time, we talked about Control and how it’s definitely one concept you want to immediately ditch in your business. Not just for right now, given current world events, but forever.
Because control is an illusion, one that tricks you into thinking you can 100% predict an outcome.
And the funny thing that comes along with that trickery is that we fool ourselves into expecting that exact, specific result.
We allow no room for flexibility or wonder or being taken down a different, more inviting path.
Please stop. Give up the need to control it all.
And let’s talk about the second part of the equation instead.
This is the component of your life that you do have power over. And interestingly, it’s one thing I’ve noticed people releasing – Structure.
A lot is changing day by day, which has us feeling ungrounded, like we’re not tethered to something stable here on Earth.
And, like when you have an extra piece of cake and decide that now your diet is completely off the rails, so might as well just let it all go, we’re extremely tempted to let go of any structure in our lives.
You might think, “Oh heck, I don’t need a schedule anymore. It’s already kind of all gone to hell anyway. What does it matter?”
But the thing is, inviting in a little bit of structure right now will actually help you to feel anchored and centered again.
Here’s how to get started:
Write down what your typical, non-coronavirus routine looked like. Maybe it was:
- Wake up at 6am
- Brew morning cup of tea
- Journal for 30 minutes
- Get dressed and ready for the day
- Check email at 7:30am
- Work on newsletter until 9:00am
- Take yoga break
- Client sessions from 10:00am – 2:00pm
- Write sales page for program launch for one hour
- Wrap-up email check at 3:00pm
- Close out day by 3:30pm
Wow – that’s one detailed routine, planned down to the minute.
You can still keep the rhythm of the day. In fact, I encourage you to.
But release the time constraints of a specific action needing to happen at a specific time (of course, please still mind the clock when it comes to client and team calls).
So maybe now your day looks like this instead:
- Wake up naturally (no alarm)
- Brew morning tea and journal while savoring hot beverage
- Get dressed and ready for the day
- Do a quick email check
- Write newsletter
- Yoga break and maybe a walk around the block
- Client sessions from 10:00am – 12:00pm
- Afternoon to do as I please
- Wrap-up day by 3:00pm
Instead of the clock dictating your next step, you’ll look for the previous activity to trigger the next one.
The brain likes to be as efficient as possible and it does that by looking for patterns. So this is a place where you can actually give your brain some assistance and follow a routine, so that it knows what to expect next.
Also, notice how not only the time constraints came off the day, but also some of the tasks.
That leads to another tip: lower your expectations for what you’re going to accomplish during the day.
As you know, I’m a huge fan of giving yourself no more than three projects or large tasks to work on in the day, so that you keep yourself focused and your business moving forward.
But right now, I recommend you start with one. That’s right, pick one and only one project or large task to focus on during the day. Start there.
Then, if you find yourself with more energy during the day, you can add in another. This is bonus time.
So that’s the key – build the general framework for your day (that’s the Structure part) and at the same time, release the need to know how each minute will go (that’s the Control part).
What’s going on in your world? Where do you want to create flexible structure?
Post below and let me know so that I can help you.
Photo by Florencia Potter on Unsplash