31 May Entrepreneurial Self Care

Posted at 16:00h in Lifestyle Sustainability by Angie Noll

The Dreaded Long Winter

I don’t know about you, but it has been a “long winter” for me…the speed at which society processes really had me going these past few months. I see it in each and every one of us that our digital age has brought more and more stresses to our lives. It can be difficult to maintain a grip with so much information and tasks whirling around on a daily basis. My normal duties are not small, even though my business would be classified on paper as a “micro-business”, there is nothing micro about being the owner of such a beast, as I wear many hats in my life as a micro-business owner. Tax season just ended so I am regrouping from the rush to meet deadlines and trying to put more strategic work back in my schedule. In addition to running the business, I am mom to three pretty amazing kids who have their own busy lives, filled with lots and lots of activities to support. Running them around to their activities is a big priority in my household. My hubby and I joke about how much additional money we could earn if we were able to charge those kids for all the rides to and from activities, as Uber drivers to our kids, we could probably fund their college education!

Taking Care of Yourself

That said, it has been particularly important to focus on taking care of myself so that I can stay sharp for the life that I have chosen for myself. Thankfully, I am not alone. I know so because I have come across so many talented and amazing entrepreneurs over the years between whom I have shared community, we commensurate over the struggle to keep it together and how to get it all done. That said, I wanted to share with fellow readers some of the top tips that I have used in my own life to tame the chaos. I hope there is something in here that helps keep you sane and at the top of your game as well.

My dear friend and mentor, Linda McCabe, who is now enjoying retirement from her business coaching company, Optimal Level, taught me a very valuable lesson about feeling sorry for yourself. Her advice was to allow yourself time to pout. When there is something that is really weighing heavily on you, she suggests actually scheduling your pity party into the calendar. By doing so, you are giving yourself a start and an end time to the misery. As Linda says, clear your calendar so that you can spend some time whining and then really wallow in it…woe is me, life is terrible, I will never figure my way out of this one…boo-hoo, boo-hoo, boo-hoo. However, when the clock strikes the time at which the pity party ends, then it is time to dry those tears, pick yourself up, put on the big kid pants and move on. No more time for wallowing in misery, it is time to focus on the plan and execute. I love this tip, it has served me well over the years!
Marie Hale of @Revenue has taught me the power of the Franklin Covey planner. She says that old-fashioned act of writing down our plans and actions has mind-bending power in that we internalize our goals in a way that does not happen if we type them in our phones or computers. It proves to be true for me, the Franklin Covey Planner has completely helped me understand and record my big rocks and break them down into smaller tasks via the Weekly Compass and the daily planner.
From Entrepreneur Magazine, I have implemented a habit of getting up early, earlier than everyone else in the household. In those golden moments of silence in my household, I can pray and meditate without distraction. This sets me up for success throughout the day, without the interruptions of staff, contractors, kids and clients. During this golden time, I am able to focus in on the big picture and implement with powerful results.
Jacqueline Ruiz of JJR Marketing has taught me another powerful problem-solving tool. She suggests writing down the things that you are struggling with in all its complexities and intricacies. Once complete, set it aside. Later, come back to that journal entry. Often what happens inside the journey of writing it down and letting it rest is that you come back with fresh perspective…she says that when she sees her problems written down in black and white, she often thinks that she may be able to help that person. New ideas surface from the perspective an outsider.
About oh, I don’t know, maybe 10 million people have told me to exercise…and I know they are right. When I keep on a regular exercise schedule, I experience better coping skills and more energy. Thank you, everyone for continuing to remind me to get out and move.
Amanda Young from Simplify Your Marketing has done some amazing energy clearing work with me and one of the biggest take-aways is that I need to use the 80/20 rule when it comes to focus. Because of her sage advice, I have broken my habit of focusing on the 20% of my life that is not as I wish and instead, focus on the 80% that has good stuff going on in it. The intention for powerful positivity has been set when I shift the attention away from the negative gunk and keep top of mind the good stuff.

So, there you have it folks. These are tools I have used to get out of my rut and to really kick-start my energy and creativity. Even though what works for me may not work for you, I think the one thing we can count on is that community is a big part of taking care of ourselves. I love that my best entrepreneurial self-care tips came from the community of business owners that I have built for myself. There is power in community and there is power in supporting each other. I hope you know you can always count on me and my team at Reconciled Solutions for support in your own entrepreneurial journey!