How to be a healthy entrepreneur
Happy New Year! 2019 was a big deal for me personally and professionally. It was my second year as a full-time entrepreneur. I used the year as a personal experiment for a number of things. The first being, “Is it possible to both live well and work well?” It turns out that this is possible, but it takes intent and patience with self.
In 2019, we were able to serve 9,000 people. (For reference, I think we served maybe 1,000 in 2018 and something in the hundreds years prior.) I’m glad to have learned that I can both live well and work well, and Temple Fit is sharing about #careerwellness to kick off the first couple months of the year.
1. Update your website copyright.
This is about doing the little things before they become a big problem. Updating the copyright is a relatively small task, but it nags at your brain cells until it finally gets done. Your website (and therefore your business) seems neglected if your copyright isn’t updated. You could have fresh content and innovative services, but the perception is that you don’t pay attention to the details. This couldn’t be further from the truth for most of us! However, as small business owners, we wear so many hats that these “smaller” tasks don’t float to the top of our memory list, nor our priority list. Keep a little list of little things. When a minor task pops up in your head that you can’t tend to in the moment, give yourself permission to write it in a central notebook or Evernote. But also give yourself a maximum. Once your “little list” hits 5 or 6, take a few minutes to knock a couple of those tasks off. (So you can stop having that “Aw man!” feeling every time you scroll your own website and see that you’re a year [or two] off.)
2. Set personal business hours & business boundaries.
As small business owners, we adopt the societal and financial pressure to grind all day and hustle all night. (I hate both of those words, by the way: hustle and grind. What kind of living is that?!) However, God’s Word tells us about two gifts related to our personal and professional selves: 1. We get the gift of life abundantly (John 10:10) and 2. We get to enjoy our work (Ecc. 3:11). In addition, science proves that our brains do not function as creatively nor as productively when we are stressed. Therefore, set personal working hours and stick to them.
For example, I know I am most creative in the morning, so I do my writing between 9 am and 12 noon, in order to give this my best energy. I put meetings, admin work, and patients in the latter part of the day. I make sure to finish all work-work by 6:30 pm and all community and personal work by 8:30 pm. Putting parameters around my work day keeps me from out-pacing my peace.
3. Create systems for your most common tasks.
Sure, this can be about getting organized. But it’s really about decreasing your brain tax. That’s what I call the extra energy and stress it takes to think, re-think, and over-think decisions that I have already made, or to process tasks that recur on a regular basis. Save those brain cells for something refilling, like an art project, or a long-overdue conversation with a good friend. Create systems, enjoy time.
Create systems, enjoy time.
Dr. Asha
4. Recover the #first15minutes.
The first 15 minutes of the day sets the tone for everything that follows. Do you jump out of bed, excited for what you will encounter? Do you sludge through wishing it would end already, even though you’re only a few minutes in?! Just like you have been working on the best elevator pitch to introduce yourself to new people, work on your morning pitch to introduce the day. What about that #First15minutes would make you want to follow-up for the rest of the day? Click here for some simple ways to create a healthy morning routine…
5. Put the LLC/INC renewal date on your calendar.
I would surely hate for you to pay extra fees for being late, or lose your business registration altogether! Just like we forget to update the website copyright, renewals are a seemingly small administrative task that can become a big problem if routinely put off. Go ahead and put this reminder on your calendar. While you’re at it, as you operate throughout this year, take 2 extra minutes to put the task you’re currently working on in your Google calendar, such as “January 6th: Prepared tax documents for CPA.” Set this as a recurring event in your schedule that repeats annually. Give yourself ample “notification” time, such as 1 month or 2 weeks, so you can make sure this task is reflected in your budget for time, money (if applicable), and attention.
…a better you leads to a better business.
Dr. Asha
6. Reflect daily and celebrate wins weekly.
Breathe in, breathe out. (Come on, take a deep breath. None of that shallow stuff here.) One of the most refreshing things we can do for our bodies is to breathe and reflect. Deep breathing lowers the levels of stress hormone (cortisol) travelling in our blood. Emotions like gratitude and a sense of accomplishment increase the feel-good hormone (endorphins) in our blood. So really, pausing to reflect is a win-win situation! Reflection leads to a better you, and a better you leads to a better business. Put breathing room on your schedule, it pays off.
Dr. Asha is a Creator of Healthy Conversations. She is passionate about inspiring women to be their best selves, do their best work, and live life abundantly! To learn more about Dr. Asha, go to www.doctorasha.com/bio.
Order Dr. Asha’s Bookc: Click here to order Dr. Asha’s book or other great wellness resources from our boutique!
Previous Post
Next Post
