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Too Much On My Plate.
My client just started his business last year. He has been relatively successful but is now engaged in finding different ways to acquire new customers. As a sole practitioner there are many demands on his time. In the last week or two he has begun to feel overwhelmed by what he has to do and unsure about what he should do first. Sometimes he feels he is working on the wrong thing. He feels pulled in many directions.
What businessperson has not felt that way? This is a problem that I share with my clients. The month of May is a delightful one here in the Northeast US. In my town someone planted flowering trees along all the streets. During May the trees look like pink clouds hovering close to the earth. It is just beautiful. As nature awakens my business becomes even busier than it was at the beginning of the year. New projects come up, new clients are beginning, and several interesting opportunities for collaboration have come up. How do I maintain my busy schedule, complete the necessary tasks and at the same time have time to appreciate this beautiful time of year?
One of the techniques I use for myself is to make a list of all the things I want to do. In my overwhelmed state I am sure I will forget something important! The list calms me because I am able to see everything written down and in one place. Then I reflect on my business priorities. What is my business focus for 2001? If it was increasing profit then as I look at my list I put a star next to the tasks that could immediately increase my bottom line. I know I must do those things. It is easy to get caught up in the checking off of items on my list and not get to those items that benefit me the most.
Next I look for items that I can say "No" to. Have I over promised this month? Do I need to eliminate a few tasks? I've got some meetings that I am going to forgo. They would be useful and maybe fun too but they would not increase my bottom line quickly enough. Meetings are an important networking tool but when I am trying to free up time that is one place I can do it. So many of us (myself included) want to do it all. Sometimes we can't. This is a really hard one for me.
Now of the jobs that are left, I need to know what I am best at. I want to do those tasks because I can do them relatively quickly. I want to offload those tasks that I hate or that I am inexperienced at doing. That means delegating some work if you have people you can delegate to. Some sole practitioners find using Virtual Assistance helpful. These are people who do the administrative tasks of your business and do not require being at your location. They will answer your email, do your billing, keep your records, send out your advertising material etc. For more information on Virtual Assistants see www.assistu.com.
Finally here is a tip another coach gave me when I told her I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all that I had to do in May. She asked me what I usually did when I was overwhelmed and I told her I calm myself by breathing deeply. The problem is that when I am overwhelmed I am so busy I forget to stop. She suggested I find a piece of jewelry that I normally wear and each time I look at it or touch it, that I stop and take the time to breath deeply. I chose a cameo ring that I wear every day. It's my reminder to stop and relax. It makes a world of difference.