Could You Be Stuck In An Energy-Sapping Loop?
How do you know if you're stuck in an energy-sapping loop, that you're probably never going to get out of? These are the symptoms you need to look out for:
Jumping from one to-do to another
Feeling like there's no time
Frustrated you can't get to the "fun" to-do list you have
Brimming with ideas but no time to try them out
Starting early and finishing late
This generally looks like waking up at the crack of dawn, trying to get through all of your tasks so that once you're done, you can work ON the business in a way that you're excited about BUT...
You ALWAYS run out of time. It's such a common problem amongst business owners and it means all of your energy is being put into things you don't actually enjoy or, you are missing out on doing the things you really want to do, and that in turn is having a negative impact on you.
Almost all of the time, clients who come to us are stuck in this loop but are telling themselves it's short term, it won't last, it's just for now, it's just until they get this project done or finish a big task for a client. This is not true. The energy-sapping loop can only be broken by taking action. So how do you do that? Here's how:
Book yourself a day off - yes, that's right. It won't kill anyone, give yourself a focused day to step away from your usual, jobs and allow yourself the time to catch up with whatever else it is you want to do. Perhaps that's a whole day spent on your processes or social media.
Break up your tasks - We love using the Eisenhower Matrix. Do the ones that are urgent, DON'T do the ones that are important, can only be done by you, but don't need to be done right away, set a date for those ones. DELETE any tasks that aren't important and just keep ending up back on your list and most importantly...
DELEGATE. I just can't stress this enough. There's no better feeling than being able to use a to-do tool to type out tasks for your assistant and get them to do them instead.
Remember, without that energy you need to inspire you and get you through, you're just going to end up burned out and depressed and that's the space businesses fail in, they don't thrive there. Success often comes from doing the complete opposite of what you're doing. Let me explain, business owners often fear delegation because they fear letting go of control, and worry naturally about expense. It feels logical not to spend money on outsourcing when the business isn't yet profitable.
However, to get to that profitable next step, you often DO need to delegate first, which can feel very counterintuitive. It's the same with booking a day off, surely that's going to pile more work on your plate, right? NO! Because what you don't do is try to cram that day's work into two days, you just pick up where you left off when you come back to work. That one day spent focused on something you really need to do for your business (or yourself), can give you back the energy, passion, and drive to propel your business forward.
It's time to flip your thinking. Breaking the energy-sapping loop can only happen by stepping back and doing things differently so, it's time to take action. What are you going to do? Stay in the loop or finally break free? Good luck!
Read to delegate? Book a call to talk about how hiring a virtual assistant can help move your business from stuck to growth.
https://link.ltvaservices.com/widget/bookings/30-min-enquiry
