As an entrepreneur, there is a fine line between work and private life. The work/life balance everyone aspires to have is hard to achieve. We tend to work more because now that we work for “ourselves,” we need to fill several positions simultaneously. Also, we have more energy and drive to do so as we work for ourselves and feel motivated. We deduce what, when, and how. And, if we don’t work hard, how will we achieve what we want and, most importantly, pay the bills at the end of the month?
But is working more equal to being productive? I found myself wondering that while walking my dog. Yes, the walks with my dog are my reflection time. A lot of ideas and decisions are made during this time. 🙂
The question I asked myself during this particular walk was: am I productive?
If I am completely honest with myself, I am not. I tend to lose myself in LinkedIn posts, scrolling on Instagram, and jumping from one task to another, especially when I enter a panic mode that things need to be done because of imaginary or real deadlines.
Now is a busy period: I am organising an event under BASE brand, a new cohort of the Marketing Accelerator will start soon (btw, we still have some spots left if you are interested :D), and I started working with two new clients. It is all very exciting and gives me energy, but if I am not paying attention to where I place my focus and energy, it can become overwhelming.
One thing that was very clear to me quite early in my entrepreneurial journey is that what used to work in a bigger company is not working anymore. First, you don’t have the same resources regarding people, time, and money.
And second, you are not a robot. That means your energy and how you feel will differ daily. Of course, this is also happening in a bigger organisation, but it is not as visible because there are more people to pick up what you can’t finish. And the other way around.
So that means you need to honour your energy even more when you work for yourself. Be very selective about how you want to show up, and know where and what the goal is.
The longer I am an entrepreneur, the higher the importance of following the advice above comes to me.
I used to have a planner with things to do daily. I was pretty good at checking off all my tasks at the end of the day. But the older I get and the more work I add, and — funnily enough, the more people I have to help me — the harder it gets. So, when I started to feel overwhelmed and did not see the results, I learned there was one major thing I needed to do: take a step back and cut out everything that takes away energy.
That can be translated into simplifying everything: go back to why you started your business, examine your values, and what you want to achieve.
I am going through this process right now, and I find myself cutting out many things and simplifying my processes. This has helped me get new clients and be more productive as I switched from focusing on all the small things to concentrating on the big picture and adapting it to fit me, the entrepreneur, and the force behind my business.
Are you productive or just busy?
What mechanisms do you have in place to help you go back to being productive?