Working IN the Business is the easy part!
Get up in the morning, turn on the computer, check emails and go go go. Move through urgent requests and then to the distraction of social media. I can lose myself for an entire day, it is beautiful and messy.
Sound familiar?
It is the life of a Freelancer and it is a great way to earn a living using a skill set. Check out my Freelance story in Huddle.
It is what my day looks like most days, if I haven’t planned. I love the freelance work I do and my clients are amazing. They have exciting projects and I get to help them move these projects forward. It is intoxicating.
How do I make time to ‘Work on the Business’ ?
This is why planning and making space to Work on the Business is critical.
For me working on the business means crafting and writing content, like this blog post. Refining my Priority Management workshop for the next group and creating an online training program based on the Priority Management workshop.
These are the activities that move my business forward. They fill the pipeline with new opportunities to be of service, to share my skills and to create income that is not tied to my TIME. This income is beyond the billable hour.
This income provides freedom to use my time for other pursuits. Forest bathing, beach combing, time with my family, hanging and laughing with friends, cooking, travel, summer camping, hobbies (I need to work on this). We all have the same 168 hours every week and I have learned that if I am not clear about how to use my time, someone else will gladly use it for their needs.
For the summer months I have blocked out one day every week to work on my business. Projects to tend to and nurture (much like the garden in summer) and when Autumn arrives I will have something tangible to harvest.
This is simple however not always easy. Blocking out the noise and distractions of all the shiny objects takes focus and discipline. It means setting up boundaries around time and saying no, or not right now.
Working on YOUR business takes planning, and it is absolutely worth it!
PS...if you are struggling with setting boundaries around your TIME I can help you with that!