The fall season is upon us, and as small business owners, it’s time to realign with our values. What are our “Ins & Outs” this season? What are we wanting to bring into our lives and our business and what has got to go? The answer is yours to find out. Both Meg and myself own small businesses. Meg runs her own virtual assistant business, Virtually Meg and I run a creative brand, Cornelia Audrey, and a candle company, North Star Candle Co. Between all of the tasks we need to get done in each day, it’s important to know how we want to feel and know the values we want to align with, as we head into one of the busiest seasons of the year!
So keep on reading to find out some essential “Business Ins & Outs” for this year. Trust us, they’ll make a difference in not only how you feel, but your work flow!
Business Ins
What are we leaning into this season?
- Daily brain dumps
- Scheduling everything
- Getting enough sleep
- Aligning with your values
Let’s break these down. Daily brain dumps are an amazing way to get all the swirling thoughts in your head, onto paper. Create a to-do list in your notes app, write it on a note pad or utilize Notion or even your agenda. However this looks to you, just write things down! It’s so helpful to create a list of thoughts and action items on a daily basis. It’ll relieve the stress of trying to remember it all, making room for more important thoughts in your brain!
Once you know what needs to get done, this is where the scheduling happens. I personally love to time block. I take my weekly tasks and add them to my calendar. I make room for my daily work, but also the admin tasks that seem to pile up so easily. It’s important to schedule time for these tasks, or else they won’t get done!
Sleep is the KEY component of running a business, if you want to stay healthy and sane. The days of working until 1am and only sleeping 4 hours are long gone. There are too many studies on sleep that showcase just how bad it is, not to get enough shut eye. So please, make your sleep schedule consistent. Trust us, you’ll get a lot more done in the day!
And finally, align with your values. What does your business represent? How do you want to show up in the world? What is important to you as a business owner? If you don’t know the answers, take some time to journal about it. Your path will become a lot more clear, once you do!
Business Outs
What are we leaning out of this season?
- Saying yes to everything
- Working 24/7
- Overthinking every decision, which turns into not taking action
- Comparing yourself to someone else’s journey
Let’s take a look at what isn’t serving us anymore. Saying yes to everything. You need to learn to set boundaries. If something isn’t a hell yes, good chances are it’s a no. You want to be excited about the work you take on. Try not to overwhelm yourself with the work that doesn’t light you up! Once you become clear on what you actually want to work on, better things will come your way.
Working 24/7 is NOT a badge of honour. Yes we want to work hard and get things done. Of course this feels great! But sleep, spending time with family, friends and showing up for yourself and your health, feels even better.
Overthinking every decision, which turns into not taking action. If we constantly think about a decision, to the point of redundancy, we’re not going to get anywhere with it. Sometimes we just need to hit go and start. Of course we want to think about what we do in our business, but if you’re going over the same thing over and over again, chances are you aren’t going anywhere with it. Sometimes the best action plan is just starting.
And finally, comparing yourself to someone else’s journey. Say this one loud for the people in the back! Every business owner, and human for that matter, is going to have a different journey. If we spend valuable time comparing ourselves, we’re taking away from time that could be spent working on our business. So trust your journey and keep going. 🙂
Why is this important?
Knowing what you align with as a small business owner is so important in working towards our goals. And sometimes things creep into our lives that don’t serve us. So taking the time to write a business ins & outs list, can help us realign, and bring back more joy in our daily routine. So give it a try!
Ask yourself: What is no longer serving me this year? How do I want to show up in my business?
When we know what no longer serves us, we make room for what does! We hope you found our list helpful. And tell us, what’s on your list?!
Looking for more business inspired content? Check out our quarterly goal setting guide! Easy ways to stay on track throughout the year.
xo
Meg & Cornelia
