Feature Article...
Confessions of a Business Coach!
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(4:23)
As a business coach I do my best to live within the integrity of what I coach. For me that means, I keep store hours, work from my dream list, and put what I want to accomplish on any given day into its very own time slot in my very sexy calendar. This is how I keep time on my side…rather than it feeling like a tyrant. I get things done and I’m on top of my game. And all this without that never-ending-nasty to-do list!
For years I worked my network marketing business this way, coaching these tools to downline and now to coaching clients. I know it works. Most of what I do each day (when I’m doing it right!) furthers not only my monthly goals but also my annual and five year plan. It gives me the freedom to enjoy my time off (which gets planned first) and also allows me to be the efficient, functioning Chief Executive Officer of my business.
But you know sometimes it just doesn’t work out the way I want it to. This last month is a classic example. I have either been in high gear moving quickly or cooling my heels waiting for things to get to their next step, so I can go into high gear again. Now that doesn’t sound too bad, except most of this high gear stuff has had absolutely nothing to do with my business.
With the exception of my big rocks (even in chaos my store hours and that oh so sexy calendar save some things!) my focus has pretty much been pulled away from my business. The bulk of my energy has been directed toward getting our house ready for sale, sold and then making sure that all of the feasibility studies we wanted to do on our new home were executed quickly so we’d know what we had in store and could get a working time table in place. Everything of course has a sense of urgency because of the escrow dates that need to be met.
In the end working at this rather furious pace, outside of my regular store hours and without (big mistake here) the full utilization of my calendar, although we’ve gotten a lot done I’ve also spent a lot of energy feeling like I’ve got one foot nailed to the ground. Not surprising really, that is usually what happens when we try to put ten pounds into a five pound bag!
One outcome of this craziness, I don’t have my usual energy level or enthusiasm for anything. I’ve found myself in some kind of emotional and work limbo. Not feeling bad really but not feeling like myself either. Frustrated that what I want to be doing just doesn’t seem to be in the cards. So much energy going out with such little planning except blow and go and in the end I’m much more tired than usual.
I’ve found myself really fighting this with the “outta be’s.” You know the inner dialog of, “I ought to be doing this or I ought to be doing that in my business”…but I simply couldn’t ..or didn’t.. get into action.
Bottom line, like it or not I was taking some down time from my original business plan which got thrown into a bit of a tizzy because of buying our new house and all that that entailed.
Then I realized after talking with my coach and mentor Andrea Lee that I might as well enjoy it…the down time I mean….’cause it was happening whether I wanted it to or not.
What’s the moral to this story? (Well, if it’s a confession we might as well have a moral, right?) ;-)
If you realize you’re taking time off…that you’re down for whatever reason…then for heaven’s sake enjoy it. And actually not for heaven’s sake, but for your sake, enjoy it. If you do, what would otherwise feel guilty or out of synch will now replenish you.
Here’s what happened to me. As soon as I let go of my angst about what was not…and got back into the flow, I was able to get a hold on my store hours, my dream list and my oh so very sexy calendar. How do I know I’m back….
You got this ezine!
Be good to you!
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Thank you Jillian, for making a difference in our entire team! 