It reminded me of the importance of loving what you do! For us it more than a tagline - it is a way of life. Confucius was believed to have said "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life," I am certainly not saying that I love what I do everyday or somedays to be exact I don't want to be working in my business. For those days I have learnt to listen to my mind and take some time out to enjoy what I like doing. Or if it is an admin day I remember to crank up the music and clear my headspace and crack into it. Over the last 9 years in business I have (and am ) learning many little tricks to tell my busy mind about the joy I get when I am working in my own business. The self doubt will always try and sneak in - the emails will always pile up - but with some headset trickery I can get back on task and remember that I have a job I love - a career I love.
Key tips to help you LOVE your work- Ease yourself into your day. Set up a routine first thing to set your daily intentions. Meditate, sing your favourite song, have a long shower, go for an early morning walk - do something to ground yourself before jumping into the email queue
- Schedule your email time three times a day - there is nothing worse than going down the email rabbit trap, and being reactive to every email that hits your inbox
- Plan some mid-day focus time - work on your business, plan the week ahead or just get some jobs out of the way. Turn your phone off during this time
- Keep your hours and work in perspective - don't rush to deliver. Set realistic timeframes and stick to them. Be kind to you and your clients will respect you for it.
- Create a to-do list. Break it up into sections. Admin, marketing, client work, Other. Pretend to put a different hat on each time you change your section of work.
- Make your workplace a pleasant environment. Add some plants, candles, paintings and remember that a great environment will help the work flow.
- Get support - call on your network for help and support. You are not in business alone.
- Don't answer emails after hours/ respect your time off.
You can be the best that you are, give to your clients and give to yourself by following some of the above guidelines.
