Ways to Create Sustainability in Business & Life
In the past, I have totally been caught up in the NEW energy of the year. Goal setting. Starting new habits. Then around mid-February, my Ego (Joe!) would come and loudly kick my ass for the lack of follow-through. That pattern does not work for me. To be honest, it hasn’t for years.
Unfortunately, that model is what our patriarchal society wants us to follow. Almost every coach I have worked with has been about setting SMART goals. Every planner I have purchased focused on that format.
And every year I beat myself up for lack of follow through and commitment because I have been measuring my actions against what works for someone else.
First, let me say this for everyone out there - WE ARE NOT BROKEN.
Just because the process works for someone else does not mean it is the save-all perfect thing for us. The truth? We are NOT all wired the same way. That’s why when I work with Entrepreneurs on their financial plan I am interested in creating a custom format that makes sense to them, not me.
As my favorite quote from one of my favorite Pisces reminds me:
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
~ Albert Einstein
So I tried something new, which was a little difficult for my inner Capricorn Rising that thrives on processes, checklists, and getting all the things in order.
In fact, I even chose a career that has been for 36 years all about the doing. (Hint, for bookkeepers this can be an extremely busy month of processing informational tax-related items before the 1/31 deadline; show your bookkeeper a little love this month and give them an extra big thank you!)
For the last month, I have been thinking about those items that I want to release in my life and business, not add. What actions were not working. What tools I either hadn’t touched or I just disliked being in them (there were a few I simply hated to use as well). Basically a 360-degree review of where I was spending my resources - money, time, and energy.
Some of my actions:
Reviewed my calendar blocks and adjusted them to better match my available energy, which means saying NO to pretty much everything before 10 am and after 4 pm.
Letting go of Active Campaign and saying hello to ConvertKit - the tool cost is better and the experience is lighter.
Canceling tools I hadn’t touched in a year - they sounded like a good idea at the time. Plus I added all the renewal dates for the tools onto my calendar at least a week ahead of the renewal so I could make an actual choice this next year AND I memorized the transaction in QBO - double memory punch.
Had a conversation with my business (with the help of Hilarie Mae Dahl, she’s my go-to for someone to speak for the business). The business clearly wanted a clear separation of my day job (the few bookkeeping clients I still have) and the growing new Mentoring business. That meant a new way of looking at my Financial Plan.
No planner. Honestly, I have felt a little lost since making this decision. I went back to a bullet journal style that allows me to have a little creative flair and my love of a dotted journal. Perhaps I’ll even bring in some stickers.
Plus one other decision, which is what my vlog this month is about. Without giving the topic of the video away, let’s say that I have some definite subconscious blocks when it comes to marketing. It is my least favorite thing to do. (Click the image to listen!)
As I lean into creating the process and checklists that I need (I can always count on that inner Capricorn to help out), I will also be working on the subconscious blocks, again with the focus on being that I am not broken. To create the change, to find the ease, I need to look at what story in my subconscious is holding onto and make a choice: Is that story serving my brightest and best good, or does it belong to someone else or more importantly, some outdated patriarchal mindset?
When we take time to release the things that are draining our resources (remember, this is more than just money), we make room to add things that fill us up - like new clients, projects, or hiring a new team member so we can take that extended vacation this year.
Got questions? Book a free call to talk to me directly.