A New Year | A goal to live in balance as an entrepreneur.
Here are my goals and intentions for 2023, and anyone can do them!
I posted a quote a week ago on my Instagram that read,
“Amongst all the change, resolutions, ambitions and set goals, find your breath in the comfort that progress is slow and messy. It is in that place where your hands are dirty, and next to you grows a collection of crumbled attempts of paper where we really exist”
The feedback was telling. I received so many messages from my friends and followers that this they needed to read exactly that. But why? I wrote that down in my journal shortly after sitting down to actually do what everyone else was doing – setting their resolutions. Maybe it’s because we’re conditioned to work harder, faster, to hustle, to sweat to see change… And perhaps, in some ways we do. Of course there are times where we need to push ourselves and work an hour longer than everyone else, read more, study more, prioritize our work and our businesses. But, if we do only this we burn out. And fast.
So this brings us to balance. But boy is this a struggle. As a mom to two young girls and a business owner, balance is INCREDIBLY hard to implement. Often it feels like every minute I don’t spend working on my business is a minute lost to make progress or grow. But I’ve hit that plateau before, and it leads to disenchantment with our work. What I love the most about what I do is that most of the time, it doesn’t feel like work. And I truly believe that the only way to keep the spark going is to step away and come back.
I take daily morning walks and listen to my favourite business podcasts to get into a power mindset. Often these are very empowering to listen to and then I find I work with a determination that I didn’t have before.
I set up my workspace before doing anything else. I make sure my lighting is good, that I have a full glass of water, start up my diffuser or incense sticks as my sense of smell has a very powerful impact of my mood. I also clean up anything that is distracting, disorganized or cluttered, as that also impacts my mood. And not in a good way.
I work slowly and with intention. I once had a boss tell me, “Slow down because I’m in a rush”, and that stuck with me. Mindless and rushed works always ends up having to be redone, so I’m careful to always take my time, even when I have 10+ things to do before my day is up.
I’m gentle with myself when things don’t go my way. Sometimes it’s a painting that just doesn’t look right or my website traffic is unusually slow, or I spent a lot of time doing something that just didn’t get any traction. When that happens, I write it down and revisit it the next day, with a clear mind and review it – reasons, things I did differently, things I need to try, was it even worth doing in the first place?
I read before bed. Screens off. I read novels, self-help, business, personal growth books. I love it, to escape but also to slow down my mind gently…
I work slowly and with intention. I once had a boss tell me, “Slow down because I’m in a rush”, and that stuck with me. Mindless and rushed works always ends up having to be redone, so I’m careful to always take my time, even when I have 10+ things to do before my day is up.
I’d love to hear about some of your habits – what works and what doesn’t, and how you balance your personal life with your work. Let’s share and grow together! Donata
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