In this article, I want to share some of the changes I have recently made to my life to ensure I have enough energy to do the things I want to do, of which managing a business is one. Effectively channeling your energy towards the right things might mean different things to different people.
In my case, I first had to make sure I had the energy to begin with. This meant making everyday changes like eating right, exercising, waking up early and going to bed on time. Secondly, I started doing things like planning my day, timing myself, and getting my priorities in order to further maximize my time and energy.
I share more on what I did below, in hopes that it might help you one way or another. I have divided it between “Things I did to achieve optimal energy levels” and “Things I did to get the most out of each day”. So here it goes.
Things I did to achieve optimal energy levels
Waking up early and going to bed on time
As an entrepreneur, every minute of the day counts, especially if you are juggling between having a full-time job, managing a business and being a parent. Waking up early means you give yourself an early start and going to bed on time ensures you get the right amount of sleep. You need to have enough energy during the day. I won’t say I have perfectly mastered this yet, especially since some days I have to work overnight, but I have disciplined myself to do this especially when I have a full day ahead.
EATING RIGHT
I don’t know about you, but I am a foodie with a very sweet tooth. Which is ironic since I am at risk of getting type 2 Diabetes. For me, eating right means cutting out simple carbs and sugar, and I am also trying to move towards a more plant-based diet. I find that when I eat right for my metabolism and stay hydrated, I feel more energetic during the day and have more drive to start and finish tasks that are crucial to the success of my business.
Exercising
If you know me personally you know I hate working out, especially at the gym. I like to do the more fun stuff, Zumba or taking a stroll along the beach. Do whatever it is that will give you at least 20min cardio a day. You don’t have to exercise if it isn’t your cup of tea, but find a way to stay active because it helps to keep your energy levels up.
Leisure time
Put time aside to do something less stressful. I love to spend time with my family because they are my support system anyway so it is sort of killing two birds with one stone. I also like to keep a journal, read a book, or watch stuff on Netflix. I do this even if it is just for one hour during the day because it is important for my sanity and it helps give a break from the everyday stress that can come from the uncertain nature of managing a business.
Things I did to get the most out of each day
Once I fixed my day to day habits, I needed to structure my day in a way that would ensure I gave the best of me to building my business. This meant getting my priorities in order, planning my day, timing myself and focusing on one task at a time. More on this below:
Getting my priorities in order
In order to properly prioritise tasks, I had to ask myself, what are the key goals I want to accomplish for my business and what do I need to do to get there. I then prioritized those tasks and broke down big goals into smaller tasks. Through this, I was able to single out which tasks require most of my time and energy. This has also helped me to plan my day better, which takes me to the next point.
Planning my day
Mastering the habit of making a schedule and sticking to it is one of the best things I have done for my business. I normally plan my day in the evening before going to bed, or first thing in the morning (after a prayer of course). When planning my day, I put my priority tasks at the top so I know to get to it first. The tasks at the top of my list are also the ones that require the most energy and are the ones that contribute most to the growth of my business. I purposefully do that so my best energy levels during the first half of the day is spent on tasks that are detrimental to the success of my business. Planning is such an important thing to do as an entrepreneur, if you don’t do this, you will burn out because there are just so many things to do especially when you are in the beginning phase of your business.
Timing myself
This is literally the only way I get anything done, by setting a timer on my phone. I get bored with things really quickly and my mind is always looking for the next exciting thing to do. I hate not meeting a deadline, so timing myself is a good way for me to set a soft deadline for whatever task I am working on. I also love the thrill of completing a task while the timer counts down. This is something I found that works for me, you can do whatever it is that helps you to make the most of your time. Every minute counts when you are first starting out and building the foundation of your business.
Limiting procrastination
Normally I do not like to procrastinate because nothing haunts me more than the tasks I did not complete. So, I am the type of person who just gets on with things, especially if it is in my priority list. But I thought I should list this here for people who struggle with procrastination. In general, procrastination means you engage in tasks that are less complex but often less meaningful. This means you take away time and energy on more important things that contribute to your long-term goals. This is not something you can afford to do if you really want to see your business grow, so rather refrain from it.
Focusing on one task at a time
I literally have to force myself to do this because my mind can race if I allow it to. Timing myself also helps me a lot with this. It might seem like you are getting more done by multitasking, and as a new business owner you can’t help it sometimes, but I found that focusing on one task at a time improved the quality of the work I delivered. The ability to concentrate on tasks individually, rather than multitasking, is essential to maximizing productivity and delivering high quality work. It will also ensure you do not waste energy on tasks that merit less attention.
Now you might read the above and think blah blah, same old cliché advice. But in the words of Lauryn Hill, “how you ‘gon win if you ain’t right within?” For you to really go after the things you want, you need to be in the right space, mind body and soul. I didn’t give any importance to this either until I started feeling too lethargic to do anything at all. I am a very ambitious person and I want so much out of life. So, I had to change my daily routine to ensure, a) I have enough energy to go after the things I want without burning out, and b) live a healthy lifestyle that will allow me to be here long enough to see the results of my hard work.
It has worked wonders for me and I can honestly say I am on the right path to growing my business, I sincerely hope you find something in here that can help you to effectively channel your energy to grow your business.