If you were to put two identical businesses side by side with the same staff, the same opportunities, however placed two different business owners in the hot seat, the outcomes could be surprisingly dissimilar.
Why is that? What makes business owners, and therefore businesses different? Everyone has the same opportunity to grow and consolidate their businesses however if you were to take a forensic view of your leadership, time management, goals and passion, do you know what you would expect to see?
Here are some great concepts to get you thinking:
1. 1440
That is the number of minutes in one day. Given your body requires around 8 hours to fully rejuvenate that leaves just 960 waking minutes. Are you making the most of them?
2. 5am Club
Whether it’s 5am, or 6am the concept is the same. Imagine the head-start you can get on your day (and your competitors) by firstly focusing on you, your health and mental status.
Exercise, great nutrition, and time to yourself to focus at this time of the day sets you up with great energy and absolute clarity for the day ahead, and the priorities of task completion.
3. It all starts with “why”
We all go into business for our own reasons, however when you lose focus of “why” you’re a business owner, dealing with the daily challenges of owning and operating your business you will also lose passion and commitment to grow and achieve.
Write down your “why” and review it every morning. “What is it that led me to start or buy this business?” “What is it that gives me the drive and passion to get up day after day and do it again?”
Is it family, personal pride or achievement? Is it delivering a level of service and results that set you apart from your competition?
4. Develop an ‘ideal week’ and stick to it – “Routine will set you free”
How often do you hear yourself saying “oh i don’t have enough time to do that!” Or “I’m so busy.” Unfortunately all too often busy doesn’t equal productive. A productive four hours will always smash a “busy” eight hours. The trick is to set aside chunks of time to visit certain tasks with focus and clarity, without interruption.
I once heard a great analogy that has set the bar for when I’m coaching our teams. Imagine your week is a glass jar. Put in your “big rocks” first. The tasks that must be completed every week, or the tasks that achieve your “why”.
It may be dropping the kids off every day, or attending their assembly or sports training, it may be accounts entry, marketing meetings, ordering stock, whatever it is that must be done very week, then fill the gaps with the smaller rocks, and finally the sand.
The best results and outcomes happen when you stick to your ideal week without fail.
5. Read or listen
With the benefit of technology nowadays every spare moment can be spent learning and growing. Whether it is in the car or at the gym listening to podcasts, or audiobooks, or downloading an information packed book to read you have the opportunity to maximise any spare moment.
There is such an abundance of business changing material across the internet.
Live a life, and hence operate a business by design, not by accident and the outcomes can be life-changing. Well past are the days where you can just be “interested” if you want to succeed, you must be “committed” and disciplined.