When you’re a solo-entrepreneur, it sometimes feels like your work is never done.
There is always something to do and it never stops:

You need to update your website, return a call, write your ezine, market your services, etc.etc.

Especially when you’ve set some ambitious goals, like I did for 2012, the feeling of overwhelm can easily creep up on you.

These 3 tips really help me to stay relaxed and productive at the same time.

Try them out, they might work for you too:

Tip 1: Start your day with inner work

Never, never, never, start your day with reading your emails.

Every time I do this (yes, I admit, I forget or ignore my own advice sometimes ;) I end up feeling out of time and stressed out.

When you start your day with opening your mail, you automatically place yourself in a reactive mode: you start reacting and responding to the things other people ask of you.

Sure, you need to read and answer your emails, but it doesn’t have to be the very first thing you do.

When you open your emails, you are connected to the outer world and the demands and tasks this brings with it. 

This can easily distract you from the things that matter to YOU most.

Before you make any kind of connection with the outer world, you need to connect to your inner world first.

One way to do this is to take some quiet time and reflect on these questions:

• What do I need right now?
• What does my business need right now?
• Which actions bring me closer to my goals?
• Which of these actions will I focus on today?

Tip 2: (re)connect with your purpose

It’s easy to be (or feel) busy al the time.

But being busy is not the same as being productive.

And being productive does not automatically lead to feeling happy and fulfilled.

To make sure your actions are effective and fulfilling at the same time, you need to (re)connect to your purpose:

Why are you doing what you’re doing? Why is this so important to you? Is this something that REALLY matters? Why?

Tip 3: Take time to relax

The busier you are, the more important it is to take time to relax and recharge.

A Chinese proverb says:

If you’re busy: sit down.

I know, it sounds like sitting down is the very last thing you have time for when you have millions of things to do.

But it does work. Really!

Sit down. Take some deep breaths. Look at the sky, stare at the clouds, watch the birds fly.
This will instantly calm you down. As a result, you’ll be more productive.

The last thing you should do when you’re busy is to skip taking breaks.

I’ll take that advice after I finish this ezine by taking a walk.
Even though I have a gazillion things to do and am tempted to work all day long :)

This week’s Transformational Action

Take a 5-minute break and reflect on these questions:

What am I doing? How important is it?

Does this activity make me happy? Is it connected to my purpose? Does it benefit me and my business?

Is this what REALLY deserves my attention right now?

If not, ask yourself what it is you SHOULD be doing (or not doing) right now.

Not only will this help you accomplish more, it will also make you feel happier and more fulfilled.

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How do you stop yourself from feeling overwhelmed or being overworked? Feel free to post your tips or comments below.  Thanks!

 

 

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P.S. Do you long for a purposeful business you LOVE?

Do you want to reach more people with your message and make more money while making a bigger difference?

If you do, my online program Big Mission, Big Impact is exactly what you need. 

It helps you create a big, bold business goal and easily transform your core limiting beliefs that come up when you start thinking and playing bigger.

This 6-week program gets you unstuck, so you are finally ready to SOAR this year!

You can read all about it here and apply for your spot now.

The next group starts in March. There are just a few spots left.

 

 

 

 

 

 photo credit: katerha