Published: June 26th, 2019; By: Judi Hughes
Hurray it’s summer!
The days are longer, the sun is shining, patios are open, and schools out.
It’s only too easy at this time of year to get de-railed and lose focus. Resulting in having to scramble in September to try to re-coup your momentum.
However, you can stay focused on your business and still have a great summer. Use these tools to help make this summer work for you:
Shorten your to-do list
Prioritize with Must, Should & Nice. Review each item on your list. Rate them as a Must (M), a Should (S) or a Nice (N). If it is a Must it stays on the list. If it is a Should it gets scheduled for some time in the future. If it is a Nice put it in the parking lot of things to do some day.
The only items still on your list are the Must items. If you have been seriously honest with yourself, you should have a shorter and more focused to-do list.
Set your summer hours and stick to them
Don’t get caught feeling resentful that summer has ended, and you missed it. Do you want Fridays off, an early end of workday to sit by the pool with your kids or Tuesday afternoon golf with your partner?
Decide what your summer hours are. Put them in your calendar. Let people know what to expect. Work on focus items and client commitments within your set business hours. Set your autoresponder to remind people when you will get back to them.
Respect the time you set to be away from your business and the time you set to focus on your business. Both are important.
Get your ducks in a row for September
Identify the twenty people who are most likely to help you earn or generate revenue in September. Use these slower paced summer months to re-connect with them over a drink on a patio or a walk in the park to build relationships and set next steps for fall. Invest 7-minutes and learn how to build your Top Twenty.
Don’t get distracted by the Shiny Object Syndrome
Summer is an especially easy time to get distracted by shiny objects and business owners are especially prone to the Shiny Object Syndrome.
Rather than starting yet another new project, set a goal to finish some of the ones you’ve started. A new idea doesn’t earn revenue until it is finished. Watch this 2-minute video to help get things finished.
Reflect and reconnect with your Vision
Give yourself the gift of lunch on a patio or a walk in the park. Reflect on why you started your business. Re-visit your Vision to be sure it’s still relevant. Take time to re-align with your purpose, re-visit your goals and re-set your focus. Book a free Vision Session to get clarity on where you are going.
Take a proper vacation and leave your business behind
You and your family need true vacation time. Time without your business.
- Schedule the time – Put it in your calendar and honour it just like you would a client meeting.
- Communicate it – Tell your clients and team, give them lots of notice.
- Schedule your email newsletter and social media for distribution while you are away so marketing continues.
- Before you go, schedule meetings with prospects for the week you get back in order to minimize the impact on your revenue generating.
- Respect yourself, treat yourself like you would a client – make it your responsibility to take full advantage of your leisure time.
Have a full, fulfilling and fun summer!
