The most valuable asset anyone has to offer is their time. We get paid not only for our skills but the amount of time that we invest in a given task. Running your own business is more than a full-time job. It’s a lifestyle, it takes over and easily requires 24/7 attention and focus, especially in the beginning. Once the foundation of your business is set the second most important step is avoiding burnout by implementing the right supporting systems.
OPERATING IN YOUR ZONE OF GENIUS:
When you have the foundation of your business and you know where you want to go, you need to be able to operate in what I call your “zone of genius.” Your zone of genius is that creative space that allows you to come up with your best ideas. It’s that perfect place where imagination meets productivity. You can’t be in your zone of genius if you’re spending all of your time on administrative tasks or tasks that burn you out.
For example, I love creating content and being personally present in my business- doing facebook lives and connecting with clients over the phone. This is my zone of genius, this where I operate at my best and where my best ideas come from- when I am most productive and am best able to connect and serve people. .
My ANTI ZONE OF GENIUS : constantly being on social media and working with various systems that manage social media accounts and schedule posts. I love creating the content, I just hate having to post, I hate editing, and I don’t love working to keep the engagement up. In order for me to spend as much time as possible in my “zone” I have to find a way to free up my time so I can focus fully on these things.
Regardless of what my zone is and how productive I can be in that place mentally, there are still tasks I have to do. So to free up my time and allow me the peace of mind to actually indulge in the time it takes to be in that “zone” I have to implement the right supporting systems.
In the beginning it was just using the right applications. Then I hired my first assistant.
It took me some time to find somebody I could trust with the tasks I most needed help with, but when I did things really started to fall into place.
Today I have a team behind me who manage all of the functions that would keep me from being able to invest most of my time doing what I love.
To be honest, it wasn’t easy ‘letting go.’ It is crucial to be mentally prepared to let go of the tasks that you need to delegate. Even if you have people that you trust and people who are fully on board with you and where you are going you still need to be able to let go of control.
My mentor once told me: “Hire someone who has the same desires.” – this, my friend, is key.
So here’s your homework; Get a sheet of paper and write down what you LOVE to do.
BE SELFISH!
For me, I wanted more days to myself. I wanted a flexible schedule, I wanted to maintain an active lifestyle and invest in yoga. I wanted to get a full night of sleep every night, and I wanted to be able to indulge in my alone time. I wanted to be able to take time for family too. I wanted space and time to think up new ideas and work on projects and fun things that would propel my business forward and not just maintain the status quo. When I align myself with the things that are important to me, and align my life with what I find important- somehow I am now also energetically aligned with all the things I want to accomplish and manifest into my future. Now I have to level up!
Part two of your homework; add a list of what you HATE. Be honest.
Administrative work
Calendar management
Bookkeeping
Financing
Legal work
Contracts, etc…
All of these things are things that my team now manages because I literally can’t do it all.
So there you have it. Look at what you love about your work, and what you hate. What can you delegate. What services can appropriately support your business and the direction it is going in, and how can you really embrace being in your zone of genius?
Do you have any systems you love to use that help you operate in your zone of genius? If so, drop them below! Would love to hear suggestions.
Jen it is SO important to only do what you love, what makes your heart beat, and to surrender or outsource all else. I would still be working on my theme from 3 years ago unless I worked with my web developer. Team work makes the dream work, indeed.
It is totally so important doing what you love! I have to say that letting go and trusting other people to do part of the work is one thing I struggle with the most. It’s hard letting go! But I’m learning… Slowly but surely!