Freedom being one of my top values (yeah, yours too, that’s why you’re here), every decision I make in my life and business needs to bring me closer to a feeling of freedom (in an ideal world, sometimes I lose focus and sometimes you’ve got to choose an uncomfortable path to create greater freedom).
How I feel on a daily basis as a person, mother, partner, business owner is super important to me. I’m not one of those people who’s willing to sacrifice some years now for future reward. Maybe I’m lazy, or maybe I’ve really learnt something about living in the present. Honestly, I think it’s a bit of both.
Over the last year I’ve been in maternity mode, winding down months before I was due and pretty much taking these last 9 months off, working just a few hours a week. Interestingly enough, though I’ve only done one promotion in the last year and a half, the clients have been there, on the end of an email, when I opened up a spot or two.
Why do I share this?
Because it gave me permission.
Permission to step further into enjoyment, less business push. Here’s how I’m doing that:
1) Taking time out
Yes, I’m starting up again after maternity leave by taking time out.
Huh?
I know, sounds counter intuitive. The thing is, I’ve been home alone with baby for 9 months now and though I did some work, it was pretty limited with a baby who doesn’t nap long (our girls are balls of energy, they’re not sleepers).
And after baby number I can feel it in my body. I didn’t bounce back as I did with our first. With a 3 year old around as well as a baby there’s not much space and time for recovery. Now that we have childcare it’s time for me to rest, and get back into shape and find that ME spot within again.
So I’m taking on clients whilst leaving a LOT of space for myself. I know without a doubt that this will help me to grow my business in a way that feels expansive and enjoyable.
Over to you: where do you need to reconnect to yourself? What is calling you in body and/or mind that you haven’t been tending to?
Schedule it in so it happens.
2) Creating firmer work boundaries
When you work from home, and especially as I’ve been working bits here and there with no real schedule whilst home with baby, you do get into bad habits.
Even when you have a schedule it can be easy to lapse into ‘just checking this’ ‘just replying to one email’ ‘in just a minute sunshine’…it’s that JUST. It tends to expand and before you know it you’re checking your emails and social media way more than you’d like. I’ve noticed lately that I didn’t like how often I was randomly checking my phone.
So, renewing boundaries. On weekends for example, when we’re out as a family, my phone stays home. There’s a window between the girls’ dinner and bedtime where I won’t be taking sneak peaks of my phone. I’m either at my computer doing actual productive work or I’m with the kids. My phone stays in my desk drawer.
Over to you: how do you feel about your social media and email use? Not ideal? How about a tech free day a week, or a specific period when you shut down at the end of the day rather than checking your phone right up until bedtime? (I find that challenging due to having a large part of my team in the US).
3) Opening to multiple streams of income
At some point, it’s clever to diversify from just 1:1 clients only. Once you reach a stage where you’re making good consistent money with that (or your ecourse or group program if that’s where you started), it’s time to look into another income stream that’s going to make sense with what you already have in place.
My 1:1 mentoring business flows along beautifully and with ease at this stage. So now I have space and time to build a second business that will take fewer hours per week to grow and maintain and that will turn into a profitable residual income stream.
I love doing the 1:1 client work and don’t want to stop that, and I also want a more regular stream of income.
Win-win
Over to you: where are you at now in your primary business? Is it time for you to introduce another stream of income or program that will create that additional stream without as much hands on from you?
If you’re looking to grow your business/refine your programs/add an additional income stream, apply here for a call with me where together we’ll find out exactly what the next best step is for you.
