There are phases as a new entrepreneur.

I remember the first phase, somewhat blissfully, when I was investing my time in creating logos, setting up websites, writing down goals, sitting on motivational calls with expensive coaches. I loved going into my home office in my pajamas and typing away on my computer, eagerly awaiting all of those customers to ring my phone and blow up my email wanting to hire me as their coach.

Months down the road my initial investment in my business was getting depleted with no revenue coming in. My overly optimistic business model that fueled the thrill of starting my own business started to morph into anxiety about not knowing how to monetize it. From the exciting “free to be me” feeling of having my own business I felt like I was starting to have anxiety asking myself, “Where’s the money?”.

So I made some adjustments.

I started following and working with more practical mentors who little by little taught me the nuts and bolts of how to have a profitable business. As I stepped up my game and started shooting for a much bigger and more leveraged and lucrative enterprise than I previously was pursuing, I stepped up the kind of mentors I chose to help me get there.

Today I can say I have a clear vision of exactly what that enterprise will look like and a well defined strategic plan of how to get there.

What I didn’t have then was a well-honed time management skills that would get me there combined with a fairly packed calendar and full plate as a single mom, who also highly values self-care and properly nurturing the relationships with God, myself, my family, and the important people in my life.

So I experienced a different kind of anxiety.

• I knew my special sauce and how to work with clients and help them get the results they want and be delighted
• I understood which marketing avenues capitalized on my strengths and began intentionally leading with my strengths
• I became very comfortable with visibility and was attracting my ideal clients with ease
• I knew all the components of being a successful entrepreneur and running a thriving seven-figure business

But, truthfully I had trouble pulling it all off.

This was a new kind of frustration.

I knew exactly what the next steps were but implementing those steps was beyond my limits due to:

• Time management skill development opportunities,
• Trouble delegating and letting go
• Difficulty making that critical planning and strategy time I so advocate for my clients for myself.

This is why I felt so grateful for colleagues who recommended Brian Tracy’s “Eat That Frog” book. His simple steps to start being productive is helping me experience breakthroughs.

Brian Tracy has built a career and a very successful, rich life by studying and emulating the most successful people in every area of business as well as their personal lives. Here are three life-changing principles I am adopting along with the strategies Brian describes in his book to help take me and my business and life to the next level:

1. Accept the reality that you will never get everything done. But if you get the most important things done on a daily basis, you will achieve the success you want as you define it.
2. Create systems and tools, like many listed in “Eat That Frog” that help you live your priorities. I love, love, love, and highly emphase doing vision work, so that you clearly and honestly understand where you want to end up. This vision work helps you understand and live your values. This consciousness allows you to focus on doing the important tasks and not get lulled into sacrificing your ultimate long-term success for short-term “false satisfaction” of completing the lesser important task.
3. Having a process that forces you to slow down and make sure you are doing your next high impact activity allows you to better listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  As humans, when we pummel through life without adequate reflection, we easily get confused and tricked into doing what we “think” at first glance is most important than really is not.

CONCLUSION

Success is a winding road, not a straight line. Successful people leave clues. One of those clues is prioritizing and implementing high impact activities. When you slow down you learn the difference between being “busy” versus “productive” and you start achieving the results you desire on all areas of your life.

 

Christian Entrepreneur Biz and Life Tip:  Sometimes it is important to take your foot off the gas long enough to make sure your GPS is set to the right destination and you are not following an old program that won’t get you there.