The Best Gift You Can Give Yourself as an Entrepreneur by @TheLadyinRead

by Meghan Bliss | Featured Contributor 

Dear Entrepreneur,

You do a lot.

On top of running a business, you may raise children, manage a home, volunteer at your church, or any number of other things. You have an incredible amount of responsibility in your daily life. It can be fulfilling and fun, but it can also be stressful.

Believe me, I understand.

I believe there’s something we can do to make life more manageable. It’s not only an act of self-care, but a benefit to our families and businesses as well. It’s the best gift you can give yourself as an entrepreneur.

It’s a personal planning day.

Imagine this: Once a year, quarter, or month, you take a day off to cozy up at your favorite coffee shop, park, bookstore, or room in your house. You close your inbox, put your phone on vibrate, and take a sip of your extra large coffee. Then, you plan.

You spend the day laying out your goals, responsibilities, and schedule for the upcoming month or year. It’s one day when you can focus entirely on planning for work and home without distraction.

For instance, if you run a blog, you could spend the day planning your next year of posts or establishing a writing schedule. Or you could map out your professional goals for the year and break them down into manageable monthly tasks.

If you have a busy household, then focus on planning meals, organizing your family’s schedule, or creating a simple daily routine. Likewise, if you find that you feel pressured around every birthday or holiday, you could spend part of the day planning gifts and menus for the year. You can make it entirely professional, personal, or a combination of the two. The idea is to take the overwhelming parts of your life and approach them with peace and purpose, not so you can accomplish more, but so you can live with intention.

If you’re tempted to skip out on this because you think it’s too selfish or time-consuming, consider how much it could actually save you time in the long run and benefit others as a result. On a professional level, planning will help you stay organized and focused on what matters most in your business. It could also help you manage your work-related tasks so you have more time and energy to focus on the other parts of life you love, such as family, friends, or hobbies. (Or maybe even another business!)

On a personal level, planning could ease some of the daily pressure you put on yourself to do it all. For instance, sometimes I have productive, fulfilling writing days but find that at the end of the day, the sink is full of dishes, the car still needs an oil change, and I haven’t taken anything out of the freezer to thaw for dinner. In moments like that, the adage “you can do anything, but not everything” rings truer than ever. When I take time to plan, I remind myself of what I actually need to do instead of trying to do everything. It gives me space to revisit my priorities and align my life accordingly.

If you’ve already figured out how to juggle everything successfully and without stress, then I commend you. I haven’t learned how to do that yet, which is why I rely so heavily on planning. It helps me manage my own expectations and handle each day more effectively, which is not only good for me, but good for my business and family.

Do you feel overwhelmed lately? Give yourself the gift of a personal planning day to keep your business (and your life) on track.

Meghan Bliss

Meghan Bliss is the owner and head writer at TheLadyinRead.com, a blog for women who read, write, and want to be read.

After almost four years in finance, Meghan quit her job to write full time. She spends her days blogging, writing novels, and trying to stay off of Pinterest. She also copyedits books, newsletters, manuals, and basically anything else you throw at her — including subtitles and restaurant menus. Her first novel will be released this year.

When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading, clumsily practicing the ukulele, or watching old sitcoms and superhero movies with her husband, cat, and baby-to-be.

And, as always, trying to find the perfect shade of red lipstick.