Goal setting isnβt necessarily the right solution for small business owners who are feeling overwhelmed.
Although thatβs the advice thatβs often given.
People say, if you donβt know what you want, you need to set some goals.
But how about instead of focusing on goals and things to do, you focused more on space and time to think?
You might be thinking, that sounds great but where am I supposed to find the time to do that when I donβt have time to do everything else I want to do in my business?
Maybe youβve heard this quote, βYou should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day – unless you’re too busy; then you should sit for an hour.β Dr. Sukhraj Dhillon
If you donβt have time to create more space, it may be time to adjust your business model.
You may need to hire someone, increase your prices, or change the way youβre delivering your services.
And if youβre a die-hard goal-setter please continue on with what works for you.
Iβm not trying to talk you out of goal setting. Iβm trying to talk you into space setting.
You may even find that by creating space, your goals emerge on their own, naturally.
Here are three types of space to consider building into your schedule.
Space for Working On Your Business
Youβve probably heard the distinction between working βinβ your business versus working βonβ your business made popular by the book, The E-Myth by Michael Gerber.
Itβs easy to get stuck, overwhelmed, or headed in the wrong direction if youβre working non-stop in your business.
When you create space to work on your business and think more strategically about where you want to go, things become clear.
And with clarity, youβre able to make decisions that will move you forward in a productive way.
Consider making one day a week appointment free. And if possible, one week per month appointment free.
Space for Thinking
One of my Master Mind members recently mentioned that he has already scheduled two weeks, one in the spring and one in the fall, for thinking about his business.
He got the idea from Bill Gates who has done βthink weeksβ in a cabin in the woods for years.
βAll ideas grow out of other ideas.β Anish Kapoor
If you canβt go away, at least go to an inspiring location during the day. Think about a beautiful hotel lobby, a co-working space, or somewhere in nature.
“We must never become too busy sawing to take time to sharpen the saw.” Stephen R. Covey
Space for Being
Itβs also critical to create space to just be, with no agenda.
Time to let your mind wander wherever it wants to go.
I love to take daily walks in the woods to create space and move my body.
If you want to tap into new possibilities, itβs not going to happen by only setting aside time for brainstorming.
βCreativity, innovation, strategic thinking, and simply being present donβt require timeβthey require space.β David Allen
Watch this five-minute talk I gave at David Allenβs GTD Summit for more about creating space.
I hope youβre feeling inspired to plan more space into your schedule.
Get started with your space setting by deciding when and how you want to create space and then grab your agenda and set it in stone.
Β© Stephanie Ward
If youβre ready to get away from it all so you can work ON your business my Solo Business Retreat may be the perfect fit for you.Β Get all of the details here.Β
Stephanie Ward is the Marketing Coach for Entrepreneurs who want to create meaningful and prosperous businesses. Grab your FREE copy of the special report β7 Steps to Attract More Clients in Less Timeβ plus business building tips, at:Β https://www.fireflycoaching.com.
How do you create space for yourself and your business?
Share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below.
I respond to every single comment.
I absolutely LOVE this post and the whole concept of ‘Space Setting.” I think the essential part of this practice is that you are setting time and space aside for YOU. You are your business and what you bring to the world through that business is uniquely yours. Setting aside time to envision your future business can trigger your inspiration to align your work with your core values – this is where all that dream stuff can become a reality.
Thank you, Stephanie – you are on fire, as usual.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Petra! Indeed, space for yourself is an investment in all of the possibilities. I appreciate your support and warm words. HNY!
I love this too Stephanie and will build it into a short seminar I am running next week on Business Planning!
Great timing too at this time of year.
Many thanks
Thank you for sharing, Richard. Have a great seminar next week. All the best!