Resetting My Workflow
Hello! I write this blog post on the morning it is supposed to be released. This means that my current work flow system has failed me. I want to have these posts written in advance. The platform I use to write these blog posts (Squarespace, if you are curious) allows you to schedule blog posts, so you do not have to hit “publish” at the exact moment you want the post to be published. I try to have these posts done AT LEASt by the Saturday before they come out. The fact that I am writing this one the day of is disappointing to me. This means
It’s time for a RESET!
The Problem
I am going into my work days with no real plan, just sort of winging it. I have begun writing out a few goals for each day, but none of those goals last week included “WRITE THE WEEKLY RESET.” This means I need to go back to planning my weeks out in advance. I used to do this. On Monday, I would review the week ahead and plan when I would do certain things. I grew tired of trying to stick to an hour-by-hour schedule that may or may not make sense by the end of the week. Instead, I wanted more freedom and flexibility in my schedule. I gave myself too much.
My WHY
I am a business owner, and as the only human being who works for my company, I am solely responsible for my company’s success. There is no one else to do the work for me. I want to succeed in this business venture. I have dogs to feed, and someday, I hope to have a wife and kids. A successful business is key to ensuring I can financially afford to meet those goals.
Additionally, this business exists to help people. If I do not have my ducks in a row, I cannot do the work I want to do. I am here to help others, so I must get the stuff I need to do done. If I want to help others, I need to first help myself.
WHO I Want to Be
I know I have said this before, but I want to be an adult. When I have setbacks like I did last week/this morning, I feel bad about myself as a business owner/adult. I want to have a positive self-image, and doing what I need to do will help with that. Yes, I need to be kind to myself. However, kindness only extends so far. If I am too kind to myself, I am actually causing myself more harm than good. So, in addition to being an adult, I want to be someone who treats myself fairly and justly.
Strengths-Based Strategies
I am good at making plans. In college, one of my favorite things to do was planning what courses I would be taking for the rest of my time at the University of Sioux Falls. In my planning, I discovered that, if I put my nose to the grindstone, I could graduate an entire year early (a full semester earlier than my older brother did, I might add). I made a plan, and I made it happen with a few adjustments along the way as necessary. This is something I can do. I may not like planning hour-by-hour, but I can set up objectives for the week and even assign specific days or times to do certain tasks. For example, one thing I have been fairly consistent about is doing the financial bookkeeping for my business on Fridays. I hate that part of running my business, but it is SUPER necessary. To make it easier on myself, I have decided that I will do it on Fridays and only Fridays. I need schedule specific days or times to do recurring tasks.
Another strength of mine that I want to use is writing. I love writing, and I like to think I am good at it. If I want to write a blog post each week, I need to pick a weekly time to write it. The Weekly Reset does not take long. I could pick a day and just make sure it is written by the end of that day. Because I am writing about that, I will pick a day right now. I choose Thursday. I will get The Weekly Reset done by the end of the work day on Thursday. Moreover, I want to spend some time each work day and reflect on what it means to be a coach and who I want to be as a coach. I want to spend some time each day journaling about my coaching and my coaching practice. This time of writing will help me gain a better perspective about how I want to go about my work flow. There will probably be things that come up in journaling that I need to address and use to adjust my work flow.