Why Working ALL of the Time is Crushing Your Business

2018 has been an incredible ride so far, but it’s also been a pretty intense one to say the least. As of March 1st, we’ve already brought in half of our entire revenue from 2017, which was on the heels of having already tripled our income the year before! #mindblown

And this train is not slowing down, and if that isn’t a tangible testament to the fact that the work we do when we align ourselves with our calling, pays off, I don’t know what is.

AND- (notice I didn’t say “but”) all of that also means that I have to do, be and produce more than I ever have. It means I’ve found myself working longer hours than I would like to be, disconnecting from my life + family and feeling a little slow in my creative flow far more than I care to admit.

It became crystal clear that I had to make a pivotal decision; one that offered me more time, space, freedom and joy in my world.  

Simply put, the old way just wasn’t working anymore. I was running on fumes, and everyone around me, from family + friends to clients, could tell. My business was suffering- because I was suffering.

I chose to enlist the help and support of others, and brought on a rockstar team to help this rocket ship fly higher; but even still, that team also needs my support and inspiration to get their work done.

I hired an incredible design team to revamp my entire website (look at how gorgeous it is!!), which was the first time I ever relinquished that responsibility to anyone else. I seriously wept the first time I saw it, they completely took my vision and transformed it into the real thing.  

I carved out time daily for reflection, connection, inspiration,dance parties and nature walks. And I blocked off times and days where cell phones, computers, and w-o-r-k were not allowed.  

I went from a role in which I had to do everything myself- website design, ads, invoices, podcasts, sales calls and beyond- to the place where I get to sit now-  in the visionary seat.

If you’re like me, “get it done” is your factory setting.

It was how I took my dream and turned it into a reality. It’s where I feel most comfortable, a groove I know all too well. But asking for help and inserting some serious non-negotiables into my daily regimen has truly allowed me to step back and envision more, focusing on the work that truly lights me up and the life I have worked so hard to build.

Here’s the truth....by manually willing things into being and working day in and day out to make it all happen, we block out any space for divine inspiration and downloads to come through; the very downloads that inspire game-changing ideas that have the power to grow our businesses exponentially.

I believe that my work here is in total co-creation with something bigger than myself, and when I decided that I need to do all of the things, all of the time, I had subconsciously decided instead to play the sole Creator, and reject any assistance from the great big U.

Literally, it’s like I was saying “No thank you” to the magic that was knocking on my front door.

When we make that type of choice, the one that says “My business can only be successful if I am suffering and pushing myself to overproduce”, we also definitively choose to miss out on all of the joy and connection that’s coming our way.

Are you ready for this one?

Joy and connection are the real money makers; they are what will keep our businesses growing far longer than hustle ever will.

Do you want to know how YOU can insert non-negotiables and weave in space to your business?

Here are 4 tips that help me do so daily:

1. Create a daily ritual to stay connected and inspired.

What lights you up? What makes you feel most in flow and joyl? Is it meditating, reading, writing, having a cup of coffee by the window or going to the gym? Whatever it is, create space in your day- every day - for this sacred time with you and your inspiration.

2. Find ways to get out into nature daily.

Getting out into nature allows us to connect deeply with ourselves and our true abundance. For instance; I may look out right now and see a frozen lake with a blanket of white snow over it, but I know soon enough that will be replaced with rippling water, green grass and blooming daffodils. Nature always provides for us; if we just learn to trust the flow of life and understand that we too have seasons of our own.

3. Have a hard STOP time on your work.  

One of the most important things I have learned was that I have got to know when it’s time to shut’er down. Go for a walk without your phone. Meditate in the morning before checking your social media. Close your laptop at 5 pm and have a tech-free dinner with your family. You’ve got to create a separation between yourself and your work in order to recharge, reconnect and fully step back into flow when it’s time.

I had to learn that nothing is an emergency in my business (well, almost nothing). So it’s okay to not respond to that email right away, or not approve that ad until tomorrow. Reframe the way you respond and react to other people wanting something from you, and you will feel like 1,000 lbs was lifted off of your shoulders.

4. Create a schedule that supports the life you want to live.

You own your own business.. You’re the boss! You get to decide your schedule in a way that creates space for the things that bring you joy, and space for the work you love to do. I recently made Wednesday “Mama + Anni” day, where I step away from the computer for the day and spend this precious time with my little girl. This means I know what needs to get done on the other days of the week so that I can make this happen.

If we don’t make room for the things we truly want, we miss out on feeling the joy and freedom that entrepreneurship truly has to offer. We may be productive, but the price will be high and the inspiration will be low.

Make the space, find the time, turn that music up and find some sacred space for joy and flow in your life. Doing the opposite might make you a few extra dollars in the short term, but it certainly won’t serve your biz, your family, your friends and your clients. Most importantly (I hope this person is at the top of your list… because she should be)-  it won’t serve the one person your business can’t grow without…

You.