What would happen if you started the day with you and what you need?
Not your phone, not your email, not the news, not Instagram, not the sales stat’s from yesterday? Just you and your mind.
As business owners, we can spend a lot of time working on what others need. We serve our customers and clients to the best of our ability to grow or create a thriving business. Take a moment to think back to why you decided to work for yourself, there was probably flexibility and creativity as part of that dream. Learn how to become more productive by embracing creativity.
Do Not Disturb (half-moon icon)
It’s a magic function that stops your phone from bleeping, blinking and pinging. It brings peace into your sleep and magic into your mornings. You should be in control of how and when the world starts to communicate with you. It’s completely understandable that you need and want to be available for your business, and that’s okay, as long it is an active choice you are making rather than that just being your default setting.
Morning is our most creative time
So let’s not waste it! Answering emails isn’t often creative work, or even that fun. Can you commit to 30-minutes in the morning for some big picture planning? Suddenly you’ve magically spent 2.5 hours (at least) in a week getting creative.
A different space can remind your brain it’s time to think differently so use a comfy chair, another part of your office, outdoor space or even just the couch. Grab a notebook and get comfortable.
Think about how your business
• What would you change if money was no object?
• What is your favourite part of what you do?
• What jobs or business tasks would you ideally outsource?
• What are your financial or growth goals for the business?
“By This Time Next Year”
Write a story for yourself and incorporate your answers. It’s the start of a vision of how you want your business experience to be going forward. You could do this on your own, or engage a coach, co-worker or partner to help you. Written goals are more likely to be achieved. They get into your subconscious and activities, actions and people you need to achieve your goals will come to you.
To help you think bigger, consider writing this in a different space; visit your competitors or complementary business. Visit businesses that are entirely different from your own, but with similar elements. How can a hospital visit be compared to checking into a hotel? How can public transport be more like uber? What do you think Google would do if they bought your business?
Embrace People Power!
The people who work with you and your customers every day can give you valuable insights, provide fresh ideas and a perspective you may not think of; ask your staff for ideas for change.
• What would they change if they owned the company?
• Your mindset matters; be open-minded and don’t take their feedback as personal criticism.
• Some ideas might be great to activate later, they could be combined with an idea you have brewing or get the rest of the team to provide input too.
It’s very easy to be so close to your business that you can’t see changes or innovations that could tap into a new market or improve the customer experience to deliver significant growth. You don’t have to do all this thinking alone, hopefully you have employed people who care as much about the future of the business as you do.
Move forward by thinking differently.
Can you become more innovative to get what you want?
• How might you collaborate with other businesses or individuals?
• Can you engage a consultant or a specialist short-term?
• Can you sell your product or service via an existing or different platform to increase exposure?
• Can you apply for a grant or attend a community or networking event?
• Have an idea-storming day with another self-employed friend; inspire each other with fresh ideas for each other’s businesses.
It’s so easy to think we don’t have time. But time is the only resource that is irreplaceable. We owe it to ourselves and our business future to spend some time creating a day we want to be part of.
Creativity comes to us when we’re away from our daily routines and the same old places and spaces; magic mornings create magically productive days.