Who exactly is in charge here?

Are you a sole practitioner (aka solopreneur) working for yourself? Do you ever ask yourself the question “Who exactly is in charge here?” I know I have and so have my clients!

As a matter of fact, I asked myself this question just recently when I realized that my schedule was running the show. It was prompted by a call I had with my accountability partner; she asked me what I had on my calendar and task list. As I began to read off everything to her, I realized I had a lot of stuff that I wanted to do one day yet was not supporting me today. They were causing me to feel stressed out and as if I wasn’t getting anything done!

And then it began… with a sweep of a mouse and a click, I deleted 10 tasks right then and there while we were on the phone. After the call I decided to do what I knew needed to be done. I moved what wasn’t a high priority to a main list, and then used that list to put what I wanted and needed to do onto my schedule. Because it felt so good, I decided to do the same thing with several things in my personal life, too!

What I asked myself was “Is this a want to do now or a want to do some day?” If it was a ‘now’, then I scheduled it. If it was a ‘some day’, I then asked myself “If it is a ‘some day’, will I really do it?” and if the answer was no – I deleted it or threw it out. If it was a yes, I put it in a place where I could see it again at another point in time. It was liberating and freeing… and all of a sudden I wasn’t weighed down anymore!

So, my friend, that leads me to this question, Where are you holding yourself back from completion?

The other thing my accountability partner and I talked about was how we spent a lot of time planning and not so much execution. Therefore we committed to each other to spend 10% on planning and 90% on execution. I can say “So far, so good” on that one. I’m feeling pretty good about myself, let me tell ya!

I realize now that I wasn’t in charge of anything, I was allowing other people to set my schedule; when they were available, I would be too even if it meant that I put off something I needed to get done. I allowed tasks to rule what I was doing without prioritizing or even asking if the task was moving me toward my goal, backward or in a holding pattern. I wasn’t clear; I just was doing stuff because I felt that I needed to be doing it and not question it.

I’m far smarter now and have a clearer strategy, yet I can get caught off-guard too. Here are several tips for you to be in charge of your life, your schedule and you to-dos!

• Be clear about why you want to do something. Do you know your why? Why are you going to do this task, what will you gain from it, it is something that will move you forward in your business and/or in your life? Those inquiries are key; otherwise you will end up doing things willy-nilly and then wonder where all your time went.
• Is this something that needs to be done now or later? If it is a ‘now’, then schedule it into your calendar and then do it. Honor the time that you chose to complete your task. If it is a ‘later’ and you are clear about why you want to do it, put it on a some day list or maybe list, but don’t allow it to take charge.
• Be real with the delete key. Is this something that you really need and/or want to do? If the answer is ‘no’, then delete it or throw it out. Holding onto something that you really don’t need to do or want to do is a surefire way to keep yourself in overwhelm, stressed out and absolutely frustrated. Let it go! Trust me on this one. There will be other things that come to you which will be a perfect fit.

Don’t allow your to-dos, calendar appointments and other people’s priorities to be in charge of you and your business. You are the one in charge of you, your schedule and your results. Just make sure you are working on the right results!

Have a thought, comment or suggestion? Please feel free to share either by sending me a personal email at kim@kimravida.com or comment below!