A FUN and simple way to understand what’s REALLY going on in your business!
Written by Julia Bickerstaff // April 7, 2014 // Daily Juice // No comments
Gosh. Isn’t it super tricky to stand back from your business and see what’s actually going on?! It all feels like a bit of a blur when you’re in the thick of it. Especially when you are hurriedly dealing with customers and suppliers and finding new customers and making stuff and sending stuff and…….., well yes. Just. Very. Busy.
So here’s a simple way to help you get a clear, uncluttered, perspective of your business. It’s FUN. It takes 10 minutes and it’s very doable. It’s also a lovely way to finish the day. Try it!
1. Buy two (pretty!) notebooks. Call one “My Day” and the other “Day by Day”.
2. Ever day, go about your work as normal. If anything pops up that’s super fab (like an ace customer testimonial) or gut-wrenchingly awful (like a competitor copying you) write it down in your “My Day” notebook.
3. If you DO have something that’s gut-wrenchingly awful, try “parking” it in your notebook. It’s hard to get on with good stuff when you’re in the doldrums so practise writing it down to think about later. I know it’s super-tricky not to dwell on it during the day but try!
3. At the end of every day set aside 10 minutes for a “My Day Think”.
4. Make a cup of tea, and go and sit somewhere unrelated to WORK. Somewhere that’s uncluttered by your day. Somewhere that feels relaxing.
5. Now you’re going to spend your 10 minutes calmly reflecting on your day. A good way to do this is to imagine your day as a movie you’ve watched rather than frenetic activity that you’ve been at the centre of. Think about stuff like: Who did you speak to? What did they say? How were your customers? How are your fans? What did you write in your “My Day” book? What did you learn from the stuff that made you happy? What can you learn from the stuff that made you sad? How do you now feel about the gut-wrenchingly awful thing?!
6. When you’ve done your thinking write down in your “Day by Day” notebook:
- Today’s complaints or grumbles
- Today’s fans or hurrahs
- Things that make you feel you’re doing a GOOD job
- Things that you feel didn’t quite work
7. Now you might get flashes of inspiration immediately! Hurrah! But if not, don’t be disappointed. It’s far more likely that you won’t get any sudden clarity. Instead it will build up over time. Starting with a little gut feeling, then whispers and before you know it you’ll feel like your business is talking to you! You may not like everything you hear ( we often don’t!) but it’s exactly the sort of stuff we NEED to know!
8. Repeat EVERY day! Yes! ‘Fraid this really only works if you make your “Day by Day” a daily habit!
9. Finally, once a fortnight, flick back and read every day of your “Day by Day” notebook. This will help you spot patterns and is kinda like magic. Just give it a go and you’ll see!
Write It Down TIP!
I’m slightly obsessed with Writing Stuff Down. This is why:
1. It frees up space in your mind so you can use that space to THINK rather than STORE!
2. It helps you think more clearly. Writing stuff down helps your brain decide what’s important (your brain doesn’t want to you to spend ages writing waffle!)
3. It helps you make connections. The combination of writing AND a clear mind helps your subconscious brain spot connections that your conscious brain missed!
4. It keeps a record so you can spot patterns!
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