While most small businesses will have already undertaken a certain amount of business planning for 2020 to get their finances, human resources and strategies in place for the coming year, it’s vitally important that we also make plans to look after our body and mind. We all work much more effectively, productively and more happily, when we’re well-rested, eating healthily and taking some time out to focus on our mental health.
I’ve found the following five tips work well, enabling me to achieve a relatively healthy work-life balance:
- Get clear on your business and health goals for 2020. Choose your top five business and health goals for each topic and write them down. Some goals to consider may be to exercise three times a week; meditate twice per week; reduce coffee and alcohol consumption, or decrease sugar intake. Make sure the goals are simple, achievable and manageable. Smaller achievable goals are better for your mind than unrealistic ones that are unlikely to come to fruition.
In terms of business goals, again make them small but achievable. Some suggestions are adding one new product to the range, launch a new website, open products to a new chain or improve sales by 20 per cent. Choosing goals that resonate with your business and are going to get you where you want to go. Now you have a base to start building your smaller, daily goals to help you achieve the bigger goals for 2020. - Create a vision board. Your vision board needs to match your goals above. If you have kids at home, do it as a fun activity with them. Ask them to create a vision for the things they would like to see or do in 2020, and place the vision board in a place you can all see and work towards together. Vision boards can be such a great tool to help you bring your goals into your daily practice, assisting you to be accountable for your goals – just make sure you look at it every single day.
- Set a morning routine. Dedicate the first 30 minutes or hour after waking, to either getting outside or exercising, practising mindfulness, meditating and reviewing goals. I also love to spend 10 minutes at least, learning something new by either reading or listening to motivational speakers. Get creative with your time, if you spend time commuting or even cooking in the kitchen, swap music for an educational podcast and multi-task.
- Map out your days with different time blocks. For example block out time for creative spaces (non-interrupted time), sales time, task time and email/enquiry time. Try to stick to your time blocks, so you’re less distracted and in turn achieve more.
- Get inspired. Read books or listen to podcasts that inspire you to dream big and encourage you to stick to your goals. Here are some of my favourites: ‘The Miracle Morning’ by Hal Elrod, ‘Winging It’ by Emma Issacs, ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill and ‘Awaken the Giant Within’ by Anthony Robbins. Some of my top podcasts are Seth Godin, The Mentor with Mark Bouris, The Health Hacker and Shameless Podcast.
Seizing success is achievable with the right mindset. It’s a vital component in helping you to reach and even exceed your goals which has worked for me. So if you’re not already doing so, commence a practice of self-care throughout the year and if you’re feeling the work pressures, needing more clarity then review your morning routine, ensuring you take some all-important time to get your health and mind back on track.
Rachael Ferguson, Podiatrist and CEO, Synxsole
