If you are a business owner and you are too busy to read this, then you need to read this more than ANYONE. 

Running a business is hard work.   There are so many things to think about.
If you don’t learn to control your business, then it starts to control you. Who has had this happen to them in their business?  I know I have.
Have you heard of the Law of Control?  This law states you feel happy to the degree of which you are in control of all areas of your life, and you feel unhappy to the degree of which you are not in control.

As a business owner, I don’t have to tell you that you need to think about a million things at once.  We have to think about:-

• Where that next client is coming from
• When that other client of ours is going to pay us?
• When am I going to get around to doing some tax planning?
• How am I going to deal with that disgruntled client?
• What should I be doing with my business?
• Should I employ that person to help me out?
• How do I do a marketing plan to move my business forward?

etc, etc etc

Every single thought that you have to do with your business and personal life creates what I call a ‘Brick’.  A brick is anything (both personal and business) that is left undone. It includes any small to do’s or even any decisions that you need to make.

Did you know that a human can only handle about 30 bricks at once?  As a business owner, we carry so many more bricks than the average person.

You know you have too many bricks when the following starts happening to you:-

1. You feel stressed and overwhelmed.
2. You lie in bed at night with thoughts swimming around your mind.
3. You are living day to day and can’t possibly deal with any ideas to grow your business.
4. You are tired.
5. You feel foggy, confused and even flat.
6. Your motivation isn’t as high as it could be.
7. You can’t stop – even at dinner you can’t focus properly.
8. Your jumping from task to task and not really sure what you are doing [you’re flat out but don’t really feel that productive]
9. You have lost track of where you are going, and also why you originally went into business.

Is this you?

Here is how you fix it:-

1. Stop loading new bricks into your brain.  That’s right – stop reading, and stop ALL noise.  You don’t need new stuff right now.  You need to clear the clutter before trying to move forward.

2. Empty the bricks onto paper.  Get everything out of your head and I mean EVERYTHING.  List it all down on paper.  Even if its a tiny little to do, get it out.

3. Prioritse.  Mark things A  (have to be done now)  B  (can be done in the next week)  C  (can do later on).  Be strict with what you give an A.  Delegate as many things as you can.

4. Give yourself permission to invest 2 days to remove the bricks.  That’s right – you need to get them done.  Don’t be afraid to complete even small bricks  – just get them done.  You will feel so good about yourself AND you will create space to attract more opportunities in.  PLUS you will get control back again and once again be in the driver’s seat.

5. Every 90 days, plan to have at least a 4 day break where you get away and detox your brain.  And I mean get away from everything – no computers, mobile phones, TV, noise.  You need to allow your brain to recover and calm down. You won’t know yourself if you do this.  This will provide you with so much energy and get you back on track.  It’s vital to be consistent with this though.  You are your greatest asset and this is like servicing a car.

So – if you are punishing yourself, then stop it.  Give yourself permission to gain some control and happiness back and your business will prosper – guaranteed!!!

To a brick free week,

Andrew