How to find your business rhythm

Get to the gym, do the shopping, pick up the kids, pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read, work on the business… finding the time to fit everything in can be exhausting! 

Small business owners are often left feeling fatigued when balancing the management of their business and maintenance of their personal and family life.

The beauty of running your own business and being your own boss is that you get to design your ideal week! Yes, there will be times where your week won’t go exactly as you’d like or you’ll be pulled in unexpected ways. But setting a framework for your week means you have a solid baseline to come back to when life gets busy.

Finding your business rhythm can take a lot of trial and error, but here are some ways to start finding your flow.

Take stock

Just like a yearly stocktake, it’s important to take stock of your business operations. Make a list of all the elements of your business and ask yourself “what loose ends do I have in each of these?” This could identify where a lot of your time and worry is being channeled to. For each of these, make an action plan for resolution and schedule time in your week to act on the plan.

Find your productive pockets

It’s not possible to be productive all the time. To avoid disappointment and frustration, find the most productive times of your day and use that to your advantage. Instead of forcing yourself to a 9-5 working model, monitor your energy levels throughout the day.

Maybe you’re more alert early in the morning? Block out some time to yourself and schedule meetings and administration tasks for the afternoon.

Block out your time - and stick to it!

There will always be things to do in your business. Make sure you block out times in your week for things that are important to you.

You might like to follow a method like this for planning your week:

Step 1. List 3 items from each of the following categories.

Joyful - block out some time for things that are enjoyable for you. This may be exercise, reading, social time or it might even be work-related things that inspire you and bring you energy.

Admin - These are things you know you have to get done, not particularly enjoyable but will make your life easier once they’re done. You might like to schedule these all together or complete one each day.

Connection - Often, we can schedule our loved ones around our work commitments. For most people, family always comes first - so we should reflect this in the way we block out time in our week for our family and friends. This might also look like NOT filling up a free space with work, but instead calling a friend or asking how you can help someone else out.

Step 2. Select your top priority in each category and schedule these into your week. Each morning, it may be helpful to list 3 things you’d like to complete each day - anything additional is a bonus!

Step 3. At the end of the week, review which priorities were completed, how you felt about each of them. Make sure you notice which things brought you joy and make them a priority for the following weeks!

Time to rest and pause

When it comes to taking rest, I like the analogy of a shaken up glass of muddy water. When we find time to settle, eventually the mess rises to the top and we have no choice but to deal with it. But that’s a good thing! Dealing directly with anxieties and frustrations can make your water clearer and cleaner - leaving more space for growth, innovation and creativity.