Are you operating on all 8 cylinders?

Am I comparing you to an engine? Yes. Some of us are build as 4 cylinder engines, some are 6 cylinders and some are 8 cylinders. The question is are you operating at full capacity? Or are you a couple cylinders short?

It is our job to make the most of what we have. A 4 cylinder engine may never do everything that an 8 cylinder engine does but they should be using all 4 cylinders to their best ability.

So why aren’t we operating to our best ability?

1. Your cylinders are clogged. Your engine isn’t working correctly because it’s full of muck. The muck could be stuff from your past, stories you’ve told yourself or even high maintenance customers or clients that are draining your time & energy so you can’t get to your good clients.  Clean up the muck. The sooner the better. Yes, it’s tough in the short term but it makes room for good stuff to come in.

2. Your cylinders are empty. You need to fuel your engine. Yes, you know this and yes, this is common sense but how many times have you skipped a meal because you’re too busy to eat or you just have to finish this project now.  Or you haven’t worked out for a week because you have a deadline to meet?

Fuel is not just about food and water.  It’s also about feeding your brain. You are constantly sending output to others but are you getting input? Do you take a mind break?

Dr. Caroline Leaf, author and a neurologist that has spent her life studying the brain, says that you should take a 16 minute mind break everyday. Don’t think, don’t stress, don’t plan, don’t do anything. Just rest and be at peace.

How many of you can’t do that? 12 years ago I could not do that. I had to learn how to meditate and pray. It took a long time before I could actually turn off my mind. No, it’s not easy.  It took me 2-3 years to get really good at it. Okay, I am probably ADHD and have a strong caffeine addition so the rest of you may pick it up faster than me. I’ve learned to calm my mind down and my Earl Grey is not going anywhere so the two had to learn to coexist.

Take a 16 minute mind break every day and rest your brain.

How many of you are working 6-7 days a week until you got your business up and running? You can do this for a short term period but in the long run it will hurt you. You need to take at least 1 day off a week to recharge. I recommend a second day to feed your brain: read a book, read articles, go to a museum, do something that replenishes your system.

3. Your cylinders are malfunctioning. Unfortunately, for better or worse, all of our areas of life are connected together. If one cylinder goes down or gets clogged on an 8 cylinder engine eventually the other cylinders will be affected as well. They will slow down, be sluggish and eventually quit.

When one area of your life isn’t working well it will affect the others. What do you need to take care of or address to get back up and running?

4. Your system (or lack of) is slowing you down.  You’re trying win your race but lack of organization is working against you. Get a good system, a really good system. Not just for the company and how it operates but also for you, the business owner or leader.

Is your planner setting you up for success?

Is your routine setting you up for success?

Are you planning out your week and days in advance? Being flexible enough to take advantage of opportunities when they come up but also being strong enough to get all your commitments in?

Having a system or framework to set your life on really, really helps. When you leave the corporate world and are running a business on your own, your planner or scheduling system has the capability to make or break you.  That’s why when I found “The 90 Day Year” I snatched it up.

I used to think it was silly in the 80’s when career couples had to make a date night just to see each other. I thought it was kind of sad. Did it happen to my husband and I? Yes. But the reality is, if you don’t schedule it, it doesn’t happen.

Now I take Sunday’s off. I refuse to do anything other than FFF & G. Family, Friends, Food and God, not necessarily in that order. Sometimes I will do some self development on Sundays. I always get my planner out, every single night and set myself up for success the next day.

Sunday is normally the day that I review the prior week, review the wins and the losses and figure how to get better next week.  This is not a beating up process.  It is a self-improvement process.  It is also self-care.

You have to take care of yourself in order to take care of your business.  Then you can crank it on out! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist that one).

‘Til next time!

Deb