5 Simple Steps to Organizing Your Mind and Creating Space to Focus On Your Marketing

Joseph Ghabi said, “Your life will begin changing the moment you decide that you want it to. In order to facilitate change you must first be willing to allow it to manifest in your life, your heart, and in your thoughts.”

The same principle applies to growing your business.  If you want to serve more people, create more profits, and enjoy more freedom in your business, you must make the decision to do things differently than you are currently doing.  And that starts with your mindset.

I find that many service professionals understand this, but struggle to take the first step because their mind is cluttered with ideas, client requests, overdue to-do items, and more.  REALLY- the first step must be to de-clutter and organize your mind, so that you can think clearly, determine exactly what you want to accomplish, and start taking the necessary, strategic action to achieve your goal.

Do you find any of the following details to be cluttering your mind?

• Ideas for marketing your business – that you don’t have time to implement.
• Opportunities for growing your business – of which you have failed to take advantage.
• Mental checklists – that need to be put down on paper.
• Experiencing a constant state of overwhelm and confusion – instead of clarity and focus.
• A never ending to-do list.

If the above list sounds familiar, then you could certainly benefit from de-cluttering your mind and creating the space and clarity needed to focus on marketing your business, consistently.

What I suggest to help you avoid those chaotic pitfalls.

1. Start documenting EVERYTHING! – Trying to remember all the many details floating around in your head contributes to feeling stressed and overwhelmed.  So start writing down EVERYTHING! I admit, for years my husband told me to do this and I ignored him because I prided myself on being able to remember everything. But, as my business grew it simply became too much to manage, so I started taking his advice.  It changed EVERYTHING for me and will do the same for you.  If you like to physically write things down, get yourself a notebook and keep it handy at all times.  If you prefer to manage your information electronically, (here’s one of my favorite tools!) set up an account with EverNote.  It’s web-based and accessible to you 24/7.  Start documenting every aspect of how you run your business.  How you enroll a new client, how you handle your billing, how you handle customer service, EVERYTHING – and keep the documentation in one place.  Simply getting all of your business and marketing information out of your head and onto paper is going to relieve a tremendous amount of stress for you.
2. Create a notebook to capture all of your ideas. – Entrepreneurs have no problem generating great new ideas.  The problem is it’s just too easy to forget about them or to get distracted before you have time to implement them.  Stop trying to remember all of your great ideas! Instead, write them down in one central location, so you can refer back to them often. As you complete one project, you can select a new idea to focus your attention on.  How much more successful and profitable your business would be if week-to-week and month-to-month you actually implemented your great ideas?
3. Centralize your daily to-do list. – Is your daily task list here, there, and everywhere?  Get your thoughts and tasks organized by keeping your running to do list in ONE place.  There are countless options for this, simply choose one that works best for you.  (Don’t over think this and waste days or weeks looking for the perfect solution!) Once you have established the option best suited to you, commit to using this ONE system for all of your tasks and projects.  I recommend a web-based solution that will allow you to easily delegate tasks to others.
4. Create a Master Schedule Template. – Do you find yourself at the end of the week wondering where the time went and feeling frustrated because you only accomplished a fraction of what you needed to get done?  If so, then you need a Master Schedule template.  Create a weekly calendar with designated blocks of time where you work on certain aspects of your business. For example, Monday from 9am-12pm is marketing time.  1pm – 3pm is writing time. 3pm – 5pm is for email management.  Tuesday from 9am- 12pm is client work, etc.  Start by inserting recurring tasks (calls with your coach, client meetings, marketing time, etc.) and then designated blocks of time for other activities.  Instead of leaving those items on your to-do list to chance, hoping you’ll get to them, determine how much time each item will take and then schedule it appropriately on your calendar.  You will INSTANTLY improve your productivity!
5. Stick to your boundaries! – The system won’t do you a bit of good if you don’t follow it. You must first commit to yourself that you’re going to honor what you’ve set out to do.  Turn off the ringers on your phone, email notifications, and all other distractions destined to derail your progress. Let friends and family know that you’re only available to chat before or after working hours.  Create accountability for yourself by working with a coach or mentor who will help keep you on track.

Your business isn’t going to market itself.  Attracting ideal clients and consistently generating profits will result from your focused effort and attention.  Remember, growing your business should be enjoyable.  By de-cluttering your mind and organizing your thoughts, you will be able to market your services consistently, see your progress, note your accomplishments, and realize your goals – enabling you to fully enjoy a successful business custom designed just for you!

Share your thoughts with me by posting a comment here on my blog.

Your Action Plan For The Week:

1. Get organized! Take the time this week to structure your work day.  The time you spend on this effort now, will immediately reward you with less stress and more productivity.
2. Put the details on paper! Find the perfect notebook, grab your favorite pen, and write down EVERYTHING – from Client’s names and information, to new ideas and resources – if it’s on paper, it’s out of your mind, safe and secure, for future reference.
3. Master your schedule! Create a Master Schedule and feel the power of being in control of your time.
4. Set boundaries and stick to them! You are the boss.  No one else sets the priorities for your work day but you.  Set your office hours, eliminate needless distractions and set your mind to accomplishing the day’s tasks.