Savor the Success - The Premium Business Network for Women Entrepreneurs.

Here we are at the end of the 5-Part Series on managing your calendar. On having some fun with your calendar. On focusing on the outcome and not letting your calendar run you life... so it is only appropriate that we end the series talking about Personal time.

Making certain that personal time is SCHEDULED in your calendar.

This is the most straightforward planning task of them all and usually the most difficult for my clients.

·      I know you “mean” to add it to your calendar

·      I know you “want” to have a little breathing room in your business

·      I know you “believe” that you understand the importance of personal time

And trust me, I struggle with this portion of my business planning every day. Why? Because I am always busy finishing “one more thing”. I am the Queen of “one more thing”.

What does “one more thing” usually bring me?

·      Looking up from my computer to realize that I have not left the house in 2 days

·      Awareness that I began working when it was dark and stopped working when it was dark

·      My brain fuzzy from spinning around in my business non-stop

·      A tremendous feeling of accomplishment in the sales, writing, client time or phone connections I have been buried in- but piles of laundry, no healthy dinner made and piles of fun books staring at me from the living room

·      Hmm… still in my pjs

I am not suggesting that you stop focusing on your business.  Rather the opposite. Improve your focus by getting some much needed personal time.

Here is the easiest way I have found to ensure that it happens. WRITE IT IN MY CALENDAR AS AN APPOINTMENT EVERY DAY.  I certainly look at the week and month ahead to find those larger blocks of time that I will want to use to spend with friends, family and community. But what I am suggesting here is to look at your schedule every evening or first thing in the morning and put your personal needs above (or at least equal to) your business needs to take a shot at striking that elusive “balance”.

Here are some examples of things I put into my calendar over the course of a week. Some may seem silly. “Why do you need to write that down? Won’t you remember to cook dinner or shower- seriously?” But honestly, there are days that when I do not schedule it in, I just keep plowing through and at 8 pm I have no healthy food options and I am not yet showered. YIKES. Full-disclosure here!

·      Shower

·      Make dinner

·      Call for doctor/dentist appointment

·      Return ______’s call

·      Make deposit at the bank

·      Mail birthday cards

·      Buy birthday cards (oops!)

·      Exercise

·      Read for pleasure

·      Email an old friend

·      Book plane ticket for trip home

·      Watch YouTube videos

·      Shop online for just about anything

You get the idea… not difficult activities but I get to the end of the week and they are STILL not done if I do not schedule them like I would client time or sales time. And the space that unfinished list has taken up in my head is prime real estate better allocated elsewhere.

Give it a try and let me know what shifts in your business as a result.