Time to make a list - business investments, day 1!
“I have a problem with too much money. I can’t reinvest it fast enough, and because I reinvest it, more money comes in. Yes, the rich do get richer.” Robert Kyosaki – author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad
OK, I know that the title sounds kind of spammy, but I promise you won’t find any get-rich quick concepts in this post. There are no silver bullets or success-in-a-box secrets. Today, we’re going to talk about business investments and this post is the first in a series of four that will run over the next two weeks. We’ll have action items each day and you’ll need those action items for the next installment. It’s like, learning! Ready? Set – GO!
Business investments are intellectual, emotional and monetary. On the intellectual side, it’s the hows of running your business on a daily basis. The knowledge YOU bring to the table to make your business world go round. This can be years of schooling or just knowing what it feels like to be “schooled” and sharing that knowledge with your audience. It’s what gives you authority, or the right and mettle to speak about what it is you know and love.
Business investments can also me emotional. There’s no shame in loving what we do. We feel joy when sales are up and get down in the dumps when sales go south. We connect with our employees and share in their personal struggles and successes. It’s part of what makes a company great to work for: the emotional investment that ownership and management have in their team.
And we all know that business investments can be monetary. This is the one we likely think about most often. It’s the life savings we’ve put into our startup, the money we spend on learning about both ourselves and our industry. It’s everything from payroll to taxes and all we can worry about at 3 AM in between.
To start your week, we’ll start with ACTION. I’m a big fan of lists, so today, we’re going to sit down and make one about your business investments. Grab a laptop or pen and paper – here we go!
Intellectual Investment: On this list, you’re going to list everything that establishes you as an authority on your line of work. School, hard knocks, experience – they all go on the list!
Emotional Investment: Make a list of how you feel about your business. When things go right, when things go wrong, what makes you happy each day at work and what causes you stress.
Monetary Investment: Where does your business’ money go? Take a few minutes and make a list of where you’re spending your business income and where you’re investing your business income (the two are VERY different!).
Now – hang tight to this list because on Thursday this week, we’re going to revisit that list and talk about some common pitfalls and simple things you can do to balance your business investment budget! Make your list, grab a magnet, put it on your fridge. We’ll see you back here on Thursday where we’re going to explore STEP 2 in The Best Business Investment You Can Make series.
Take back your heart strings
It’s your heart. If you’re like a lot of people, it’s something you’re willing to share and you give of it freely. But are you giving to people who don’t appreciate it and deserve it?
My life and community are both filled with giving people – it’s truly a blessing to have this type of person surround me each and every day. We get caught in the trap, however, of giving when we should be saying no and then NOT taking our hearts back when we need them the most.
Now, I’m not telling you to not continue a life filled with generosity. It’s actually just the opposite. What I’m telling you to do is bring all of the wasted energy back to YOU so you can invest in the RIGHT things. Ready for a list to get you started? Let’s go:
People who don’t say thank you. They’re never going to say thank you, so stop waiting for them to say it and reel that energy back in.
Past relationships. Whoa boy, this is a doozy. If you think of your heart as something with a certain number of cords that let you “plug” in to someone else, we tend to leave ourselves plugged in to people after the relationships end. Take back your cords. Recharge yourself. They’re not giving you anything but grief.
Bad jobs. An unhappy career can take us away from the things that matter most in life: our families, hobbies and passions. If you’re truly unhappy, never be afraid to walk away from a bad job. Starbucks is always hiring and they give benefits to people who work 20 hours or more each week. It’s better than being miserable, right?
Now, make yourself a list. Write down all of the things that are taking your emotional bandwidth and then start crossing off the ones you don’t need. I love crossing things off a list – it makes me feel like I‘m getting things done! Go get something done today.
Is multitasking helping or hurting you?
OK – reality check: how many windows do you have open on your desktop right now? Are you a multitasking wiz or overburdened by doing too much at once? (Frankly, how on earth do you tell which one you are?!)
We always hear the multitasking mantra – it’s good. It’s great! It’s productive! But here’s my tough question for the day: what are you sacrificing for multitasking’s sake?
When we spread our attention across too many things, it’s a pretty decent bet that none of them are getting our full attention (nor the attention they’re due). Every now and then, there’s nothing wrong with taking advantage of a situation to get a few things done at once but today’s post is about stopping the madness and honing your focus. Multitasking isn’t always grand, so here are some tips for making the most of your opportune situations (and getting everyone the attention they deserve).
Multitasking Tip 1: Close Those Web Browser Windows
You’ve got Twitter open in one, Facebook in the other, Gmail in yet another, three blogs, Overstock.com and…WOW! If you’re working on a report, proposal or other task that requires your computer-related attention, do yourself a favor and minimize the distractions. Close your web browser and hit mute on your computer’s sound. That’s way, you’re not distracted by other shiny, web-based things and you can get to the task at hand.
Multitasking Tip 2: The Wired Headset
I know you like your Bluetooth headsets, but the sound quality is unreliable. If you’re going to multitask on a conference call, do everyone a favor and minimize the “hallway” effect and static – get a wired headset. Oh, and find the mute button on your phone. Nothing’s more impolite than the clicky-clack of keys in the background of a call.
Multitasking Tip 3: Email Time!
Do you answer you emails throughout the day? Do you have desktop notifications or sounds that tell you when a new one arrives in your inbox? Give yourself a break. Set specific times during the day to answer your emails and turn off those notifications. If it’s in an email, it can probably wait and you can focus on other things that require your attention.
Related Posts: Email Etiquette Conundrum: Do I Have to Respond to Everyone?
It's time to turn Oprah off!
There’s no doubt that Oprah’s become the icon of women and influence. We can’t argue with that, can we? Riveting guests, great stories, attention drawn to phenomenal causes and a shining example of a woman who stands on her own, she’s paved a way in history for the influential woman. Want to know a secret, though?
I think I need to stop watching her show.
Working for myself offers me the blessing of flexibility and access to a television each day when “Oprah’s on!” It’s been a regular thing that I tune in for an hour and offer myself a reprieve from the day when Oprah’s on. It’s been my little break. I’m sharing with you today why that’s going to stop – and it’s got little to do with Oprah herself!
Reason #1 I’m Turning Oprah Off: Because I’ve been spending an hour tuning into to someone else’s thoughts other than my own. If I took that hour and went for a walk, meditated, called a friend…whatever I choose, that hour would better enrich my life because I’m tuning in to ME.
Reason #2 I’m Turning Oprah Off: Whatever she or her guests can do, I can do, too. And in many cases, I already do. I volunteer in the community, I’ve written a book and I have a career that helps people build a fulfilling life. The difference between Oprah and me? I have less press 
And that’s OK. I think I’d like to continue doing what I’m doing and with whom I’m doing it and skip the prime time coverage!
Reason # 3 I’m Turning Oprah Off: Mobility. If I’m stuck in front of the TV or within earshot, how can I really give myself the freedom to do what I want or need to do at any given time during the day? By untethering myself from the tube, I can go anywhere, talk to anyone, send emails, prepare presentations and (gasp) even run to the grocery store. Life is boundless if I unplug from the gleaming glass screen.
Reason #4 I’m Turning Oprah Off: My clients. They inspire me each and every day in more ways than any TV show could. Their stories, hopes, dreams and desires are fuel enough for me to know I’ve chosen the right path in life. While Oprah’s stories are great, yours are better.
So there you go! I hate to say farewell to Oprah and I’m sure I’ll catch her every now and then, but I’m happy with my decision. Women and influence – it begins with US. We don’t need to tune in to a TV show to see it and live it. I’m glad to live a life devoted to women and influence, and even happier that my electric bill might be a little lighter after taking out 20 hours a month! Now, I love being wrong, but I think I’m pretty spot-on about this one…
How do you find the middle ground in work-life balance?
Is work-life balance really a myth? Every now and then, I pop over and read the fabulous musings of Cali Yost. She’s an expert blogger on the work-life subject for Fast Company and hosts her own site at the Flex+Strategy Group. I like Cali’s content. And I agree with her: work-life BALANCE is something of a myth. She prefers the phrase “work-life fit.”
Fit. I like that. After all, have we ever, for a single day, truly had “balance” in our lives?
Corporations preach it in their recruiting materials and employee benefits books. Day cares and preschools offer to help us out with it. But if I concede that there’s not really a balance and it’s more of a “fit,” then I think we’re well on our way to making some progress in these days that we live that are brimming with non-stop activity.
It’s pretty simple to see when things are off-kilter: we stay at the office too late, answer emails at odd hours from our smart phones and our voicemail inboxes fill up like the laundry basket.
I put together three tips that you can start using TODAY to make your work-life balance a bit more balanced. Put on your life like it fits and stop trying to button that top button when you had the extra helping of your neighbor’s awesome potato salad at the picnic last night!
Work-Life Balance Tip #1: Take Lunch
Yes, I’m crazy. And I’m telling you to take lunch. Whether you work from home or in an office, step away from your work domain for a minimum of thirty minutes. Stop scheduling conference calls during lunch. Don’t answer your phone. Don’t respond to emails. Unplug – and see how much easier it is to plug back in.
Work-Life Balance Tip #2: Hard Stops
Not unlike taking lunch, give yourself a “hard stop” at least two days a week. This means that at 5 P.M. (or whatever time you determine), you call it a day. Not five minutes later and no excuses. Go DO SOMETHING (and enjoy it). Your inbox will still be there in the morning (and your family and friends will thank you).
Work-Life Balance Tip #3: Ask for Help
If you’re simply afraid that you can’t get everything done and the act of trying is what’s putting you off-kilter, ask for help. Hire a virtual assistant, a house cleaner or one of your teenagers to do some of the running around.
Whatever the solution, asking for help doesn’t have to be expensive or worst of all, humiliating. It can be empowering and free you up to do the things you both need and want to! Take a tip from one of my previous entries on how to offer support. It’s easier to lend and GIVE support than you might think!
