If you’re a typical entrepreneur, your brain moves at the pace of a fully caffeinated puppy. There’s so much to do, and then you have this flood of ideas which takes over your brain and then you can’t get to the “to-dos.” And then there end up being more “to-dos.”
I get it.
It’s easy to become frustrated with this constant barrage of ideas, tasks, and urgent requests. But how can you tap into this constant motion of your brain and make it work for you? Here
are some tips to help:
1. Establish a task management system. This may have saved my business as I added staff to the team. I used to work off of a paper “to-do” list. The problem was that it eventually became two legal-size sheets of paper taped together. Our company uses Asana, but there are many great systems like it. The task management system allows you to put in items when you’re thinking about them (be sure to install the app on your phone!) and assign the tasks to others. It’s a game-changer.
2. Give yourself time for creative thinking. For me, this is often in the form of walking. I walk three times a week with a friend who is great at listening and challenging me. I also try to walk longer few times a month by myself to give my brain time for a good wander. Try not to cram so much in your day that your brain can’t wander. It’s often in the wandering you come up with your best solutions!
3. Surround yourself with different types of thinkers. I’ve often heard it said, if you are the smartest person in the room… find a new room. Intentionally spend time with people who are at different stages of business and in different industries. You’ll learn a lot and you’ll grow a network of people who can encourage you in your endeavors or steer you in the right direction when needed.
4. Write it down. This is one I’m going to work on this year. I often think, “Oh, I’ll remember that!” But then I don’t. Leave voice memos for yourself. Use a transcription app to get those memos in writing. Put some action to those thoughts if needed.
5. Build automation into your world. Your thoughts should not be preoccupied with things like: “Will this person forget our meeting?” or “Did I follow up on that lead I got last week?” We just became a Keap Certified Partner and this tool is pretty amazing at taking things OFF my mind.
So, as you start the New Year… how will you change what you are thinking about? How will you train that inner “puppy brain” to be a solid “working dog” brain? If you’re interested in talking more about this subject, please shoot me a message at christy@wholeheart.biz. I’d love to hear from you!
Christy Ragle, owner of WholeHeart Communications, grew up in a small business and watched her parents navigate the complexity of owning a business. Christy and the team at WholeHeart Communications are passionate about helping small businesses thrive with marketing, public relations, and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions.
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