Disclosure: I only recommend products/services I would use myself and feel might benefit you as well. This post contains affiliate links, and I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Raise your hand if you’d rather read a book/go on a walk/binge Netflix than work.
Even for those of us following our passions, there are days when this is definitely the case.
Discipline as a business owner can be hard. You grow up with structure and deadlines in school, you likely started your career working for someone else on their deadlines and schedule requirements, and then BAM you’re running your own business and controlling your own time.
This doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want all the time. The business still needs to run, and you still need to make money; you just get to be more intentional about how and when you spend your time. This is where discipline comes into play, and it’s key as a business owner.
Do you struggle with lazy days?
We all have those days where we don’t want to work. Maybe we didn’t get enough sleep, maybe we’re looking forward to plans or a vacation, or maybe the mojo is just off.
As a business owner, it’s important to make sure you’re taking the time to re-charge and fill up your cup. But even this requires discipline. You need to be able to recognize the fact that you need rest and set this time aside but also need to be able to set appropriate boundaries and keep the structure of working in and on your business.
A few ways to master this area of discipline are:
- Be sure to set aside time for rest. If you don’t, you’ll have unplanned required rest times from burnout or illness that may be at an inconvenient time.
- Create a structure that feels good for you. If you have times when you know you’ll get the work done and then times to rest afterward, you’ll be more motivated to get the work done when you need to.
- Read The Slight Edge (links to hardcover and Audible) and find the right fit for you to master the daily habits that lead you to success.
- Delegate some of the responsibility. There’s a lot that goes into being a business owner and many of the tasks that take up your precious time can be delegated. For example, hiring a copywriter is a great way to offload some of your communication and marketing responsibilities.
Can’t get motivated for those extra tasks?
If you run your own business, chances are you started it so that you could make money from your passion and have control over your time and money. But being a business owner comes with a lot of other responsibilities besides your core competencies.
You may find yourself hitting some resistance when you get to these tasks. This resistance may feel like always bumping the task to the bottom of the list, getting anxious or irritable when you sit down to complete these tasks, or just generally feeling your energy plummet when you have to address these.
A few ways that you can master this area of discipline are:
- See if there’s a different way that you could complete these tasks that would make them more enjoyable. Maybe there’s a different process or software that would make it more gratifying.
- Evaluate if you really need to be doing these tasks. Sometimes you added these tasks just because you felt like you should and sometimes they are obviously necessary, like accounting.
- Hire out these tasks. Your opportunities to hire these out are much more vast when you consider that you can hire a part-time freelancer and don’t need to commit to a full-time employee.
Workaholic but still not feeling effective?
There’s so much to do as a business owner that it can be hard to focus on what’s most important. You may feel like your to-do list is a mile long, and you start something just to remember another task you had to get done.
You feel like a hamster on a wheel.
This is just a different form of lack of discipline. Discipline is not only important to actually get the work done, but it’s also important to stay focused on your most important and impactful tasks.
A few ways that you can master this area of discipline are:
- Identify the top 3 things you want or need to do each day. Don’t move on to other tasks until you have completed your top 3.
- Create the aforementioned structure that allows you time to rest and still get these most impactful tasks completed.
- Hire out some of the tasks keeping you on the wheel that are detracting your attention. Do emails, website copy updates, or the perfect words for the social ad keep getting in the way? Hire a copywriter!
As a strategic copywriter and storyteller, I can help you up your discipline game from a variety of angles.
While I’m a writer and storyteller at heart, I’m also passionate about empowering others to further elevate their businesses through strategic communication and storytelling. If you’re looking for someone to help you refine your strategy and then craft those communications for you, book a free strategy session with me!
Disclosure: I only recommend products/services I would use myself and feel might benefit you as well. This post contains affiliate links, and I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Disclaimer: This blog should not be construed as providing, or intending to provide professional financial, legal, psychological, or other professional advice. It is simply meant to share my experiences with those who may find them relatable and helpful.