What’s Been Sitting on Your Back Burner?
I was supposed to be spending some time at my fall quilting retreat the end of October. Instead, I ended up having a minor outpatient procedure, and my doctor told me to take at least a week off.
Not exactly what I had planned!
After several days of rest, I felt much better, but I still had a few days left before I was supposed to return to work. I considered jumping right back into client projects, but I knew I needed to give myself that time to finish recovering.
When I was up to it, I spent a little time each day working on something that often ends up at the bottom of my list: my own business.
Isn’t it funny how that happens? We spend so much time taking care of our clients and making sure their businesses run smoothly that the behind-the-scenes work in our own businesses sometimes gets pushed aside. I’m certainly guilty of that!
So I used a little of that unexpected time to tackle a few things I'd been meaning to get to. I cleaned up my email and digital files, caught up on tracking my income and expenses through October, and got my newsletter ready to go.
Did I get everything done? Not even close! My SOPs still need some attention, and my website updates are still waiting for me. It’s okay because I made progress on a few things that had been hanging over my head, and I did it without pushing myself too hard.
It got me thinking about those unexpected openings in our schedules. Maybe a meeting gets canceled, a project wraps up sooner than expected, or you have a slower week than usual.Of course, sometimes the best thing to do with that time is absolutely nothing! But if you have the time and energy to tackle something that's been sitting on your list, here are a few places to start.
Clear some digital clutter. Unsubscribe from emails you never read, set up a filter or two, or finally organize those files you've been meaning to sort. (Need a little help getting started? Grab my Inbox Cleanup Checklist HERE!)
Catch up on your bookkeeping. Make sure your income and expenses are recorded, check for outstanding invoices, and take care of anything you've been putting off.
Document one process. You don't have to create an entire library of SOPs in one afternoon. Just pick something you do regularly and write down the steps. Even a simple checklist is a good start.
Give your website a quick checkup. Are your services and pricing current? Do your links work? Is there information that needs updating? A few small changes can make a difference.
Look ahead. With a new year approaching, this might be a good opportunity to think about what you'd like to accomplish and what needs to happen to get there.
The key is to pick one thing, not all five. You don't have to fill every unexpected opening in your calendar with more work. Sometimes a little breathing room is exactly what you need, and sometimes it's an opportunity to take care of something you've been putting off. For me, those few days gave me a chance to make some progress on my own business while still taking the time I needed to recover. And when I returned to client work, I could give it my full attention. What about you? If you suddenly had an extra day in your schedule, what's one thing you'd love to cross off your list?
